There aren’t a lot of places that have a real German atmosphere in Bangkok but the Old German Beerhouse on Sukhumvit Soi 11 is definitely one of them. This place had been established for years on Sukhumvit Soi 23 and was an open air restaurant/bar that was across the street from the Soi Cowboy entertainment area. They always did a good business but when the owner found out he was going to lose his lease because of a new development in that space he opened up in a large space in the Grand President complex on Soi 11. Both places were open for a period of time before the old location closed. Now the Soi 11 location seems to be doing better than the old location ever did.
That’s probably due to the fact that Soi 11 is the busiest soi on Sukhumvit when it comes to foot traffic and that will increase even more when several large condo projects are finished in the next year or two. Also, there is now an air-conditioned space as well as an open air area that fronts right onto the sidewalk. People can now sit in the air-conditioned section or in the front where they can also smoke. Don’t worry about smoke bothering anyone, though, since there are lots of ceiling fans here.
The main reason, however, is the fact that this place is very well managed. These guys are experienced and smart and they know what they’re doing, qualities that you won’t find everywhere here in foreign-owned restaurants. The food comes out of the open-plan kitchen promptly, the service staff is attentive (more on this later) the food is good and the prices are reasonable. It’s hard to find a reason not to come here. I’ve been to this location a number of times over the years and rarely, if ever, have I ever had any kind of problem, however small.
The food here, while mostly German in origin also covers some other culinary bases with some international dishes available as well as the German stalwarts like pork knuckle, schnitzel and various sausages. One special treat here is the Friday night pig roasts which they’ve been doing for years. And every day they’ve got chickens roasting on the rotisserie in front of the restaurant which beckons pedestrians inside with their aroma. The menu also contains roast pork, pork chops, goulashes, sauerbraten, German meatloaf, a good variety of soups including green pea and lots more.
And as an illustration of the smarts and experience they have here, you’re almost guaranteed great service because they’ve placed little bells like you might see on a hotel’s front desk on every table. If a waitress isn’t at your table when you need something just ring the bell and you’ll have one there fast. Anyone who’s been here for any length of time and been in a lot of bars and restaurants will appreciate the genius behind this move. Also, the bartender manning the front bar at night is a real hard worker, flying around the place so that your glass is never empty.
As the Old German Beer House has evolved over the years it has steadily improved and they arenow at their highest level, in my opinion. The chances of them maintaining their current status are excellent and it’s great for anyone who’s looking for a small corner of Germany here in Bangkok.
See http://bangkokdining.ning.com/profile/blog/list for info on Bangkok restaurants.
