Heading over to Dortmund this week for the Reds’ Europa League quarter final? Chris Williams provides a guide to the best places for food and a beer in the city and near the stadium.
Anywhere that sells beer by the keg, and a table keg at that, is probably the natural place to start for a review of the best food and drink locations in Dortmund for the trip to Dortmund this week.
Brauhaus Wenkers – Wenkers is a modern sports bar just 10 minutes walk from the main train station in the “Alter Markt” (old market).
Serving their own brewed dark and pale ale (as Table Kegs!), as well as some gut busting German meat dishes, it makes a natural start point for any travelling red. The old market is the usual meeting point for away fans when playing in Dortmund. The area gets exceptionally busy on match day; expect big queues after 4pm for a night game.
Pfefferkorn (The Peppercorn) certainly measures up to The Vines on Lime Street for that traditional boozer feel; serving some excellent German ale it’s also highly regarded as one of the best Steakhouses in Dortmund.
Exceptionally friendly to visiting supporters it is alive with atmosphere. It’s another that is guaranteed to be packed out on match day so make an early beeline if you want a seat. Again it’s just a 10 minute stroll from the main train station, winner!
Café Lotte – If you’re looking for a more cultured venue then there’s no better place to start than at Café Lotte; famed for serving Dortmund’s best cappuccino and cake, it’s a 25 minute walk from the main train station into the south of the City, or a bit easier, jump a train to Dortmund Stadthaus for just over €1 – or free on your match ticket after 3pm.
Vegetarian? Don’t worry Dortmund isn’t just a multitude of pork and beef eaters – Kartoffel-Lord is a 5 minute walk from the main train station and offers the best in Vegetarian and Vegan food the city can offer. Once you’ve got your lentils on board head to Wenkers or Pfefferkorn to meet the carnivores you flew to Amsterdam with.
Looking for a one stop shop with bars and restaurants all around you then the “Kreuzviertel” is well worth checking out. It’s a whole quarter with different locations, restaurants and pubs.
Recommended haunts are Balke, Uncle Tom’s, B-Trieb, Kumpel Erich and Bürgermeister Lindemann. The Kreuzvierte is perfect to sit together kick back and drink some unhurried beers just like the locals do. From there you can walk to the stadium in about 20 minutes.
If you just want a bite to eat on your way to, or back from, the many quality watering holes then you can do no better than Food Brother. Serving traditional German burger combos (no American crap) as well as options for your veggie mate, Food Brother is a cheap and cheerful restaurant; by cheap it’s €8 for a massive burger that will fill even the biggest of Scouse ale guts.
So you’ve eaten and had a few and now want to get to the ground. Quickest and easiest option is jump on the U-Bahn (Underground) from the main City Centre station and get off at Westfalenhallen, if you fancy a 5 minute walk – or the last stop is conveniently named Stadion, which unsurprisingly is next to the Stadium.
Either option you want the 45 or 46 line. Your match ticket gives you free travel – “Yer wha?” yeah you read it right – Germany is ace.
Signal Iduna Park is situated in a business area; there are not many bars or restaurants, certainly nowhere near the amount surrounding Anfield. Bars are limited to Hotels which double as Conference Centres and the only real option is Strobels Bar.
Attached to the east side of the stadium, Strobels is a lively place which queues out the door on a match day. They operate a €2 deposit on your beaker which you can fill all evening with the best Pilsner on offer.
Also if you’ve been too busy enjoying the liquid refreshments in Dortmund City then Strobels offers some of the best Currywurst and burgers that your Euros can buy. Massive portions for what equates to £8.
If all this is too much for your head to decipher then just eat at the main train station with all the traditional German food and sweet stalls your mashed up head could ever want. If you leave Dortmund hungry then something has gone badly wrong somewhere.
Google Map Locations:
- Dortmund Main Train Station (Dortmund Hauptbahnhof)
- Wenkers – Alter Markt
- Pfefferkorn
- Kartoffel-Lord
- Kreuzviertel
- Dortmund Stadthaus Station
- Café Lotte
- Strobels Bar
Read Chris’ article on his visit to Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich, here, and his original article on the German football experience, here.
For information about getting into the stadium, we recommend the FSF guide to Dortmund.
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