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In case you were wondering, that loud German techno-pop isn't coming from Charlotte Street's latest nightclub, but from the new branch of Herman Ze German. These sausage-sellers already run a tiny takeaway joint in Charing Cross and a much cosier sit-down space in Soho, but the Fitzrovia branch is different – brash and fast-foody, but with a fair amount of seating downstairs. The sausages are exactly the same – as in, really great (they’re imported from a Black Forest butcher who uses fantastic quality meat.)
Choose one of three kinds of sausage, then decide whether you want it up snuggled into a half-baguette, on a platter with fries, or as a 'no-carbs' option (with salad, or completely 'naked'). Extra toppings range from crispy onions and sauerkraut to the ever-popular curry sauce (a spicy ketchup), or of course you can add squeezy regular ketchup and mustard at your table.
We loved the bounciness and delicate flavour of our smoked pork bockwurst, and the juicy, springy pieces of pork and veal bratwurst (£4.45 each). Sides of potato salad and slaw (£2.50) and mild sauerkraut (all £2) were decent, too. On our visit, the only disappointment were the fries, which were so overcooked and tough they looked as if they’d spent three weeks in Barbados holidaying with Donatella Versace. But service was extremely friendly, and at at these prices, you could certainly do a lot wurst.
By Tania Ballantine