Pub entertainment in Germany
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Zum Uerige
This cavernous beer hall is the best place to soak it all up. The suds flow so quickly from giant copper vats that the waiters - called Köbes - simply carry huge trays of brew and plonk down a glass whenever they spy an empty.
reviewed
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Päffgen
Busy, loud and boisterous, Päffgen has been pouring Kölsch since 1883 and hasn't lost a step since. In summer you can enjoy the refreshing brew and local specialities beneath starry skies in the beer garden.
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Ä
This Kiez (neighbourhood) pioneer is a fine place to feed your party animal an appetiser or wrap up a long night on the razzle. Or maybe just claim one of the colourful chairs and camp out for the night. There are DJs and concerts but once a month it’s wall-to-wall with people for the live Schmusetiersoap starring cast-off stuffed animals.
reviewed
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Zwiebelfisch
With its clientele of grizzled and aspiring artists, actors and writers, this cosy pub is Charlottenburg at its boho best and it has been so since the patchouli-perfumed late 1960s. Everyone’s a little older these days, but it’s still a great place for guzzling that final drink while the Blackberry crowd is gearing up for another day at the office.
reviewed
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Bellmann
This funky glamour bar is always packed, mostly with low-key, talkative local folks. ‘Glamour’ because of the high ceiling, stucco ornamentation, great cocktails and candlelight. Funky because of the plain tables, DIY ambience, unembellished walls and…candlelight. If you get the munchies, pick from the small but satisfying menu.
reviewed
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Aufsturz
The crowd’s young and tourist-heavy but if you’re in the market for obscure beers, this tap room is the place to go. Choose from over 100 different suds, many from small private breweries, including rarities like the bacon-flavoured Rauchbier from Bamberg or bestsellers like Staropramen from Prague. Live music in the basement club.
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Cinema Café
Dark, cramped and unpretentious, this movie-themed pub is the last alternative refuge in the slick Hackescher Markt area. Candlelight and intense talk give it an almost existentialist vibe reminiscent of Paris in the ’50s, but there’s outdoor seating in the courtyard if things get too packed at night (and they usually do).
reviewed
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Hofbräukeller
Not to be confused with its better-known cousin in the city centre, this sprawling, very atmospheric restaurant-cum-beer garden retains an early-20th-century air. Locals in Tracht (traditional costume) come here to guzzle big mugs of foaming beer alongside the regular specials of roast pork.
reviewed
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Kumpelnest 3000
A former brothel, this lurid bat cave is sensuous, kooky and kitschy enough to feature in a 1940s Shanghai noir thriller. A true classic, famous for its wild, debauched all-nighters, it attracts a hugely varied public, although there can be a preponderance of butch boys. Watch out for pickpockets.
reviewed
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Zosch
Bask in the vintage vibe of this low-key booze parlour that’s managed to maintain its funky-skunky ’90s vibe while seeing its neighbours go all snazzy and glam. Live jazz steams up the cellar on Wednesday and Thursday; Fridays and Saturdays cater more to indie, punk and folk tastes.
reviewed
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Ex’n’Pop
The ghosts of Einstürzende Neubauten, Element of Crime and other seminal Berlin bands still may be partying at this rough-house with a pedigree going back to the pre-Wende punk era. Ex has since moved to a new location but is still a good place to pop the last bottle of the night.
reviewed
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Möbel Olfe
An old furniture store has been recast as an always-busy drinking den with cheap libations and a friendly crowd that's mixed in every respect. Beware: those animal skeletons above the bar get downright trippy after a few Polish beers or high-octane vodkas. Enter from Dresdener Strasse.
reviewed
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Bergstübl
The name implies Alpine cosiness but the only thing southern German about this trashy lounge is the tasty Tannenzäpfle beer from the Black Forest. A boho crowd packs the sofas in winter and the footpath in summer. A good place to go on weekends after the party has stopped elsewhere.
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Kptn A Müller
Ahoy matey, the captain's in town, bringing much needed relief from this strip's cookie-cutter cocktail-lounge circuit. Pretensions do not fly at this self-service bar where drinks are cheap (0.5L beer or 0.2L glass of wine €2) and there's no charge for table football or wi-fi.
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Underground
This complex combines a pub and two concert halls where indie and alternative rock bands hold forth several times a week. Otherwise it's party time with different music nightly (no cover). There's a beer garden in summer. To get here take U3 or U4 to Venloer Strasse/Gürtel.
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Hops & Barley
Conversation flows as freely as the beer (and cider) produced right at this congenial microbrewery. Share a table with low-key locals swilling postwork pints and munching rustic Treberbrot, a hearty bread made with a natural by-product from the brewing process.
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Gosenschenke 'Ohne Bedenken'
This historic Leipzig institution, backed by the city's prettiest beer garden, is the place to sample Gose, a local top-fermented beer often served with a shot of liqueur. The menu has a distinctly carnivorous bent. Take tram 12 to Fritz-Seger-Strasse.
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Gehrings
Live music often plays at this wonderfully local, owner-run pub, where Würzburgers of all ages tuck into fantastic Franconian potato-based dishes such as Rösti - fried potato cakes with toppings like sheep's cheese and broccoli.
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Ankerklause
This nautical kitsch tavern in an old harbour-master's shack is a great place for quaffing and waving to the boats puttering along the Landwehrkanal. On Thursdays DJs shower attitude-free party people with disco, indie rock and electro.
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Jodlerwirt
One of Munich's earthiest pubs has an accordion-playing host and stand-up comic who spread good cheer in yodelling sessions at the upstairs bar. By the end of the evening you'll find yourself swaying arm-in-arm with complete strangers.
reviewed
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Six Pack
This is a must-stop on any Belgian Quarter pub crawl. Belly up to the super-long bar and pick from several-dozen varieties of beer, all served by the bottle from a giant fridge. Things can get seriously jammed after midnight.
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Kilombo
Christian Blau's cult pub is in multicultural Westend, which he considers Munich's most 'urban' area. Check your attitude at the door and make new friends over reasonably priced drinks and at occasional literary readings.
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Hirschgarten
Locals and savvy visitors flock to the Hirschgarten, just south of Schloss Nymphenburg. This quaint country beer garden has deer wandering just the other side of the fence. To get there take the S-Bahn to Laim.
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Tagblatt
Welcome to Bavaria and one of Ulm's finest riverside beer gardens, with prime views to the Altstadt. Grab a chair outside to quaff a cold one, or chomp imaginative salads, schnitzels and burgers.
reviewed
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Hafthorn
This low-key pub is great for quaffing a cold one in the funky beer garden or amid masklike sconces wrought from sheet metal. Pick from the snack menu (€2 to €7.50) to stave off that hangover.
reviewed
