Löwenbräu Keller: Stein swinging, thigh slapping, pork knuckle eating fun
A beautiful old warehouse converted into a cavernous, cellar-like beer hall and restaurant, the Löwenbräu Keller is a small... well, actually, a rather large, hearty slice of Bavaria in the historic district of The Rocks. Everything’s big here – big beers, big schniztels and big, raucous nights out.
An enduring Sydney icon for over 30 years, in the heart of one of the city’s most popular tourist zones, the Löwenbräu buzzes busily just about every night of the week. It’s a noisy, lively and occassionally chaotic affair, and on weekends the downstairs hall is often full of excitable hen’s and buck’s parties.
Unashamedly celebrating every traditional German stereotype conceivable, the waiters ferry beer to the tables in their trademark lederhosen, oom-pah bands swagger and sway in the beer hall, and for better or worse, the audience inevitably gets involved in a boozy rendition of The Chicken Dance. It’s cringe-worthy, yes, but the atmosphere is undeniably fun.
If you’ve come purely to sample some traditional Bavarian cuisine, you can choose to sit at the breezy outside tables and watch the crowds shuffle and stumble down Argyle Street. The prices reflect the touristy nature of the area, but the food is good and appropriately generous. Start with a selection of hams, salami, potato salad and pickled vegetables served on a rustic wooden board with country bread and obatzter (camembert spread). The pretzels are a long-standing favourite – warm, soft, fluffy and not overly salty. Schniztels come in pork, veal and chicken varieties, smothered in mushroom gravy. The most famous Löwenbräu dish however, is the giant pork knuckle, sitting atop a gravy soaked island of sauerkraut and mashed potato and wrapped in golden, crunchy, salted crackling.
The Löwenbräu has a range of German beers on tap, available in three sizes including the infamous one litre stein. There are seven lagers from light to dark and four wheat beers including lemon and mango flavours.
Posted by Fiona Davies
