The quintessential bierhaus, Brotzeit offers plenty of beer, meat, cheese, potatoes and bread in various pan-German forms. Above all else, here's a place to take you from ravenous to completely stuffed in 30 seconds flat.
Freshly equipped with the Paulaner family of taps, beer proceedings are familiar with light, amber, dark and wheat at a pricey RMB68 / 78 / 148 for 0.3 / 0.5 / 1.0L. Their early evening happy hour (12-8pm) and group dishes like the finger-friendly and tasty German cold cuts platter (RMB240) ensure red-blooded businessmen need not roam too far from the office after a hard day’s work.
For the average punter, a full spread of the dishes on offer is enough to get the juices and beer flowing. We tucked into a loaded onion soup with floating cheese cobbler (RMB45) and then chomped on chunks of breaded Camembert with a cranberry dip (RMB78). Both were hearty and strong wintertime beer complements.
Mains cross the whole gamut of German pizzas, schnitzel, robust salads and Brotzeit’s signature sausages. A plate of pork and cheese wieners with creamed potatoes and sauerkraut (RMB98) is all of the above and tremendously filling. Less stodgy but no lighter is a grain-fed pork knuckle (RMB188). Crisp on the outside, falling off the bone in the middle, it’s succulent indeed but on the expensive side for the amount and quality of meat delivered. When all that had been consumed we were fit to burst; a late-arriving side of croquette-like bread “napkin” dumplings (RMB35) was enough for us to throw in the towel.
Some of Asia’s most consistent but predictable food can be found in shopping malls and Brotzeit fits the mould perfectly. If you’re looking for German beer and bar food in limitless combinations then head to the second floor of the SWFC.