Don’t bother looking for the daily beer board at Tawandang German Brewery, the beer barrel-shaped funhouse on Rama III that predates by many moons Bangkok’s current craft craze. There’s no need for such a board because the brewpub’s beer menu rarely changes: lager, weizen, and dunkel. That’s it and that’s just fine, more than fine, because it fits the theme and it does the trick.
Here what’s in the glass matters no more or no less than what’s on the table, a hearty, tasty, and insanely consistent smorgasbord of authentic Thai classics complemented by German beer hall fare like grilled sausage, pork ribs, and deep-fried pork knuckle. And what’s on the table and in the glass is no more or less important than what’s on stage, a sort of Thai variety show of singers, dancers, and musicians who collectively put on one of the most raucous and provocative performances in town. You might even call this nightly spectacle breathless, depending on your point of view, sense of humor, and appreciation of all things Thai music, both the traditional and the modern.
Related: A One-Night Stand with Bangkok’s Craft Beer Guerrillas
It is the whole glorious package–the clean German-style beers, the food, and especially the performers–that make the original Tawandang German Brewery such a special place in this special city.
Walk-ins are welcome and can usually be accommodated, particularly Sunday to Thursday. It is a massive place, after all, with enough room for up to 1,000 revelers, but if you want to guarantee entry and a decent table (the latter probably only if you know the right people), book a table in advance, ideally by at least a week. One need only glance at the only daily board that matters here—the reservations board—to know that even with space for 1,000, and that even after 19 years of business, Tawandang still kills it and everybody still wants some.
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Tawandang German Brewery is located at 462/61 Rama III in Bangkok, Thailand. +66 2 6781 1146.
