441a. Mon 2/7/18: The Bricklayers Arms, Luton

Beer: Oakham Jeffrey Hudson Bitter 3.8%

Pub quiz. Our team is rocked by the non-appearance of A-Haitch, who's bushed. As is customary these days, the locals claim tables with place markers (strategically placed pints and bunches of keys). We perch around a table dragged in from the back bar, pick a bad joker and slump to LAST PLACE at the break.

It gets worse. There's a round about the songs from The Lion King. I'd like to blame Pete, our emergency fourth member, for this. But I think it's me who pushes for "Gatwick Airport" on a question where the answer is "One Hundred Acre Wood". Somehow, after who knew what, we didn't come last.

We do, however, need A-Haitch back in the team on the next solstice.

223. Tue 14/11/17: V Ruthardce. Dačického nám, Kutná Hora. Czech Republic

Beer: Pilsner Urquell 4.4%

We have a cursory wander, but can’t really find anywhere we fancy eating... so we wander back to V Ruthardce. The lovely little bar with the fire is packed, so we go round the corner to a very (too) well lit room full of little round tables – and there we consult the menus.

Veggie Steph has to go for salted sheep’s cheese on tiny little potato dumplings – stodge on stodge. I have pork shoulder. Very nice too. I was far more impressed with my meal than Stephanie was with hers.

284. Sat 6/1/18: The Old George, Newcastle upon Tyne

Beer: William Bass and Co Bass Premium 4.4%

Back to The Old George for the last NUT pint of the weekend. It’s been a good trip, apart from the first 45 minutes of the football match.

The pub is post-match packed, but we manage to perch ourselves at a table. Steph bemoans the lack of food, compared to beer, that we’ve consumed today. Naturally, she has a point. We had breakfast this morning, apart from that we’ve only had a sandwich – bought and scoffed around the station.

We’re nacked anyway, and decide to trudge back to the Premier Inn after this pint.



Arndales pop band (me brother, Leighton and Andy W) played Newcastle a while ago and, on hearing we planned to stay three nights, winced – saying how rough the place was*. We didn’t see that, really: the worst behaved folk were from Luton, and they were only being laddish. No, we’ve enjoyed it – and certainly wouldn’t rule out a trip up North East in future.


*Wincing most likely to have been imagined from the drummer, who denies that he, or any member of the band would have used any adjective close to "rough". 'Lively, maybe; and our hotel wasn't the best. But Newcastle rough? No,' says EPS.

484. Fri 21/9/18: The Brewery Tap, Luton

Beer: Skinners Knocker 4.5%

Sneaky post-work pint at the BT as I contemplate an early evening solo trip to Markyate, again, to try out The Local micropub. The Tap is a far better prospect at this time of day than it seems at night (see episode #446): no bouncers on the door – possibly busier (there’s probably around a dozen folk in the place) – and extremely helpful bar lady. Would I like to taste the different beers (there are two…can’t remember the other one)? Yes, thank you very much… mmm… I’ll have a pint of [the above] thank you”.

Bar lady is very careful over the pouring, and keeps the pint behind the bar as she accepts the money – so as to be certain it’s a full pint once fully settled. Fine. Good service. She’s then called away, before giving me the pint… leading me with a dilemma. Do I wait for her to return? Do I lean over and grab it? Luckily another colleague wanders past, and I ask her.

That’s the highlight of a one-pint visit. I play on the quizzer, I bemoan the fact that the music is a bit too loud – Billie bloody Jean… “the kid is not my son”… who’d have thought? I decide that, yes, I will attempt a trip to Markyate (do I get there though, dear reader? see episode #485… “The White House”).

480ab. Wed 19/9/18: Sankt Oberholz, Berlin

Beer: BRLO Pale Ale 6%, Augustiner Helles Lager 5.2%

Rosenthalerplatz is a vibrant Berlin intersection. An internet search reveals it is within 0.5 km of over 300 bars and restaurants - so 300+ good reasons to stay there. The nearest bar to our hotel is the St. Oberholz, which is always packed, day and night, so we give it a go.

On entering we’re met with an odd scene of about 150 young people with MacBook’s typing away. The floor is criss-crossed with electric cables with an admirable Germanic disregard for health and safety. No one inside is drinking, though - most un-German.

Apparently, they rent out space to young entrepreneurs who pay to use wifi, electricity, etc., which partly explains why it is so busy. I certainly would get no work done here with Augustiner beer mere inches from my workspace.

