Stein's & Sausage at The Bavarian Beer House, Old Street.

For years, my best friend and I had driven past The Bavarian Beer House and promised that we would go one evening. 3 years or so later, we managed it!

The restaurant is basic and could do with a tidy up in some areas (the toilets being my main issue, broken locks and generally very dirty - normally, I would walk straight back out because if they can't clean the toilets, I dread to think what is being missed in the kitchen! Eek!)

The dining area consists of lots of wooden benches all centered around the main bar (which stocks a wide range of German beers) and it pretty average in terms of design. I've been to a beer house in Notting Hill which has a fantastic decor, so I expected a similar feel.

The atmosphere was already ramping up and we were greeted by serving staff who were all dressed in traditional lederhosen. From the second we walked in, they were all very attentive. We took a table on the edge of the restaurant as it was already pretty loud further into the centre. (Stein's the size of your head, create a different kind of drunk!)

First up. Beer. It's huge, it's potent but it's probably the main attraction for a vegetarian like me! We got some stein's in (I think these contain about 3 pints and requires some upper body strength to get it anywhere near your face) and then started to browse the menu. Now, for me, there was one option (vegetarian schnitzel) so it didn't take me long to pick. The rest of my group ordered in sausages, sauerkraut and braised cabbage....the works!

My main consisted of vegetarian schnitzel, which was probably just a frozen veggie quarter pounder, with mashed potato and salad. Not much to write home about, but in a meaty venue like this, it was great to see something suitable on the menu. Let's face it, for me, it was all about the beer. The rest of my group hardly spoke and just made 'mmmm' noises while groaning. I took this to mean, that they were really enjoying the food. The cheese stuffed sausage seemed to be the clear winner.

We managed to find space for some afters, and went with a traditional apple strudel, which was the food high light for me. It was probably the nicest strudel i've ever had!

For me, this place is all about the experience, the meaty food was tasty (i'm told) but it's not the top end of this type of cuisine. If you want to get drunk on one (massive) drink and sway to the tunes of an accordion, while watching grown men slap their thighs, then this is the place to go. If you want polished German food in glitzy setting, then I would by pass this one.

Good for - BOOZE / a 'not taking ourselves too seriously' night out / sing-a-longs! / lads nights.
Bad for - First dates / a quiet setting / people with no upper body strength to lift steins / polished german cuisine.

All in all - a fun night out.
Visit -  http://www.bavarian-beerhouse.co.uk/index.php/aboutus/oldstreet