The Quest for the Holy Grain - Best Beer Bars
Deutschland

 

 

Augsburg

Berlin

Cologne

Darmstadt

Dresden

Frankfurt

Hamburg

Heidelburg

Karlsruhe

Mainz

Nuremburg

Saarbrucken

Stuttgart

 

 

 

Braugasthaus Altes Mädchen
Lagerstraße 28b, 20357 Hamburg, Germany
+49 40 800077750

 

Altes Mädchen is a beer bar in the Ratsherrn brewery complex in an older district in Hamburg.
A singer once referred to Hamburg as "old girl" and thus the name, Altes Mädchen.
It is hard to find in that the main entrance is from an enclosed courtyard (the bar's patio) through the nearby bottle shop.
It is actually the Ratsherrn bar room as it is adjacent the brewery. They serve all the Ratsherrn products, including a zwickel, lager, pils, rotbier, and others.
They also serve several guests beers, and have an extensive bottle list.
Altes Mädchen hasa large American-style bar room with dining tables along the outer perimeter.
They have a complete menu although the kitchen seems to be in another building.

 

 

 

Brauhaus 1516
Viktoriastraße 1
86150 Augsburg, Germany
Phone: +49 821 4540480

Brauhaus 1516 is located in the Augsburg railroad station.
That is usually not a good sign.
The name is derived from the year 1516...the year of the Rheinheitsgebot...the Bavarian Purity Law.
There is no bar to speak of, only a service area with several small tables.
The rest of the large room is picnic table motif.
Early on a Friday night the place reminds one of the Munich Oktoberfest...quite crowded and very noisy with everyone clamoring for more beer.
Brauhaus 1516 advertises that they are an outlet for Meckatzer beer, and they do have several of those. But they also have several beers labeled 1516, as well as several guests.
1516 also serves food, and is known for live music and comedy.
Quite an interesting place.

 

 

 

Brauhaus Schönbuch
Bolzstraße 10
70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland
+49 711 72230930

So...we went to the address given for the Brauhaus Schonbuch. Nothing there.
I've been fooled before, so I kept on searching.
Down a nearby alley I spied a brew kettle on display.
Aha!!
The front door of Brauhaus Schonbuch faces the alley!
Upon entering, one notices about 6 picnic tables right at the door, then several steps down to the rest of the venue.
To the left is a fairly large hall, brightly lit, with picnic table motif. The American-style bar is to the right.
They have 4 of their beers on tap as well as several bottled, and an extensive menu.
Brauhaus Schonbuch is not listed as a brewpub because the beer is made at another location.

 


 

 

Carls Brauhaus
Stauffenbergstraße 1 70173
Stuttgart, Germany
+49 711 25974611

Carls Brauhaus is an outlet for the Dinkelacker-Schwaben Brau brewery with all of their products available.
I came down the street as indicated in the address but couldn't find the place.
The front door is around the corner on a different street !! One enters the center of a very large room.
The huge square bar, which would seat 12 on a side except for the service areas, is to the right.
Just to the right of that is the bar area with cocktail tables and room to stand.
The rest of the area is picnic table motif and probably seats 300.
Carls also features a large back room and an entrance from the adjacent office building lobby.
There is outdoor seating, too.
The have six taps and several bottles and an extensive food menu.

 

 

 

Bierstop G 1
Gärtnergasse 4, 55116
Mainz, Germany
Phone: +49 6131 224251

One would think that a bar named Bierstop would be a beer bar.
One would be wrong.
Bierstop G 1, on a busy shopping street near downtown Mainz, is a small neighborhood bar.
Surprisingly small...about the size of a one-car garage, but maybe a bit longer.
A large bar takes up most of the space and has about 10 stools. Perhaps about 10 more customers could squeeze inside.
A sign on a wall outside says Bierstop has 15 beers, but alas, only two are on tap.
When asked what those beers were, the barmaid answered,
"A pils and a pils."

