Zeitgeist provides a spirit of the age ambience
Pretzel and a selection of cold cuts including smoked porkloin.
Zeitgeist was born three months ago with the aim of delivering the authentic taste of Germany in Shanghai.
“There are quite a few German restaurants in Shanghai already, however, from my point of view, most of them are adapting their taste toward the local market so the dishes don’t taste like they are supposed to taste back home,” said the restaurant’s partner, David Lazarowicz, who is from Bavaria.
“German, or let’s say Bavarian cuisine is very hearty full of authentic, strong flavors.” Zeitgeist is decked out with a casual, friendly vibe.
It’s the kind of restaurant where you can escape the hustle of the big city for a random evening and enjoy a hearty meal and a cold beer with your friends.
“In the Bavarian culture we take extra time to sit down and just enjoy the moment. And that is what our guests do when coming to Zeitgeist,” Lazarowicz said. The name “Zeitgeist” itself stands for the spirit of a particular period of history, as shown in the ideas and beliefs of the time.
One of the reasons they chose the name was because non-Germans would find it easy to pronounce. Yet at the same time it defined the team’s core beliefs that even though they created an authentic German restaurant, they were not bound by the boundaries of German food culture. They could also develop the food concept further, as one can taste during the Wednesday steak night.
I dined at the restaurant on a midweek evening for a big sharing table of German specialties. I started off with the Munich Camenbert spread, served with Pretzel (65 yuan), a well-known appetizer from the Bavarian region. Pretzels were kept warm from the oven with a cheese spread on top which was an authentic start to the evening. At the same time, we ordered a plate representing the essence of German tastes — a selection of cold cuts, smoked porkloin, meatloaf, “Pfefferbeisser” meatballs, cheese, “Obatzda”, radish and mixed pickles.
When I moved to the main dishes, I chose breaded schnitzel (88 yuan) immediately. It was pan fried in true Germany style and it was my favorite among all the dishes ordered. Every Tuesday the restaurant hosts a schnitzel night offering all-you-can-eat pork chop (88 yuan), including Bavarian potato salad.
For meat lovers, it’s also recommended to try a true German delight pork knuckle that was roasted crispy on the outside and fork tender on the inside.
Info
Opening hours: 11am-1am (weekdays); 11am-2am (weekends)
Tel: 3220-5986
Address: 537 Haifang Rd
Average per person: 150 yuan
German style pork knuckle is roasted crispy on the outside and tender inside.
