Mighty steins of beer, tasty schnitzels, dancing on tables (ok maybe not that one) – who doesn’t love a traditional German beer hall? And with Oktoberfest literally just around the corner, there’s no better time to get your lips around a stein or two and savour that sweet German liquid. So, without further ado, here’s our roundup of eight of the best beer halls in London. Prost!
1. Bierschenke, Covent Garden
Kicking off this roundup of the best beer halls in London is Bierschenke – a vast German restaurant-come-beer-hall which offers ‘the authentic taste of Munich in London’. Who are we to argue hey? They’re based right in the heart of Covent Garden having just moved over from Liverpool Street, and only pour draft beer brewed in Bavaria. Thank you very much!
All the furniture used here is also real maple-wood, sourced directly from Munich itself, and their sausages – a staple German delicacy of course – are delivered from the best butchers in Germany. As if they couldn’t be more authentic, staff also wear traditional leather lederhosen and dirndls. They’ve even got an oompah band that plays here every Saturday. Sign us up!
📍You’ll find Bierschenke at 50 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
2. Bermondsey Bierkeller, Bermondsey
Located right in the heart of London Bridge lies this absolute gem which combines traditional German beer with live sports, street food and even a bloody games hall! It’s a lively spot open until 1am at the weekend, and they delight in organising hen and stag dos, work events and birthday parties here too.
Steins – all of which are of the German beer and lager variety – cost about 13 quid, and you can munch your way through pizzas, hamburgers, chicken wings and hot dogs too. Heck, there’s even stein cocktails here – two pints of ‘sex on the beach’ anyone?
📍You’ll find Bermondsey Bierkeller at 2-4 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2SY.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge.
3. Katzenjammers, London Bridge
Another pretty raucous spot here, Katzenjammers bills itself as ‘London’s coolest bierkeller’, and with an enviable location right by Borough Market, it’s hard to argue with that one to be honest.
As well as live oompah bands, they’ve got two-for-one meal deals at this fun joint – which has a downstairs section for weekends – as well as an actual sausage bar. Now what says fun more than that hey…
📍You’ll find Katzenjammers at The Hop Exchange, 24 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TY.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge.
4. Camden Beer Hall, Camden
Now this one opened its doors back in Camden back in June 2021, and it’s a pretty great spot to go for a beer or two, it has to be said. We would know – it was just down the road from our old office. And we paid it a visit. More than once!
A Bavarian-style beer house that’s been brought to life by the team at Camden Town Brewery, it’s a melting pot of traditional German beers and food with Italian-style cuisine courtesy of Chef Theo Randall. Bratwurst pizza anyone? You can also opt to join an immersive Camden Beer Hall brewery tour, which will teach you all about how Camden Town Brewery creates their famed beers, and ends with a beer tasting session. Winner, winner!
📍You’ll find Camden Beer Hall at 55-59 Wilkin St. Mews, London, NW5 3ED.
🚇 Nearest station is Kentish Town West.
5. Munich Cricket Club, Tower Hill, Victoria and Canary Wharf
Featuring weekly live oompah bands, German beers served by the stein and classic Bavarian food, the three branches of the Munich Cricket Club are a welcome addition to the beer hall scene in London.
There’s everything here from ‘Munich Mondays’ – where you get two-for-one on all schnitzel dishes – to ‘Sausage Tuesdays’ – where you can get a hefty sausage and a pint for a tenner. Plus they’ve got happy hours, express lunches and even a Bavarian bottomless brunch here – and you know how much we love them.
📍You’ll find Munich Cricket Club at various locations in London. You can find out more here.
6. German Kraft Brewery, Various Locations
Ok, so this one technically isn’t a beer hall per se, but with a name like German Kraft Brewery, we couldn’t really leave this one out now could we? They’re a ‘craft’ beer brewery rooted in German tradition, whose main aim is to bring fresh, authentic German-style beers to the Big Smoke.
All their beers are brewed according to the German purity law from 1516, which only uses water, malt, hops and yeast – or beer without all that fuss. The result is an incredible range of beers on tap, which you can enjoy in one of their many venues in Stratford, Dalston, Brixton, Mayfair, or in Mercato Metrapolitano in Elephant and Castle.
📍You’ll find German Kraft Brewery at various locations in London. You can find out more here.
7. German Gymnasium, King’s Cross St. Pancras
Our penultimate entry onto this beer halls in London roundup is the German Gymnasium – a stylish spot that offers a slightly more upmarket experience than the rest of the beer halls mentioned here. Offering various set and à la carte (apologies for the cultural confusion there) menus, German Gymnasium is the perfect place for almost any occasion… particularly for a damn good schnitzel, thank you very much.
The impressive building was England’s very first purpose-built gymnasium all the way back in 1865 – for the German Gymnastics Society too – but is now an up-market eatery specialising in German cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant itself breathes grandeur and the food is sehr, sehr gut! There’s also a whole host of delightful German draught beers on tap – Prost!
📍You’ll find the German Gymnasium at 1 King’s Boulevard, London, N1C 4BU.
🚇 Nearest station is King’s Cross St. Pancras.
8. Stein’s, Richmond, Kingston and Kensington
Rounding off this list of the best beer halls in London is Stein’s – a beloved chain of three spots (in Kingston, Richmond and Kensington) which specialises in excellent German food and, as you can tell by the name, steins of that sweet German nectar.
While all three spots are great, we’d probably have to pick the Richmond branch as our favourite. Perched right by the Thames, it’s perfect for when the sun’s shining, as there’s a lovely terrace with long wooden benches right by the waters of the river.
The food ain’t bad either – think veal schnitzel, sautéed potatoes, bratwurst and even, *ahem*, a ‘giant sausage fest’ – a vast sharing platter consisiting of bratwurst, nuernberger, bruehpolnische, wiener, meatloaf and crispy bacon as well as sauerkraut, mash & pan fried potatoes. Phew!
📍You’ll find Stein’s at various locations in London. You can find out more here.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best beer halls in London. So when you’re looking for a sip of that sweet German nectar and a hearty plate of bratwurst – you know where to go! Where better to go during the month of Oktoberfest hey?!