 

 

 

Augustiner an der Frauenkirche
An der Frauenkirche 16-17  
01067 Dresden, Germany
0351 48289714

Augustiner an der Frauenkirche in Dresden is one of a chain of beer bars by that name in various German cities.
This one is located on a square in the busy tourist area of Old Town. Serving a full array of beers made by Augustiner in Munich, this facility has a Bavarian decor. Not particularly "hunting lodge", but with heavy dark furniture and heavy dark paneling.
Offering the same beers as other Augustiners, this bar also had a special unfiltered helles, which the bartender insisted was not a Zwickel.

 

Bier Museum
Buttermarkt 39
Altstadt-Nord
Cologne

The Bier Museum is a beer bar on a block with several other nice bars in the busy drinking area of Cologne. One would think that with 18 European draft beers and an extensive bottle list, this would be a pleasent place to drink. Maybe not. It's a small place, with a beat-out wooden bar and a few stools in addition to several tables.
That's it. No food was visible nor offered.
One website lists their food as Bier. Early on a Friday evening modern dance music was blaring uncomfortably loud from the speakers.
And, young people were pounding down their beers preparing for a long night.

 

Restaurant Sitte
Karls. 15
64283 Darmstadt
Tel. 06151-22 22 2

The Sitte is a few blocks from the busy shopping area of downtown Darmstadt. 
It seems like a fine dining establishment in that it is quite proper with white tablecloths and candles, and a flowery motif, even in the bar area. 
The food on the menu seemed quite pricey, but the food was unique. 
The traditional fare was competitively priced.  Oh, and they have beer. 
Sitte is an outlet for the Pfungstädter Brewery and have all of their products available. 
The beers were good and so was the service.  But it's a kinda quiet and cozy place; not the drinking place for everyone.

 

Gaststätte Weißbier Hex
Jakobstraße 17
90402 Nürnberg, Germany
0911 2406646

Weissbier Hex is a tiny bar several blocks from the main shopping district in Nürnberg.  
A locals' hangout, it seats about 15 at a wrap-around bar and perhaps that many in the corners.  
It's a over-40 crowd and a full smoking bar; when one sits at the bar one gets a coaster and an ashtray. 
Hex is an outlet for the Kuchlbauer Brewery and have all of their products as well as some guests. 
Although there is a kitchen and signs for barfood, no
one seems to be eating.


 

Wirtshaus zum Spreisel
Neckarstaden 66
69117 Heidelberg, Germany
06221 23543

Wirtshaus zum Spreisel is a restaurant just off the busy shopping and tourist area near the university in Heidelberg.  
Rustic in decor, like a 60's hunting lodge, the place is cozy and comfortable, with many nooks and small areas. 
Wirtshaus zum Spreisel is an outlet for the Dachsenfranz Brewery and have four of these products.

 

Palmbräu Gasse
Hauptstraße 185
69117 Heidelberg, Germany
06221 28536

 

The Palmbräuhaus is a set of establishments in Heidelberg's busy shopping and tourist area near the university. 
In the beer bar, the bar area is large and long with American decor. 
The bar itself seats about 4. 
Palmbrauhaus is an outlet for the Welde Brewery products and have about 4 on tap, including a Pils, a Zwickel, a Hefeweizen, and a Dunkel.
Adjacent to this facility they have a restaurant, and also separately is a cocktail lounge, as well as a steak house.
The House Specialty is crispy grilled pig knuckles...Schweinshaxe!

 

Bierakedemie
Douglas str 10,
76133 Karlsruhe.

Bierakademie is a bar just off the main shopping street in downtown Karlsruhe.  It reminds one of a college happy hour bar in that the large U- shaped bar has only a few stools but probably stands about 40. 
An alcove to the side seats perhaps 20 more. 
The few decorations are beer or soccer posters. 
No TV, no food...just beer. 
I'm kidding...they have a good selection of shooters, and if you insist, a red wine and a white one. 
But their selection of 10 local draft beers and six bottles is impressive by local standards.

