Celebrate Oktoberfest year-round with these authentic German bars and restaurants in Brisbane.
For beer lovers, October usually means just one thing – Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival. This annual event has been held in Munich since Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in 1810. Every year, more than seven million litres of beer are consumed over the 16-day festival.
In the more than 200 years that Oktoberfest has been running, it has been cancelled very occasionally due to wars, economic crises and – you guessed it – pandemics.
The best party in the world will not be going ahead this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still tuck into some delicious pork knuckles, schnitzels and refreshing German beers right here in Brisbane.
From beer to bratwurst, here’s our pick of the best German restaurants and bars in Brisbane to try this October:
Bavarian Pork Knuckle. Image Sourced From Shutterstock. Photographed by Alexander Raths.
Zum Kaiser Restaurant
The German Club’s Zum Kaiser Restaurant is a must-visit for authentic German food and atmosphere. The restaurant features a traditional beer hall to make you feel like you’ve stepped right into a Bavarian fairytale. Zum Kaiser is known for its massive portion sizes and possibly the best crackling on a pork knuckle you can find in Brisbane. You’ll also find a wide selection of imported German beer, wine and schnapps. Watch out – they are often packed right before a game at the iconic Gabba Stadium next door.
Beer at Oktoberfest. Image Sourced From Shutterstock. Photographed by Katjen.
The Bavarian Eagle Street Pier
The Bavarian is a Brisbane institution. The best place to sit is undoubtedly along the waterfront terrace with its stunning views of the Story Bridge. The Bavarian always has a buzzing atmosphere, attracting both party-goers and the after-work office crowd. The menu offers a selection of classic German fare, other pub-style food and plenty of German and Australian draught beers. Listen out for the sound of bells ringing which means the waiters are headed your way with a round of schnapps.
Brat Haus. Image provided by Brat Haus.
Brat Haus
The Brat Haus is the home of bratwurst in Brisbane. This mobile food truck can be seen at an array of weekend events around Brisbane such as the Powerhouse Markets, Rocklea Markets and Cathedral Square Markets to name a few. Piled with your choice of traditional sauerkraut, tomato sauce and mustard and snuggled into a fresh bun, a traditional German sausage is like the final, glorious evolution of a Bunnings snag that you didn’t even know you needed. To track down an authentic Bratwurst, you can check their next pop-up location on Facebook.
Prost. Image Sourced From Shutterstock. Photographed by Ievgenii Meyer
Beerhaüs
The Beerhaüs in Bowen Hills is part of the bustling King Street social emporium. This one is for the beer aficionados, with a jawdropping 40 beers on tap in German, Australian and American styles. The menu ranges from giant pretzels and German schnitzels to American snack foods including seven different kinds of chicken wings. And for some post-dining fun, the Beerhaüs is the perfect social hideout, with connect-four competitions, giant jenga and ping pong, so it’s a great place to go and meet people and listen to some live music.
German sausages. Image Sourced From Shutterstock. Photographed by Lunov Mykola.
The Bavarian Chermside
Head to the Bavarian at Chermside for a relaxed, restaurant vibe. This Bavarian is located within the Westfield restaurant precinct and hails from the same family of restaurants as the one on Eagle Street, Rockpool Dining Group. The menu features tasty pretzels, giant chicken schnitzels and delectable pork knuckles to tuck into, plus some very delicious (albeit very un-German) finds like Mac & Cheese Croquettes ($12) and Crispy Pork Belly Bao Bun ($6 each). Along with filling food and fantastic beer, the location is ideal for a laidback evening with the massive Westfield arcade and cinemas nearby.
Pretzels. Image Sourced From Shutterstock. Photographed by Nelea33
King of Cakes
Did you know German baking is just as good as the beer? So, it just makes sense to swap your pub feed for the German kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake). King of Cakes in Brisbane offers a range of German-style cakes so you can indulge in strudel, fruit tarts and pretzels just as if you were thousands of kilometres away in fairytale Germany. King of Cakes also makes traditional European breads and, with over 300 types of bread in Germany, you can imagine this is a seriously delicious affair.
Kraut 'N About. Image provided by Kraut 'N About.
Kraut 'N About
This is another one for the food-truck chasers. Kraut ‘N About is a Bavarian-style food truck popping up at markets around Brisbane. Bavaria is sometimes known as the heart of Germany, with strong cultural traditions and, some might say, the best food and beer. This food truck brings together their favourite Bavarian recipes for delectable pretzels, strudels and of course, bratwurst with sauerkraut.
Spaetzl. Image Sourced From Shutterstock. Photographed by Maren Winter.
Heisenberg Haus
Ipswich diners wanting to taste a little bit of Oktoberfest can head straight to Heisenberg Haus. This restaurant serves up traditional German food with scrumptious menu items like wild boar, pork belly and bratwurst. While German food is traditionally very meat-heavy, Heisenberg also offers some vegetarian dishes such as the tasty käsespätzel, a cheesy egg noodle common in Bavaria.
Still hungry? Meat-lovers should check out our list of the top 10 steak restaurants in Brisbane, or if you’re looking for something a little more plant-based, try out one from the list of the best vegan cafes and restaurants across the city. After all that, you might fancy a sweet treat so make sure to dive into one of Brisbane’s very best gelato bars.
