With Germany on the rise to winning the World Cup, it was only fitting that we head to the new German restaurant located in the Southgate complex. Focusing on a variety of beers on tap and traditional German pub fare menu, we were set to enjoy a schnitzel and cold beer on a chilly Saturday night.
ATMOSPHERE
Located on the second floor of the Southgate in Southbank, you are greeted by a large Hollywood sign displaying the restaurant name in bright lights. Definitely a great way to get some attention from people passing by. The fit out of the space is very spacious with dark walls and large wooden fixture. It’s a more modern feel than a traditional German pub, however they have kept some elements true to the culture.
The bar is the focal point as you walk into the restaurant. Split between several different sections, the bar is the common meeting point and a great place to start the night. The beautiful bar is perched up with white and green tiles offering a range of 30+ beers on tap, which is one of the elements they have stayed true to.
MENU
This is your traditional German pub fare with everything from Bretzels to Schnitzels to Bratwursts can be found on the menu. Most dishes are served with a side of sauerkraut, German potato salad and mustard, just to make sure you know you have really entered Germany.
To start the night we ordered the ‘Crumbed Cheese Sticks’ with capers, shallots and lemon as well as the ‘Bretzel’ with sea salt, pickles and house whipped butter. Both were delicious pub fare and secretly had me wanting more of the artery clogging goodness. Unfortunately we were so hungry that we missed out on a photo opt!
Mains weren’t too far off. I went with the ‘Free range Chicken’ which was rotisserie grilled and had a powerful herb, lemon and Weissbier rub. This was served with a side of sauerkraut, German potato salad and mustard. The chicken was cooked to perfection and was extremely juicy. I’m not a fan of sauerkraut or potato salad so had a skip of these two.
The ‘Chicken Schnitzel’ was also ordered, which came with a Haphaus slaw and of course, German potato salad. The chicken pieces were quite large, and were crispy on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside. They definitely know how to make their Schnitzels.
SERVICE
The overall experience was quite good. Orders are taken at the bar, however the service was spot on and there was minimal wait for drinks and food.
If your looking for a relaxing pub with a bit of a different spin on pub grub, I’d definitely recommend going to Hophaus. A fun little touch when you leave is their chalkboard sign saying “Danke!”, which means Thank You in German.
