I don’t know why the atmosphere rating for these German places isn’t a perfect 5 every time. I mean look at this place, the space oozes and reeks with history, uniqueness, character and charm. There are two levels here inside and a nice sun deck like space as well as some patio space outside. I see worn wood everywhere. In fact as I look over my shoulder towards the street side of the space I see wood tables, chairs, floor, beams, paneling and low wood beam laden wood ceiling. This place has inviting and friendly staff along with also being very user friendly for the English speakers(me) who have no grasp of the German language. Tell ya this, if you are within 20 miles of this place make it a priority visit and don’t arrive too late. I was here on a ‘run of the mill’ Tuesday and by 8pm it was rammed packed. They will likely have 3 of their beers on (today there are actually 4) which are good but won’t stun you and they offer up hearty tasty and large portion meals. I arrived really hungry and left after eating just the Zwiebel Schnitzel (and 3 beers) stuffed to the rafters. I’ll be back for sure.

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.