Katzenjammers

Although the vaulted basement rooms are very attractive, the big draw at this underground bar is the German beer. There are seven on draught, plus more than a score by the bottle; among them is Paulaner Hefe-Weizbier, a wonderful wheat beer, alongside a comprehensive selection of weissbiers and dunkels, kölsch beers, dark lagers, pilsners and more.

The food is as German as the beer selection: wursts in various guises, a couple of roasts and schnitzels. And pretzels among the starters, of course. Sides include red cabbage and sauerkraut, and Sacher cake is one of the two desserts bought in from the Backhaus bakery in Borough Market.

Live music from an oompah band combined with a heaving crowd can make this a fairly noisy place. But the beers alone make it worth considering.