It is 31C so we order our (excellent) beers, negotiate the electric trip hazards and sit outside and enjoy the traffic chaos caused by a huge protest by thousands of cyclists.

The building opposite has names of obscure towns on its wall; Stockport, Tulsa and (I am delighted to notice) Reutlingen (home of a number of my freunds).

389. Thu 12/4/18: The White House, Luton

Beer: Tring Tea Kettle Stout 4.7%

The ongoing shenanigans at the place I live has meant that I’m now a director of a company. The whole thing is absurd and the first meeting is upstairs at The White House. I meet the company secretary. He requests a pint of Abbott. Good man. I’m on coffee, like an idiot.

Once the meeting is over, I bid my… colleague(?) adieu, and have a proper pint myself.

Tring beer is usually very good, and I’ve been very keen on stouts and porters recently. With such heightened expectations, I found the Kettle Stout just about whelming.

Thursday afternoon at the JDWWH is laudably busy – impressive to a blue chip on the shoulder company director such as I – and many of the patrons seem to be enjoying a curry. Smells quite a bit – but being rather partial to a curry myself I took no offence whatsoever.

539. Thu 8/11/18: U Medvídků, Prague

Beer: Old Gott 5.2%

Back at the Little Bears; it’s a little busier than earlier in the week, but still room to sit in the brewery bar. The couple next to us are tackling a pork knuckle – a huge great thing. It’s a joint, it becomes clear, best shared. The fella takes the lead, and does a fine job carving. Looks delicious… I’m never going to try it while I’m with veggies… anyway, we’re here for the beer.

Where’s the old boy who used to do all the brewing this year? We’ve not been in here when they’ve had a brew on. That’s undoubtedly the incorrect term, but we’ve been in here before when it’s more like a sauna – the whole place infused with the smells of brewing the beer we’re drinking. It’s lovely. We’ve rather missed that.

Instead, hidden away in the brewery section (separated from the dining area by glass partition) a couple of ladies are filling bottles individually by hand. It is, presumably, the famous strong/seasonal X33 lager. It seems a charmingly archaic labour intensive operation… and we eventually buy a couple of bottles for Christmas presents. They’re .33ltr bottles, and cost about a tenner a pop. For all its (variable) charm, this is still a pretty cynical tourist trap.

Good beer mind… the Old Gott. Goodness knows what’s in the bottles.

345. Thu 15/3/18: Café Salon Bahia, Cádiz

Beer: Cruzcampo 5.0%
Another quietly innocuous bar away from the throng. The telly piques interest in this place though, as Viktoria Plzeň are beating Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League. They’re 2-0 up, 2-2 on agg… extra-time…

The bar is reasonably quiet, but has eight fruit machines – which gives the place the feel of a Czech Herna bar. It’s not as dingy as that, mind, although the array of tapas on display looks a little forlorn.

Sporting score an away goal on 105 minutes. Booo.

It’s not really our cue to leave, but we do anyway. It’s our last evening in Cádiz and, though we’re a little fatigued anyway, the little bars at the station end of the old town haven’t really been brilliant.

Cádiz, though, is an excellent, laid back little city – which we’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

471e. Thu 6/9/18: The George II. 70 Bute St, Luton

Beer: Morland Old Golden Hen 4.1%

Post Utter! panic drink at The George. Which is its usual untidy, rambunctious self and quite a contrast from the Crush Bar. The George is the first pub from the station on the way into town and always has an outlaw feel and is always grubby.

Still, the opportunity to chat through what was a very decent night of spoken word (yes, they can happen) was grabbed and enjoyed. The evening's success and good vibes were almost turned on their heads when I purposefully stride into the ladies lav, but there are no ladies around, so I get away with it and spend some quality time yabbering with SW, LN and PA. Lee's plotting and scheming his next coup and in generally good spirits.

A few other waifs and strays drift by on their way to The Wheelies and are pleased to see us. Almost too pleased; I'm knackered.

81. Tue 18/4/17: Restaurante Asador, Madrid

Beer: Mahou 5%

Last bar of the evening is a small standard tapas bar on the square; nothing much to say for or against it. There are some nice hanging plants over the window and bar. The gratis tapas are a very acceptable variety of green olive. The beer is served in chalices. The beer is Mahou.

