Tuesday 23 July 2013

Bavarian Beerhouse, City Road, EC1V

Sometimes, on a night out, you will want to do something culturally enriching. Perhaps a play, or an art installation. Maybe even a recital, or a mime? Then, at the other end of the spectrum, are those nights when you want to just get drunk. Very drunk. Very quickly. For the latter, I genuinely don’t think there is any better venue in London than the Bavarian Beerhouse, two minutes walk from Old Street tube station.


First and foremost, this is a venue that sells beer. Many different types of traditional German beer are served here, from a light pilsner to a dark, intense wheat beer. These are served as pints or in a two pint stein, non-Brits and non-Germans please note that these are the only two acceptable measurements of beer. As well as the beer, there is a great selection of schnapps and liquors, and of course Jägermeister. The wild cherry (wildkirsche), and forest fruits (waldfrucht) are favourite schnapps flavours and also of note is the kleiner feigling, fig and vodka bottle shot. And best of all, drinks are served by a buxom German waitress in traditional Bavarian dress and if you order 10 they come with a firework!


If you go, you have to try the ‘porno fizz’, a vodka and sherbet mix. You pour the sherbet sachet into your mouth, then the vodka, before shaking your head vigorously to mix and then swallow. But enough about alcohol, this is a food blog, right?


Every time I have been here I have ordered the German platter to start with, a selection of German dishes to try. This constitutes five elements: zwiebelmett (a German sausage speciality), Münchner wurstsalat (thinly sliced knockwurst sausage with onions and pickles), kartoffelsalat mit speck (potato salad with bacon), Schwarzwälder schinken (Black Forest ham garnished with tomatoes and gherkins) and obazda (a Bavarian cream cheese speciality). All are great except for the cream cheese, no matter how many times I have tried this, it is still rank! Accompanied with a great (in both senses of the world) pretzel, the perfect starter.


To follow, currywurst mit pommes, a curried sausage with chips. Super-simple and super-tasty. This is a very sweet curry sauce, a bit like Northerners have on their chips. We also ordered a giant meatball capped with a fried egg to share. I had not had the latter before but this was very tasty too.

So, want to get very drunk, very quickly? Go to the Bavarian Beerhouse on Old Street (there is another one by the Tower or London) but line your stomach with some excellent German food whilst you are there. Always a great atmosphere, and always very rowdy. Recommended.

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