 

Bolay's Bierstube
Türkenstr. 17
66111 Saarbrücken
Deutschland
Tel. (0681) 398618

Bolay's is one of the 20 bars in the busy tourist area of Saarbrucken, Germany.
Though referred to as a sports bar, it is a small and cozy place to drink.
The bar seats about seven and there are about ten tables.
Bolay's has four different taps, featuring draft beers from the Bruck brewery, as well as bottled Belgians.
The proprietors went out of their way to make this Questor comfortable.

 

 

 

Paulaner am Dom
Domplatz 6
DE - 60311 Frankfurt
+49 69 / 20 97 6890

Paulaner am Dom is a Paulaner outlet near the tourist attraction Cathedral. The door opens to a central bar-like area...a service bar with many small tables fenced in.
There are larger dining areas both to the left and right, as well as more room in the rear.
The dining rooms have names such as the Clock Room, The Brewhaus, and the Distillery.
Paulaner am Dom offers the four main Paulaner beers...helles, pils, hefe, and dunkels, both on draft and in bottles. The food is Bavarian, and the decor looks that way, too.
The waitress seemed bored, and the service was indifferent. She never bothered to come to my table...she leaned over the railing with the beer and to take the money.

 

 

Solberfass'je Haxenhaus
Grosse Friedberger Strasse 8
60313 Frankfurt am Main

A small cafe in an area of small cafes, Solberfass'je Haxenhaus is unique in that it has six taps, all of different styles and from different brewers as well as a selection of bottled beer.
The ground floor seats about 25, although there is an upstairs as well as an outside area.
The food looked good, but was kind of pricey.

 

 

 

Birra
Prenzlauer Allee 198
Berlin
+49 30 55243713

 

Birra is an Italian beer bar about a mile north of Downtown Berlin.
The venue is amazingly small. There are 6 stools at the bar and that much more room to lean by the front window.  The alcove behind the bar might seat 20.  

Giampaolo Sangiorgi is the founder of Birra which is one of Berlin's most intriguing new craft beer bars.
“ Birra's dedication to the purity and simplicity of what creates good beer will surely resonate with German beer enthusiasts.”

And if drinking good beer makes you hungry, chef Marco d'Amato has a selection of delicious cheeses and sausages straight from Italy's Piedmont and Lombardy regions.

There are a dozen taps, at least 8 are from Italy, the rest are local guests. 


 

 

 

 

 

Paulaner Wirthaus
Alte Potsdamer Str. 1
10785 Berlin, Germany
+49 170 7859422

The Haus of 100 Biers at Potsdam Platz is no more!
In its place is Paulaner Wirthaus. serving 4 beers on tap and 4 others in bottles.  
Less bar, more dining room than the last place.
  
As their website says, “Our Paulaner Wirtshaus is a liaison of Bavarian tradition and modern attitude to life. It offers genuine beer enjoyment and Munich beer garden cuisine in a contemporary ambience.”
The Paulaner beer arrives fresh from Bavaria.

In their Wirthaus, Paulaner has endeavored to bring a piece of Bavaria to Berlin…where people can meet casually to drink beer, eat and relax!

Paulaner Wirthaus offers a menu of pretzles, snacks, sharing platters, and other tasty specialities.

Possibly crucial to a Questor who plans to drink all day, the Wirthaus opens bright and early!

 

 

 

 

Salami Social Club
Frankfurter Allee 43
10247 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 54823781

The Salami Social Club is a pizza place in the trendy Friedrichshain neighborhood in Berlin.
SSC has 6 rotating craft brew taps. There are about 40 seats indoors and seating for more on the terrace. 
They have a good reputation for their pizza, so why not go there to drink beer??  
At the time of our visit, they were pouring a pale ale, a Pilsner, and a couple of IPA's.
Thursday is €1.00 a slice night. One stands in line to buy tickets and a beer, trading the ticket for a slice or many, depending. 
All of the pizzas are 32 inches in diameter, and can also be ordered for delivery.