I have vague recollection of Real Madrid v Bayern Munich on the telly – and our not really wanting to watch it; and our looking for the bar advertising their screening Leicester v Atletico (and our, oddly, giving a toss) and our not finding it, and going back to our flat instead. We’re tired.

386a. Wed 4/4/18: The Frog & Rhubarb, Slip End, Luton

Beer: Bath Ales Gem 4.1%

A slightly fraught bus journey up to Slip End from Luton town centre (left wallet in office, ran back to fetch it, retrieved wallet, consequently needed the loo, missed the bus, 30 min wait for next one). Spring brings clouds, sparrows and airplanes climbing in a westerly direction. Much like any other season.

I half expect DGK to be ensconced in the front bar area, though am greeted by TPK . He's had an even more useless journey up. I lend him £20. We're joined by DGK and SDK, have another pint of the same then repair to 7CC for a curry. Frog's not bad for a meet-up place; slightly more welcoming than The Rising Sun, with slightly better beer.

420. Mon 28/5/18: The White House, Luton

Beer: Jennings Snecklifter 5.1%

Sultry Bank Holiday weekend afternoon. Back from work (working on this) and the gym and looking to muster enthusiasm for a few beers, a curry and an early night. It’s too hot though; I’m too weighed down with gym baggage and camera.

The JDWWH is as it tends to be on days like these – the outside seating is packed and bawdy, it’s considerably quieter inside.

Inside there’s the usual family groups, groups of middle aged men, a few sad loners like me – the real topers down at the bottom bar. The beer is alright, the tables are sticky, I opt out of a second.

409. Sat 5/5/18: BeerHeadZ, Nottingham Station

Beer: North Riding Brewery Banoffee Porter 5.0%

Steph and I have reservations on a later train than the others – but we accompany them to the station, where we’d read on the way up (in the latest CAMRA Beer magazine) of this brand new micropub.

It’s good. I like the concept of micropubs – we’ve been to a few. This is certainly small enough to qualify… it seems rather achingly trendy too, which might put me off.

Anyway, the beer is good – the beer is strong – it’s been a lovely day and a long day, and we’re all quite p*ssed.

486b. Thu 27/9/18: The Junction Tavern, London

Beer: Wye Valley Hereford Pale Ale 4.0%

Pre-gig drinks. Me and a couple of uni mates are off to see La Luz at The Dome in Tufnell Park and hopefully pick up AW at some point. I have a weird, painful foot condition, but manage to walk at a decent speed, as long as I don't mind looking like a moron.

The Junction's a perfectly acceptable alternative to the usually too-crowded Pineapple, the awful Bull and Gate or the godawful Assembly House.

There's some discussion between me and my uni mates about getting older and the dreadful-looking refurbishment of The Sir Richard Steele pub nearby. We've not been since its decor has been sacrificed, though pictures suggest a level of DIY most discerning folk would call "vandalism". The website now calls the place "pub and dining". We move onto music and specifically, something called Jazz Club, which, this evening, is only a crazy idea, but will probably turn into a club about jazz.

334. Wed 14/3/18: Tabanco El Pasaje, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Beer: Alhambra 5.0%

With the sea apparently too rough for the ferry to El Puerto de Santa Maria (lightweight Iberians, no wonder they lost at Trafalgar), we go on an excursion to Jerez on the train. Big sherry destination Jerez, of course, although you wouldn’t think it in this drab, rainy, weather.

As with many old towns, the centre is quite a trek from the station – and from there, we pop along to the tourist information – on to an underwhelming cathedral – and decide against the Tio Pepe tour. We really don’t do/know sherry. We don’t do flamenco either, not really, so are well out of our depth when we eventually get to Tabanco El Pasaje; the quintessential sherry/flamenco establishment according to the Jerez specific “10 best bars” bumph we got off The Guardian or some such.

It’s a fantastic place, naturally. We feel obliged to sample the sherry but, again, we have no idea; we order different varieties, sip away, make quiet self-conscious “yeh, s’nice” noises… and then the artsy folk up by the tiny little stage start on the flamenco.

And it’s spectacular too – especially the lass doing the dancing and clapping and that. She’s petite, pretty and terrifying… staring out to the audience like she wants to smash our teeth in. Isn’t it a bit early for that much concentrated duende?

