Pratergarten

I love beer gardens. Even today, when they have become that last crossover point between those who smoke and those who don’t. Sitting in the sunshine with a pint is one of the pleasures of life – just one of the many occasions when, despite what you may hear or read, you realise that drinking can be supremely enjoyable. Living in Edinburgh, there are precious few top-quality beer gardens around, unfortunately. Some are too small, others serve (for me) the wrong kind of beer, and several don’t get the sun in the afternoon.*

Admittedly, warming solar rays rarely trouble the population here in Scotland – but on the occasional moments when everything falls into place and the sun beams down, it can be standing room only in the beer gardens. When I close my eyes and think of my perfect fantasy pub, if would definitely feature a large, sheltered outdoor drinking area. It would have to be southwest facing, to maximise the sunshine. Plenty of seating, BBQ pit, ten imperial IPA’s on tap – the works. Maybe I should write about the BeerCast Arms, at some point.

So being a lover of alfresco boozing (firmly lodged in the hearts of many British drinkers since the young days of cider swilling) I was seriously looking forward to Germany. The fabled biergarten – brilliantly summarised by Boak & Bailey here – was high on the agenda for my Berlin trip. Before we headed out to the majestic Brauhaus Spandau, we decided to check out our local neighbourhood example – Pratergarten in Prenzlauer Berg. Unbelievably, it was closed.

After pounding the pavement with my fists for a while, we noticed that it was only the outdoor seating area that was shut – the large, wood cabin-esque bar room was operating normally. So, a quick seat at the bar for a lager turned into an evening of several beers, new styles attempted (the syrupy Vimto-sweetness of Berliner Weisse) and some seriously hearty German drinking food. Thick, dark goulash with cricket ball herb dumplings, and a slab of smoked ham half an inch thick, spread with punchy yellow mustard.

Prater manages to look reasonably old and traditional, whilst seeming as if it was built only a few years ago. Spotlessly maintained, it was a joy to watch the lone barman (who looked to be approaching 60yrs old) work all of the taps, with a smooth efficiency resulting from years of experience. Dispensing perfectly poured beer is an art – and this man was completely in control, swiftly handing over steins of beer to the table staff. When a completed order sat there for too long, he drummed fingers impatiently, scanning the hall for service, before topping the beers up and delivering them himself.

Not to us, unfortunately – I would have loved to chat to him, but he spoke no English and my German hadn’t developed any since hurriedly scanning the back of the Lonely Planet on the flight over. We managed to find out that the Gaststätte we were sitting in survived the war – and the turmoil of partition – but was renovated in 1996, giving it that newish feel. The garden outside is actually Berlin’s oldest, having been going since 1837. It was still pretty chilly outside in the early Spring, I think we were secretly glad that the Pratergarten itself doesn’t open up until May.

The beer was also terrific – in only a few days I converted myself totally. Away from high abv this and choice of fifteen that. Like Spandau, you get a lager or a dark lager (although unlike Spandau they don’t rotate their second beer). Prater Pils was wonderful – soft, bready at first, before a deceptively rich earthy finish. The Schwarz was even better, with a peppery chocolate backbone – although both were light and easy drinking (and to be honest, if pushed, neither as good as their equivalents across town). This may be because they aren’t brewed on site, but supplied by Berliner Kindl.

So is that the only slight against Prater? That the beers aren’t produced there? I think it must be. In the current incarnation, the bier halle might not have the sense of history of others in Germany – but there’s plenty outside, under the large, quiet trees adorned by strings of lights. We fully intend on returning to Berlin, and will make sure that it’s on a blazingly hot summer afternoon that we head under the Pratergarten arch for our second visit.

Prater Garten
Kastanienallee 7-9
Prenzlauer Berg Berlin 10435
Website

* There’s at least one major beer garden in the city that is directly behind an office block, meaning it only gets in the sun in the early morning. What’s the point?!