July 28, 2008
Soest made a pleasant first overnight stop on our long drive to the Czech Republic, after getting past the Ruhr conurbation, and Brauhaus Zwiebel was a pleasant spot to while away the evening. As it was a relatively chilly evening, as opposed to the sweltering heat that accompanied most of the rest of our trip, we sat inside so I can actually make some comments about the place itself, rather than just the biergarten. An old half-timbered place with a cosy, woody interior. Quite small downstairs but there is a lot more space in the tardis-like upstairs area. Small terrace at the side. Food-wise, they specialise in schnitzels, which were very good (my gorgonzola version was particularly tasty). The brewery is of more modern provenance than the pub itself, having been established in 1993. Three of their own beers on tap - the brewpub standards of Hell, Dunkel and Weizen - which were solid but nothing out of the ordinary. There are some seasonals but we were there at the wrong time of year for any of those. The beers are also available at the Aloisius restaurant just across the street, which is under the same ownership, but nowhere else (and not bottled except from the Zwiebel itself). Prompt and friendly service. Overall, a nice spot which is worth a stop, if not a detour. Soest has plenty of half-timbered streets to wander but don’t expect to find many other bars with interesting beers. We’re in Warsteiner territory here and it shows. And don’t get too excited if you stumble across a place called Brauerei Christ - whilst it’s a nice old place with a pleasant biergarten, there’s no brewing going on here.