It looks English, but it’s German at heart.
Spitalfield’s Gastrobar has the vibe of a classic English pub, but the specialities are Deutsche fare and beloved German beer. As a gastropub, this place is more refined than the standard taproom. Pricey Black Velvet pints share the same page as pints of Tiger. With its unique assortment of food and drink offerings, Spitalfield’s is the place to drink, hang out or watch football at the Atria Shopping Gallery.
Ambience & Amenities
Spitalfield’s Gastrobar tries to replicate its namesake market in London, with dark metal beams across the ceiling and the brickwork on one wall. There are plenty of tables in the main restaurant with more out on the patio. There is a private section at the top of the stairs, but this area will likely be closed unless you have booked a big party at Spitalfield’s. The Nightingale Bar in the next room is filled with bar tables and is a more compact space. Televisions scattered around both rooms were broadcasting football.
The washroom is located outside, before the mall entrance. Leave Spitalfield’s through the restaurant, not through the mall exit. On the left, there is a short corridor where the toilets are. The women’s was a single room with a sitting toilet, but the seat was removed. Mark told me the men’s washroom didn’t have a toilet, only a urinal. I think Spitalfield’s is trying to discourage guests from taking dumps in their washrooms with their set-up. Otherwise, the conveniences were all provided. There was toilet paper, hand soap and paper towels.
Menu
The Spitalfield’s menu is a hodgepodge of cuisines. German food is the base, but there are dishes with Thai, Japanese, Tex-Mex and even Hungarian influence. There’s as much pork on this menu as a specialised pork restaurant. Needless to say, Spitalfield’s is non-halal.
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
The drinks menu is even more extensive. Draught beers get top billing but don’t miss the page of craft bottled German beers deeper in the menu. Happy Hour at Spitalfield’s goes until 8 pm, where beers and house liquors are about RM5 cheaper. Wine, liquor and cocktails are also on hand if you need something stronger. There is no filtered water. Water costs RM2.50 for a 500ml bottle that is already on the tables.
Food
Spitalfields Best Pizza (RM38) is a great pizza. It is, unfortunately, a thin crust which I don’t like, but it was sturdy enough that I could eat it with one hand without supporting the tip. The toppings are so close to the edge that there’s barely any crust that needs to be eaten. There are tons of ingredients on this pie – big chunks of pulled pork and huge medallions of sausage, which are probably the bratwurst from the German section of the menu. The bacon, which is usually the star of other pizzas, is buried under all of this pork. A good helping of cheese keeps everything from falling off.
The BBQ Spanish Ribs (RM54) comes with six rib pieces piled on top of a helping of fries. There are a few salad vegetables in the corner of the board with no dressing. The ribs were tender and fell away from the bone easily, but I do think that they would have been better with more sauce on them. As proof, the fries were crisp and clean despite being buried underneath the ribs. We got a couple of 500ml bottles of Grevensteiner Original (RM32 each) and mango juice (RM8) to drink.
Saturday Worthy?
I always love the chance to get some pork and German ale. The food at Spitalfield’s is decent enough to justify the prices, which are what you’d expect from an upscale pub. Many of the food and drinks sounded interesting, and I was keen to try them. The service was very functional, but that’s not a big deal for me. Spitalfield’s will probably become our go-to dinner place if we’re ever at Atria Shopping Gallery again.
Price for 2 Pax: RM190.25
BBQ Spanish Ribs: RM54.00
Spitalfields Best Pizza: RM38.00
Grevensteiner Original x 2: RM64.00
Chilled Mango Juice: RM8.00
10% Service: RM16.40
6% SST: RM9.84
Rounding: RM0.01
Spitalfield’s Gastrobar
Address: C37 (Concourse level, next to the South entrance), Atria Shopping Gallery, Jalan SS 22/23, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 11:30pm
Alcohol Served: Yes