The Crowd was primarily young; this Questor was at least 40 years older than anyone there. 

 

 

 

 

Mikkeller Bar - Berlin
Torstraße 102
Berlin, Germany
+49 176 83141103

 

Mikkeller - Berlin is another in the Mikkeller chain of beer bars. The Berlin venue is the same size and format as others.

Rather small and cozy, the bartenders are friendly and knowlegable about the beers they serve.

Mikkeller has about 12 of their own brews on tap, and about 12 guests.

If beer drinking makes you hungry, you can order from the menu of artisinal cheeses and sausages.

Located a short walk from both the streetcar and Ubahn, they are also just a short walk from other beer bars.

 

 

 

Kaschk
Linienstraße 40
10178 Berlin, Germany

Kaschk is a coffee shop at a busy Ubahn stop just a short walk from the vibrant tourist area of Berlin.
Open at 8:00 am, it is an appropriate venue in which the touring Questor can begin the day.
Kaschk describes their offerings as "an eclectic selection of Nordic and local craft beer." There are 12 taps of these beers.
Indoor seating is at several great tables, and those who are inclined can battle it out with a game of shuffleboard.
Kaschk also has outdoor seating where one can enjoy the by-passing people who have places to go.

 

 

 

 

The Castle
Invalidenstraße 129
10115 Berlin, Germany
+49 1516 7676757

The Castle is a coffee shop across the street from the Nord Bahnhof in Berlin.
They also have a street car stop at their front door.
This is convenient for Questors as they open at 8:00am.
The Castle proudly states that they are "a coffee lover's dream, and a craft beer fanatic's heaven."
Besides their 5 taps of European macros, such as Guinness and Stella, they have 15 taps of Craft beer, mostly from Spain and Italy.
The Castle also has a huge selection of bottled beer.
In addition to coffee and beer, the Castle is a full service bar...one can have a shot in their coffee or perhaps a shooter to start the day.
The bar seats about 10, with several tables looking out on the street.
The main room has soft chairs and "coffee" tables.
There is a larger back room as well as a patio.
The Castle is very pleasant venue in which to consume one's first of the day.

 

 

 

 

Dolden Mädel
Braugasthaus
Mehringdamm 80
10965 Berlin
T: +49 (0)30-773 262 13

Dolden Mädel is a beer bar in a busy area a few miles south of downtown Berlin.
In German lore, Dolden Mädel are "beautiful, angelic women who harvest hops wearing nothing but a fig leaf. They brew beer in the centuries-old tradition while singing and dancing and thus provide an unforgettable drinking experience."
As Dolden Mädel quickly explains on their website, if you believe this, you may already have consumed too much of that fine beer.
Nevertheless, we wanted to let you know where the name came from.
It is the mission of Dolden Mädel to provide their customers with the finest and most unique and diverse selection of craft beers.

There is a moderate amount of outside seating leading up to the inviting doors.
Inside is a large bar area to the right and a dining area on the left.
Dolden Mädel has 20 beers on tap, listed by style.
Dolden Mädel does call the Ratsherrn brewery "their own" but it appears that no beer is brewed on site.
In the mid afternoon of our visit business was slow, with only a few customers.

 

 

 

 

Herman Belgian Bar
Schönhauser Allee 173
10119 Berlin
Germany
Prenzlauer Berg
Phone: +49 30 44312854

Herman is a small, dingy neighborhood bar in a bustling area just off downtown Berlin.
It's claim to fame is that they only serve Belgian Beer.
The decor is minimalist and the atmosphere relaxed.
Herman has only four taps, so it's a good thing they have about 100 different bottles, some of which are rather unique.
The barkeep was young, friendly, and knowledgeable, so, except for the fact that it doesn't open til 6:00, it's kind of a cool place.
Herman serves no food, but you can bring food in from the Burgerbar next door.
There is seating outside when weather allows.