We are out of our depth. We stay for another drink – but it's beer for us. We’re lousy tourists with very little understanding of what’s on offer. Our appreciation, my notes cackhandedly suggest, is akin to one who visits the Louvre and appreciates the painting of the skirting boards. We don’t know what we’re dealing with – fascinating though it undoubtedly is.

    

416. Sun 13/5/18: The New Members Bar, Lord’s Pavilion, London

Beer: Marston's Pedigree 4.5%

Middlesex v Gloucestershire, day three

With less than ten minutes to go until the luncheon interval, the New Members’ Bar is strangely empty.

Three bar persons wait to serve me. I order a pint of Pedigree and a pack of salt and vinegar crisps.

While I’m in the bar I hear a dull roar (or yawn) of appreciation, and find out that Ollie Rayner has taken the wicket of Graeme van Buuren. We like Ollie, he’s a tryer.

282. Sat 6/1/18: The Old George, Newcastle upon Tyne

Beer: Three Brothers Ruby Resolution 4.6%, Thames London Porter 5.0%

Pre-match pints at The Old George. The pub is reasonably empty as we take a table and start fielding texts from those approaching NUT.

Luke, Wilf and Helen are the only ones likely to be here early enough to meet us – and we move to another bar in the (old-fashioned – oldest in Newcastle – sprawling pub). This bar, just opened to cope with the overflow, is very cold; though the room is dominated by a huge bygone fireplace. It’d be lovely if such a bona fide historic feature of this hostelry could be utilised.

The barman listens to our murmurings and explains he’s whacked the heating up to “full”. It’s not likely to get cosy anytime soon.

Pages arrive – and eat - and Wilf predicts Town will win 10-1. Otherwise, because we’re in unfamiliar territory, because we fear the Town might get thrashed and because the crowd will be five times bigger than a big crowd in Luton (reaching our seats, in the ridiculously large stadium, might prove a challenge in itself) – we’re all a bit tense.

The beer is good stuff – particularly the porter.

150. Fri 18/8/17: The Great Northern, Luton

Beer: St Austell Tribute 4.0%

Don’t like Tribute, it’s too sweet; I do like this pub though. There was rumour that this place was closing too, a few months ago, but thankfully, apparently, there’s new management in. Same old (predominantly aged Irish) clientele. The place is nicely, sparsely, populated. Pete Savage is at the bar, in conversation with other people, and we decide to vocally bemoan his “blanking” us… retrospectively we discussed how rude of us that was.

The last orders bell goes at 11pm sharp – and Leighton calls it a day. We go back for one last look in The Brickies.

 

485b. Mon 24/9/18: Rei da Poncah, Funchal, Portugal

Beer: Madeira Brewery Coral 5.1%

We're having a pre-dinner drink at this small local bar just down the street from the restaurant. Coral beer is the only mass-produced beer on the island-it's everywhere. It's OK as pale bittery lagers go, the strength helps. The other local drink of the island is Poncho, an alcoholic fruit juice basically, the strong lemon version is the most popular. If you remember Hooch from the '90s and make it double the ABV you are about there. Definitely not a fan. There is a fledgling craft beer scene (all bottled) in Portugal/Madeira and I've had one so far which was the usual overhopped IPA variety. The TV screen outside the bar was showing MTV "Guess the Year" so we spent an enjoyable half hour arguing over the year each song was released. Interesting second-hand junk shop across the road (would be vintage in the UK).

391. Sat 14/4/18: The Black Horse, Luton

Beer: Three Brewers of St Albans Gold 4.1%

Pre-match, Town v Crewe. Notts County ticket distribution, and train arrangement is the order of the afternoon, while the BH is serving reasonably weak beers this week.

World War Three apparently has, or hasn’t, just started in Syria – stuff like going to the pub and the football match seems so much civilised than the bullshit that our elected (and unelected) leaders are coming out with at the moment. The news boycott that my brother has talked of for a few months, seems reasonably sensible at the moment… I can’t stand hearing what that ridiculous warmongering clown Trump has to say at the best of times.

427. Sun 3/6/18: North Tower bar, Lord’s Pavilion, London

Beer: Marston's Pedigree 4.5%

Middx v Surrey, One-day Cup

A big crowd at “HQ”, as we never call it. We have to queue a while to get into the ground but, once in the Pavilion, we’re lucky enough to find some reasonably decent seats… we’re right by the north tower, and can’t see about a third of the playing area towards the Grand Stand; but the pitch is towards the Tavern Stand and – you don’t care, do you?

