Here’s a cool restaurant for those looking for a different place to get inebriated. Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant in Shangri-La offers authentic Bavarian cuisine and excellent German beers on tap.
The restaurant gets its name from typical Bavarian expression, “Brot” (German for bread) and “Zeit” (time), reflecting a cozy meal complemented by fresh beer. The branch in Shangri-La Plaza is a franchise of Brotzeit International Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based German restaurant that has expanded throughout Asia since it first opened in 2006. It’s the 10th outlet of Brotzeit in the world and the first in the country.
What makes Brotzeit unique from all the other watering holes in the country is the superior brew. All the beers are imported from Germany and made according to the German Purity Law of 1516, using only the purest spring water. Brotzeit serves four variants of draft Paulaner on tap: Original Munchner Dunkel Lager, Hefe-Weissbier, Dunkel Hefe-Weissbier, and Original Munchner Lager, as well as high quality German bottled beers.
You have to try them all. These are wickedly good beers. I’ve had Paualaner in other bars and in the bottled form, but nothing, NOTHING beats fresh beer on tap, I’m telling you. (see beer notes below)
AMBIANCE
Brotzeit’s restaurant’s interiors are clean and minimalist, with lots of cool details. The restaurant’s interiors in various outlets around Asia maintain a similar contemporary look accented with chic décor. The restaurant is an airy space with German-inspired wooden benches, leather-covered cushions, a long wooden bar counter, and a modern bier bar.
One wall is decorated with an artful display of empty beer bottles. Each outlet also boasts of a graphic wall mural showcasing the history and development of German Beer culture with a unique addition reflecting the country of the bar’s location. Try and spot an icon of Luneta Park on the mural. Overall, the place provides an elegant, yet friendly and relaxed atmosphere ideal for celebrations with friends and families all year round.
FOOD
Despite being known primarily for their beers, Brotzeit is actually a full-service restaurant that offers very generous servings of appetizers, sausages, main courses, platters and desserts. They also have executive lunch specials, kid-friendly dishes and vegetarian options.
The restaurant is run by Chef Ivan Maminta, Brotzeit’s Culinary Director, who ensures that all the dishes prepared here conform to the traditional recipes consistent in all Brotzeit locations. They have a number of bestsellers which are ideal for large groups and families because of their generous portions.
Bestsellers. Photos courtesy of Brotzeit
The Schweinshaxn or Pork Knuckle is a crispy hind shank of grain fed pork served with potato salad, sauerkraut and homemade sauce on the side. The Brotzeitplatte or Brotzeit Platter is a sampling of all of the best dishes, including the pork knuckle, the best of their sausages, pork schnitzels and two side dishes of your choice. This is good for 4-5 pax. The Fladen or Pizzas also coame highly recommended. The Bavarian Pizza is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, bacon, leg ham, mild green peppers, red bell peppers, onions and mushrooms. There’s also Schupfnudeln or Bavarian Potato Dumpling and Spinach, finger shaped potato dumplings served with fresh baby spinach, mushrooms, semi-dried tomatoes, German hard cheese shavings and balsamic glace.
They also have several executive lunch sets: a choice of Dory Fish, Skewer, or Vagabond Schnitzel, which comes with a cup of your choice: Illy coffee or Twinings tea. We tried the Hausspiess Skewer over a bed of fries.
The Spicy Meatloaf was served with a siding of potato salad and a typical Bavarian Pretzel. This was really filling. We also had a platter of Smoked pork cheese sausages that went great with the beer.
For dessert, we tried the Kaiserschmarren or Emperor’s cake, a shredded pancake with rum and raisins served with plum sauce. This was light and fluffy without being overly sweet. It went great with the plum sauce.
BEER NOTES
But what is food without beer, right? The beer comes in 3 sizes: Klein (0.3 liter), Halbe (0.5 liter) and mass (1 liter). Beer is cheaper during Happy hour (from 11-6 pm daily), so that’s just a perfect excuse to start drinking earlier in the day. Beer goes great with lunch!
I first tried the Hefe – Weissbier: Paulaner, which is the No.1 Weissbier in Germany. This typical beer from Munich is top fermented, unfiltered, made with wheat malt. It’s naturally cloudy with vitamins and hints of banana. The alcohol content is 5.5%, with an Original Gravity of 12.5°. If you like Hoegaarden or light beers, this is the best option. It’s light, summery and very easy to drink. I finished it too soon.
The Original Munchner Dunkel Lager: Paulaner, a dark lager beer from Munich. Characteristic ruby brown hue comes from caramel malts and is lled with a rich malt sweetness. Alc 5%, Original Gravity 12.5°
The Original Munchner Lager of Paulaner is the best selling Munich lager in the world. It’s clean, hoppy nose with a clear golden colour. Alc 4.9%, Original Gravity 11.5°. Still good, but basic Paulaner beer.
Lastly, The Dunkel Hefe-Weissbier is a a full bodied beer from Munich. Chestnut-brown, naturally cloudy, top fermented and unfiltered, made with roasted wheat malt. Alc 5.3%, Original Gravity 12.5°. This one was rich in flavor and stronger than the Weissbier. Really great.
Brotzeit also serves beer mixes, wines, schnapps and liquer and non-alcoholic drinks, which owners say are more popular with ladies. They actually mix this great draft beer with lemonade and other alocholic drinks, which seems like a waste to me since it’s tainting already perfectly great beer. But that’s just me. If you like your beer sweet, than that’s always an option.
PRICE RANGE
Beer prices here cost P165-P200/0.3 liter, P250-P300/0.5 liter, and P445-P540/1 liter before or after 6:00 pm. Executive lunch meals cost P295 (+100 if you add soup or salad). Main dishes cost P400+ up (servings are good for sharing). Prepare to spend at least P500-1000 per person if you plan to eat and drink here.
ADDRESS & CONTACT INFO:
Brotzeit is located at 112 Streetscape, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City.
- Tel. no: 631-1489
- Website: www.brotzeit.ph
- Facebook: Brotzeit Philippines
- Twitter: BrotzeitPH