 

 

 

 

HOME World Beer Bar
Neue Bahnhofstraße 23, 10245 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49 176 80373676

HOME is a new bar in the trendy Freidrichshain neighborhood of Berlin.
The mission of HOME is to provide the absolute best beer and other drinks, at an affordable price. In addition, HOME wants to provide an environment that is about friends, conversation, and fun.
The bar seats 4 and there is what would be a cozy dining area if they served food.
HOME does, however, offer some snacks such as meat and cheese boards, and marinated olives with bread.
HOME provides 7 beers on tap and a big bottle list.
HOME gets a good deal of press buzz, but on this visit we were the only customers.
HOME offers a weekly pub quiz in both German and English, and features live music on Tuesdays.

 

 

 

 

Hopfenreich
Sorauer Str. 31
10997 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49 30 88061080

Hopfenreich is a craft beer bar a block from the U-bahn in the Kreuzberg area of Berlin.
The building is old and dingy, with patio seating at the front and an area of equal size up several steps just inside the main door.
A stroll up a half dozen more steps takes one to the American-style bar room; a 15-foot long bar with bar stools, several tables and plenty of standing room.
They call it self service as one must get their own drink from the bar and take it to their chosen seat.
Hopfenreich has 20 craft beers on tap, with a brisk rotation; and they have craft beer in bottles.
There was no sign of food being available.
Hopfenreich is a real Questor's delight, and bills itself as Berlin's first craft beer bar.

 

 

 

 

Hopfingerbräu im Palais
Ebertstraße 24
10117 Berlin
+49 (0)30 / 20 45 86 37

Hopfingerbrau im Palais is sister to the Hopfingerbrau in the main railroad station. This one is in a wonderful location: in the Palace at the Brandendurg Gate, facing the park. A nice American style restaurant, with seating also on a front patio, Hopfingbrau has an ample menu with good food at appropriate prices.
Apparently the term "brewpub" has a different meaning in Germany.
When asked about the beer, the waiter said he didn't know where the dunkle came from, but that the helles came from Lindenbrau, also a small chain of brewpubs.
In the summer, guests can enjoy the 120 outdoor seats on the terrace and in the Biergarten.
As of Summer, 2015, there was definitely no brewing going on at Hopfingerbrau.
The Bier menu was very limited.

 

Willy Bresch
Danziger Straße 120  
10407 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 4250905

 

Gaststätte Willy Bresch is a beer bar recommended by the Guide, Around Berlin in 80 Beers.
It's a corner bar on a busy street far from downtown Berlin.
About the size of an American corner tavern, the small bar sits perhaps 6 and there are about a dozen small tables scattered about, each with an ashtray as this is a smoking venue.
The patrons are neighborhood cronies, and not young. The youngest in the place was a couple in their 40's with their parents.
There are six beers on tap.
I think this place makes the list due to the prices. Cost per pour was at least €1.00 less than any other establishment.

 

 

Max und Moritz
Oranienstrasse 162
10 969 Berlin 36 (Kreuzberg)
Parterre und 1. Etage
Berlin
Fernruf +49 30 695 15 911

Recommended by someone else,
Max & Moritz is a unique beer bar in the Kreuzberg area of Berlin.
The outside door leads to an alcove which opens to the bar room. It's not a wide building and this alcove takes up a lot of space.
Several steps beyond the alcove is a wide staircase to the upper level which also takes up bar space.
Thus, the bar area is pretty confined.
But beyond the stairs the space widens out and goes on and on, even widens a great deal.
Max & Moritz had 4 beers on tap, each of them from unique small breweries around the region.
The bartender was knowledgable and discussed each beer. He poured my request, then disappeared, never to return.
The owner or manager, sitting at a table got up to serve the next beer and take my money.
The beers were good, the price right, but at 6:00 pm on a Thursday, this Questor was the only customer there.

