Spandau

Population: 223,962
Sub-districts: 9
Spandau
Haselhorst
Siemensstadt
Staatken
Gatow
Kladow
Hakenfelde
Falkenhaganer Feld
Wilhelmstadt

Brauhaus Spandau


This micro-brewery and country pub in the west by-north of the city is housed in a charming redbrick building minutes away from the 800+ year old Altstadt of Spandau.

The pub is situated in the middle of a factory hall. The floor, like the booths, like the stairs to the cozy upstairs seating, are wooden. The walls are bedecked with generic pub photos and sketches – horse-drawn carts in the nineteenth century, black and white cobbled streets, you know the ones. The pipes that service the taps on the main bar are huge and copper-plated. They obscure the heads of the barstaff as they pull drinks. 

The two house beers concocted on site are the unfiltered 'Havel' and changing monthly 'Spezial' brews. The 'Havel' – named after the river that runs by the brewery – is crisp and light and tastes exactly like every other German lager beer. In August, the monthly special is the 'Spandauer Landbier' (Spandau Country Beer). A brew that looks dark but, worry not, as the official website says: 'Man kann es also unbesorgt genießen' (one can enjoy it safely). Its colour is not at all indicative of its weight. This 'Spezial' is malty-er than the 'Havel' and has a pleasant chocolate-y, almost molasses-like flavour and is the nicer of the two. Both are, however, over-priced. The 'Havel' will set you back €2,95 for 0,4l, the 'Spezial' €3,20 for the same amount.

The colour in the Berliner Kindl Weisse beers about the tavern is a traditional addition to the normally cloudy and sour beverage – 0,4l glasses are available for €3,20. It looks fun but purists wouldn't dream of ordering it. This otherwise drinkable beer is ruined by the apple and rhubarb tasting green syrup and the artificially sour tasting raspberry red.

The pub also serves breakfast up until 2pm and food 'til 11pm: mainly goulash, schnitzel and wurst, but service is generally slow.

The Brauhaus also has one of the most popular beergardens in the capital and is very highly rated online, but heaven knows why. Like its beers it looks great but is ultimately lacking in distinctive character.




Neuendorfer Straße 1
U-Bahn: U7 Altstadt Spandau
Open: Sunday-Thursday, 10.00-00.00; Friday-Saturday 10.00-01.00
brauhaus-spandau.de

A Bahn Aside
The U7 U-Bahn line was constructed in the 1980s and is, due to its playful decoration, by far my favourite underground track anywhere. The stations are bedecked in colourful patterned tiles that wonderfully reflect not just the decade but also Berlin's playfulness and I do think the designs might have been influenced just a little bit by Captain Scarlet along the way. My friend Caitlyn took this one:


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