Meierei

This is not how you acquire customers… Ignoring customers during opening hours. Absolutely terrible.

Everything is very nice except for the long queues. I think two people are too few if you want to order something in the beer garden. Unfortunately, it's also in a dead zone for cell phone reception. Perhaps they should introduce Wi-Fi for guests, as many cyclists come and want to check routes and such online. Otherwise, it's a wonderful atmosphere.

Yesterday there was a huge rush. Self-service was a nightmare; I had to wait in line for 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with the recent comments from other guests. I've been a regular at the Meierei for many years, and sadly, it's deteriorated significantly compared to how it used to be. There's no longer any table service in the outdoor area; it's all self-service. And it's extremely poorly organized. You can easily wait 15 to 30 minutes for a drink, and if you're doing two or three rounds, that's just great fun. On top of that, there's no proper food available outside anymore. Even if you ask inside and offer to take your own food outside, apparently that's not possible. In the self-service area, you can only get small items like Bockwurst or Bratwurst, but not the regular dishes from the menu that are available inside. It used to be much better. Unfortunately, the Meierei is no longer a top-rated place that I would recommend. In the end, all that's left are the beautiful location and the great view.

As a loyal regular who has appreciated and frequented the Meierei for over 20 years, I am simply appalled and incredibly saddened by the new policies of the junior manager. What is happening to this Potsdam institution is almost unbelievable. After two decades of established tradition, the outdoor dining concept has been completely transformed into a self-service beer garden. The number of tables was already reduced last year, but now table service in the outdoor area has been eliminated entirely. As a customer, I simply don't want to have to sit inside on a sunny day with 25 degrees Celsius just to get a decent meal. The implementation of the new "concept" is a disaster: The beer garden is completely overwhelmed with only a single serving station, and waiting times of 30 minutes or more are commonplace. I recently experienced firsthand just how absurd these new policies are when I sat at the bar inside on a beautiful day: Understandably, there wasn't a soul inside. The waitstaff and kitchen staff were visibly bored. Meanwhile, every five minutes a guest approached the bar and politely asked if they could eat outside or take food to go. The staff had to decline each time, and the guests left disappointed. It seems they are knowingly throwing away a significant amount of revenue and driving away loyal customers. The low point of the visit: The junior manager came sulking out of the kitchen, berating his own staff in front of the guests, but couldn't even bring himself to greet the customers sitting at the bar. There is a complete lack of hospitality sense and respect for the customer. It pains me to see this change, because the location right on the lake is still fantastic, the long-serving staff are as friendly and helpful as ever, and the beer is very good. The food, too, has always been reliable, traditional fare that perfectly suited the venue. Now it seems they're just offering a cheap imitation of a beer garden. : ... Particularly disheartening: The poor reviews of recent weeks and friendly emails from regular customers politely inquiring about the new concept are simply being ignored or dismissed by management. Anyone who drives away their regulars like this will be responsible for the decline of this once top-notch establishment. A real shame!

Very friendly staff :)

My visit to the Meierei in the New Garden today was, unfortunately, a massive disappointment. For many years, the Meierei was a special place: good beer, friendly service, a regional atmosphere, and the feeling that gastronomy here meant more than just mass catering. This very quality seems to have been largely lost with the new management. The new concept appears shockingly unimaginative and barely thought through from a gastronomic perspective. The outdoor area—the Meierei's actual strength and signature—has been degraded into a kind of self-service zone. Instead of regional dishes or a terrace with a pleasant atmosphere, there's practically nothing but average bratwurst outside and the expectation that you get your own beer and food. For a place with this history and location, this is remarkably unambitious. What's particularly irritating is the apparent complete lack of understanding of the Meierei's local significance. The former blend of beer garden culture, hospitality, and regional character has been replaced by a concept that looks more like short-term cost optimization than genuine gastronomy. One gets the impression that decisions are being made by people who have neither a connection to the establishment's tradition nor a feel for atmosphere, service culture, or the overall quality of the experience. The victims are not only the guests, but also the staff. Even dedicated and friendly servers can hardly credibly convey such a loveless and unprofessional concept. Friendliness alone is no substitute for genuine hospitality. The Meierei was once a place with character. Today, it sadly resembles a tourist-driven, self-service establishment with no understanding of why people ever enjoyed dining there in the first place.

New owner and the idea of ​​no longer offering outdoor service – a real shame. The dairy is only half as enjoyable now. Please reconsider.

Great location right on the water. Great beer and friendly staff. Unfortunately, the concept has been changed slightly: there's no more table service outside, which is a real shame and makes the queue for self-service very long. And the usual Pentecost music was missing again this year. Please change it back 🙃

We often stop by for a beer during our bike rides. The queue is usually quite long; waiting half an hour is pretty normal, but the beer is great. There's also live music occasionally. The location is fantastic in the summer, right on the water.

Simply too crowded. With very long queues!