Anyway, ‘cause it’s a big crowd, they’ve deigned to open the bars at the top of the Pavilion, so I go there. I leave my seat and ask Stephanie to pass my camera – at which point the lady West Indian steward, who has been looming over us for a while, presumably to keep an eye on possibly unruly visiting members from Surrey, informs me I’m not allowed to take photographs in the Pavilion.

“I thought it was just in the Long Room.”

“Anywhere in the Pavilion.”

Steph informs the steward that I’d taken loads of photos in the Pavilion. The bloody grass.

I’ve not been rebuked by a Pavilion steward for a couple of years now. The rules are daft and petty, and one gets the feeling the stewards know it, but they dish out their tellings off so charmingly – it’s always a pleasure.

The bar is card only/no cash. On my return the steward has departed… I take a couple of sneaky snaps in defiant disregard of MCC protocol.

240. Sat 18/11/17: U Bansethů, Prague, Czech Republic

Beer: Pilsner Urquell 4.4%

Our Saturday crawl starts with (eventually) meeting my brother at Wenceslas Square and getting on tram no.11 to Nusle. From our stop it’s up the road to U Bansethů. It’s quite packed – all the tables have “reserved” notices on them, but we sit at one which is free for more than enough time.

This is a fine old traditional wood panelled boozer – one of the favourites of Jaroslav Hasek, author of The Good Soldier Svejk. He has a dedicated table, signposted with a big tin sign, portraits and pictures of him hanging on the wall (Hasek – not Svejk – Svejk, in cartoon form, is all over the place in Czech).

We have a couple of drinks – which is possibly doing this place an injustice, but is probably more than enough given we’ve a few more pubs left to visit. The next is next door.

   

261. Wed 13/12/17: The Brewery Tap, Luton

Beer: Hardy & Hansons Rocking Rudolph 4.2%

Toss a coin in the gym changing room. Its heads – so I ditch fitness and go down pub.

Since reading the blog, up there on the internet, I have changed the way I’ve written – and the pubs I’ve visited. My decision to go to The Tap was based on not having written it up thus far, and that I’ve gone and thunk up “an angle”.

This visit, nay this whole enterprise, is informed by Orwell’s 1946 essay The Moon Under Water, about the perfect pub. The boozer of this Orwellian utopia - TMUW (spoiler alert) doesn’t exist.

The brewery to which this pub recalls was demolished in 1977 – so both Orwell's essay, and Luton’s Brewery Tap pub recall things that are lost to time.

Who, one wonders, was the last whimsical toper who sat in this pub fondly recalling foaming pints of JWGreen’s Dragon’s Blood? Who can tell? Maybe he/she is in here now… they’ll be getting on mind.

Green’s was bought out by Whitbread – who lost interest in brewing years ago (not before everyone lost interest in their lousy beer). Hardy and Hansons were bought up and closed down by Greene King a decade ago – but Rocking Rudolph is, though possibly not what it was, perfectly decent.

432a. Fri 22/6/18: The Smithfield, Luton Airport

Beer: Fullers London Pride (bottled) 4.7%

Waiting for a plane to Edinburgh. Long weekend with old friends coming up. As is de rigeur for airport waits, pint is partaken AM. Attendant at front of house helpfully informed us that if we just wanted a drink we could either take a table or stand at the bar. Very grateful for that advice as I'd be lost otherwise. Only handpump on was some Greene King ale so plumped for bottle of LP. I'm flying with James, a long standing friend from VI form days. Some excitement at the bar as a can of beer spontaneously ejected beer onto everyone from a high shelf.

401. Sat 28/4/18: The Bricklayers Arms. 16-18 High Town Road, Luton

Beer: Cotleigh Barn Owl 4.5%

LUTON TOWN 3 FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1

Hoorah! The Town are going up!

We knew this, of course, last week – so the atmosphere at the ground is celebratory and good humoured, but not ecstatic.

The celebrations at the end went on a bit. The pitch invasion at the final whistle caused rancour amongst supporters who respected the request to stay put for the time being. Of course fans should keep off the pitch until given permission (so the players and their families could complete their lap of honour) and maybe they deserved the abuse from the stands, but it’s not a great thing to see or hear. Once the pitch was cleared the whole extended awarding of the runners up trophy was way too long and contrived.

