Bierhaus en d'r Salzgass - Köln

The keener readers amongst you will recall the post I made on 9^th March, announcing  my then upcoming trip to Cologne, and my intention, if at all possible, to make a return visit to Brauhaus Päffgen.  This historic brew-pub is somewhere I visited back in 1975, on my first visit to Cologne, and whilst I have revisited Päffgen on a subsequent trip to Cologne, that was ten years ago.

Well sadly things did not quite work out as planned this time around, mainly because Brauhaus Päffgen is a bit of a walk from the centre of Cologne. It’s no great distance for a seasoned walker, but I had four colleagues to consider, and whilst I could probably have persuaded at least one of then to accompany me, the others seemed a little less keen, particularly our new Japanese General Manager.

All was not lost though as I at least had the chance to enjoy several Stanges of  Päffgen in another of Cologne’s old beer-houses. Stanges, by the way, are the tall, straight and narrow thin-walled 20cl glasses, which are traditionally used for serving Kölsch.

I have fellow beer-blogger Matthew Thompson, to thank for a tip-off regarding a much more centrally-located pub where I could knock back a few glasses of Päffgen Kölsch.  Matt writes the excellent When My Feet Go Through The Door; a blog which mixes beer and pubs with a little bit of music (particularly from old blues legends), plus a sprinkling of politics and the odd bit of sport. He is based in Stockport, a town I know well from my time as a student n the Greater Manchester area.

Matt recommended we try Bierhaus en d'r Salzgass; a classic old town pub, sited on a narrow cobbled street which leads from Heumarkt to Buttermarkt, in an area teeming with pubs, bars and restaurants. He assured me that as well as serving Päffgen Kölsch,  the pub’s menu was also of a high standard.

As things turned out Wednesday was the only evening where we were free of meetings with either customers or colleagues from our parent company, so  after weighing up the options we decided we would visit Bierhaus en d'r Salzgass, after eating elsewhere. A customer of ours had recommended a nearby Lebanese restaurant, so this seemed the perfect plan, and we even got our hotel to make a booking for us.

However, after a brisk walk through the wind and rain we arrived at the Beirut Restaurant to discover that it was a cash-only establishment. It was fortunate that one of my colleagues asked before the rest of us entered and took our places, but having been caught out in this fashion, a couple of years ago at Früh am Dom (one of Cologne’s largest and best known  Kölsch outlets), we weren’t going to be left scratching around for cash again.

Plan B was to head straight up to Bierhaus en d'r Salzgass, and see whether they could accommodate our party of five. As the German speaker of the group, it was left to me to do the talking. The place seemed packed, but the waiter perhaps warming to being addressed in his native tongue, managed to find us a table squeezed in towards the back of the pub. We could also pay by card, provided we paid as a group.

It was a good move befriending that particular Köbes, as he looked after us well, ensuring we never had an empty glass in front of us, and that our food arrived promptly and together. I made sure to give him a generous tip when it came to paying the bill.

The draught Kölsch was  dispensed straight from the cask, and was every bit as good as I remembered it, and the food was equally good. Eschewing the obvious roast pork knuckle (Schweine-Hax’n) – I was glad that I did when I saw the size of it on an adjacent table, I went instead for an old favourite in the form of Leberkässe mit Spiegelei & Bratkartoffeln.

This basically is a meatloaf, topped with a fried egg and served with fries potatoes and sweet mustard. Although there was two thick slices of Leberkässe, it was surprisingly easy to digest, and with the assistance of a few glasses of Päffgen Kölsch, it wasn’t long before I had  an empty plate in front of me. My colleagues all opted for a Schnitzel, in one form or another.

We spent a couple of hours in this real old-school, traditional pub, soaking up the atmosphere and the beer in equal quantities. I had to accompany the Köbes to the bar, in order to pay, and it was here that I saw the kegs of Päffgen, set out on the counter in a very similar manner to those at Peters Brauhaus.

The crowds had thinned out a bit by this time, allowing me space to take a few photos on the way back to rejoin my colleagues. They had also enjoyed an excellent evening, so the Beirut Restaurant’s loss ended up as Bierhaus en d'r Salzgass’s gain and ours too.

For me, not only did our visit allow me to renew my acquaintance with Päffgen Kölsch, but it introduced us all to one of Cologne’s best pubs. So thanks again Matthew, for the tip off.