 

 

Hofbräuhaus München-Berlin
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 30
10178 Berlin
T: +49 (0)30 679 66 55 20

New in town, the Hofbräuhaus is part of the world wide chain of beer bars with the same name.
Now Berlin can count themselves on par, beerwise, with Pittsburgh...they have a Hofbräuhaus !
This location is huge, taking up the entire ground floor of an office building in the buisiness area of Berlin.
Seating several thousand indoors, and with a large patio area, this restaurant is Bavarian themed in every way - decor, dress, and food.
With the beer served in the 1-Liter Masskrug, and the staff garbed in Dirndl and Lederhosen, one could believe they were in München rather than Berlin.
Tied to the Hofbräu brewery, they have all of the Hofbräu products, either on draft or bottled.
It's a little pricey but crowded none the less.

 

 

Weihenstephaner Berlin
Neue Promenade 5 /
Hackescher Markt
Berlin
Telefon: +49 (0)30 84 71 07 60

The Weihenstephaner in Berlin is an outlet for the Weihnstephaner Brewery.
It is located in the busy Hackeschen Markt tavern area.
The Bavarian State Weihenstephan Brewery is the oldest in the world, having been founded in 1040!
The interior is said to be Bavarian and they serve Bavarian food. The food is good , but maybe a little pricey because of the neighborhood.
From early Spring to late Autumn, Weihenstephaner can seat 250 patrons in their outdoor Beirgarten.
They have 7 Weihenstephaner beers on tap as well as 7 bottled beers. There is some overlap, but all of the brewerys beers are available, including seasonals.

 

Mommsen-Eck
Haus der 100 Biere
Mommsenstrasse 45
10629 Berlin
(030) 3 24 25 80

Mommsen-Eck, The Haus of 100 Biers, is a restaurant in a nice residential neighborhood in Berlin.
The bar and restaurant have resided at this location since 1905.
It has a similar name as a beer bar in the tourist district but is not affiliated. Mommsen-Eck makes this clear on their website.
(The other is called Mommseneck)

The front door opens to a small but well stocked bar. There are several small rooms, but the main attraction is the large curved dining room with very large sliding glass doors that open to a large patio.
The property is adjacent a city park, so ones eyes are fooled to believe that the park is part of the patio.
Mommsen-Eck has about 20 draft beers from all over Europe and a list of at least 100 bottles from all over. The rooms are decorated in beer paraphenalia.
The food is good and not expensive.

 

Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt
Charlottenstr. 55  
10117 Berlin, Germany
030 2045-4020

Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin is one of a chain of Augustiner beer bars in various German cities.
This one is located across from the Symphony and down the street from the high end hotel area.
Serving a full array of beers made by the brrewery in Munich, this facility has a Bavarian decor.
Being in an office building it has lots of windows, but also is equipped with heavy dark furniture and heavy dark paneling.
Offering the same beers as other Augustiners, this had no unique or special beers.
The prices on the food menu seemed quite high, but given the neighborhood, they probably were reasonable.

 

 

LINDENBRÄU AM POTSDAMER PLATZ
Bellevuestr. 3 - 5, 10785 Berlin
telephone: 030-25 75 12 80

Lindenbrau is located in a busy tourist area. They have seating for probably 300 outdoors, in a sheltered area between buildings.

There are 3 floors, with space for brewing equpiment from the days when beer was brewed here.
It was hard to get a server's attention, but once we did, service was astonishingly fast.
On my previous visit, when asked about the beer list, the server said they had their own "homebrews". The beer tasted like it was made from a kit.
Just as well they don't brew it on site anymore.

The food menu was quite extensive; the dishes tasty and in large portions. I would give them a second chance at the beer, but I would definitely go back for the food.