I like a good pitch invasion, me… possibly not as much as I did when I was a kid; and these things are best done with joyous spontaneity – not held back until all the players (and all their children) have completed their lap of honour.

We finally got on the pitch, when they said that we could, and applauded the lads up in the Directors’ Box… but it was nice to get out of the ground and back down the pub.

We managed to get a table at the Brickies – possibly because most of the other fans were still at the ground, probably listening to the speech by the kit washer’s apprentice. We sit, rather drained and befuddled, and contemplate possible away trips next season. Sunderland and Bradford maybe?

 

406. Fri 4/5/18: The Crown, Luton

Beer: Greene King Band of Brothers 4.1%

Aged Market Hill boozer, currently under bored (though not negligent) GK stewardship. Aesthetically it's fine, although the early evening clientele seem a little lairy… but that’s probably any town centre pub that one’s reasonably unfamiliar with.

It’s a big pub. I sit at a table near the entrance. It’s sticky.

The beer is a passable GK stab at a pale’n’hoppy IPA. It’s OK… I’m ill-convinced (of the style, and the brewer).

Two mature fellows enter the pub. I catch a solitary line of conversation “it’s a f*ckin’ waste of time innit?” He may have a point. I don’t fancy another pint of BOB. I’m considering The Castle or The Red Lion – but going home seems more appealing.

A sandwich board outside advertises the fact that the pub will shortly be screening the Royal Wedding and the FA Cup Final on the same day (Saturday 19/518). Past that, on the seating under the Rotary Club clock, what looks like a homeless old boy (and/or a p*ssed old b*stard) is getting hassled by a couple of coppers. It’s grim street theatre; folk from the pub congregate around the doorway to get a better look while they have a fag. I take pictures through the window of the scene juxtaposed against the Royal Wedding ad.

Market Hill evenings have something of a quietly sinister edge. It’s like Hogarth’s Gin Lane in Luton sometimes… it’s probably not quite that bad at the moment (though it certainly isn’t Beer Street convivial).

164. Tue 12/9/17: The Gardeners Call, Luton

Beer: Marstons EPA 3.6%

Sneaky pre-match pint in the newly refurbished GC. It’s alright in here – they’ve got ale in again (just the one, such as it is) – which is a good start for a latterly run down local, but one which has had relatively recent cause to trouble The Good Beer Guide. The refurbishment seems to have run to a good few pots of paint – particularly outside where GK green has turned blue; there’s lots of orange in the doorway too – are they looking to tempt the LT crowd? Not sure, they’ll have to improve the beer selection.

They’ve also made a stage area in the fireplace (there’s a PA set up), and are advertising weekend entertainment – I think we’ll have to wait for the Robbie Williams tribute; beforehand it’s Harmonica Lewinsky, “fun cockney act”… and all on my doorstep. They’re also looking to start a ladies dart team. It’s heartening. Having lived over the road for a couple of decades, I can remember this place as a thriving community local and it’ll be nice if it can be that again.

The Tuesday evening clientele is small but noisy. I feel disinclined to whip out the DSLR and start taking some surreptitious snaps on my phone instead: although, when the couple on the nearby table move on I get the camera out. On the way out I’m recognised by a local (possibly a neighbour) “do you still drink down the Bricklayers?”

“Yes, just on my way down there now”. He goes on to name a few regulars, most of whom I recognise/remember, and I can mostly confirm whether they still frequent the boozer. The chat moves on to the match tonight and the debacle at the weekend, and involves the barlady who is wearing a Luton Town sweatshirt.
It’s too far away to suggest as a pre/post match pint pub and, as suggested, the beer selection isn’t special… but The Gardeners does seem to be looking up.

480d. Thu 20/9/18: Augustiner Brauhaus, Charlottenstrasse, Berlin

Beer: Augustiner Helles Lager 5.2%

Another staple of the German drinking venue is the Brauhaus, which draw tourists and locals who yearn for the juxtaposition of seriously good draft beer and appalling, stodgy food. The Brauhauses (Bräuhausen???) are not really pubs but eating establishments in the main, which I usually tend to avoid, but I make an exception today as;

i) it is lunchtime,

ii) Augustiner is one of my favourite beers, and

iii) I am hot and thirsty.

My Spätzle is gooey and the onions atop it, inedible. Vast lumps of meat are put away by everyone else. Feels like a school canteen. (Albeit, a school canteen in an impossibly scenic location.)