True Bavarian fare and a decent selection of beer to please German beer lovers.
Whether you’re craving pork or just a deliciously dark beer, Stammtisch KL is the place. This German restaurant and bar in Damansara Heights serve Bavarian food you’ve probably never heard of unless you’ve been there and six different German beer brands on offer. Compared to the German restaurant Weissbrau in Pavilion, Stammtisch beats them handily in the authenticity of cuisine and beer selection.
Ambience & Amenities
Stammtisch KL is a long room but, unfortunately, doesn’t replicate the vibe of a German beer hall. German-themed decorations cover the walls, such as photos of a real beer house and Neuschwanstein Castle. There are cosy leather booths along the right wall and distinctly less cushy tables on the left. There is patio seating in the alley down the side of the restaurant and out front.
The toilet is through the swinging doors in the middle of the restaurant on the right-hand side. The doors open up to the hand washing area, where there are soap and paper towels. There is only one sitting toilet in the unisex washroom on the left. There was an unpleasant smell in there during our entire visit as there was no ventilation.
Menu
Stammtisch KL’s menu has many legit dishes we saw on our recent trip to Germany. Everybody knows about sausages, schnitzel and schweinshaxe, but semmelknodelsuppe, wurstsalat and kaiserschmarrn are much more unconventional options but are real Bavarian food. For those who want something not so authentic, Stammtisch has Asian fusion and crowd-pleasing pasta options. Pork is everywhere on the menu, so this restaurant is definitely not halal-friendly.
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
You can’t have a German restaurant without the most crucial element – beer! Stammtisch has six different brands of German beers, along with the standard beers you find at every bar in KL (Tiger, Carlsberg). However, be ready for some of the German bottled beer to be unavailable. There is a discount on Erdinger (white and dark) draught beer pretty much all day, with early bird prices from 12 pm to 5 pm and happy hour from 5 pm to 9 pm.
Food
I had been craving a hearty bowl of Bacon and Onion Spaetzle (RM38) for weeks. Stammtisch’s spaetzle is the “chunk” kind instead of the noodly kind. There were lots of mushrooms, onions and cut-up bacon, so I never had a bite without these extras. I was hoping for more visibly melted emmental, but the spaetzle still had good cheese flavour. This bowl of spaetzle is a large serving by Malaysian norms but small by German standards. It filled me up, but a bigger eater might need something extra to feel satisfied.
We were relieved and pleased that the Kase Wurst (RM50) was three sausages. If it cost RM50 for one sausage, it would have been a rip-off but not unexpected. The brown drizzle on top tasted like barbecue sauce but got lost in the sausages’ smoky taste. Along with a big helping of sauerkraut, there were smears of Dijon mustard and sweet brown mustard. The sausages were tasty with oozy, liquidy cheese in the centre, but the casing was tough. We chose the pan-fried potatoes as the side dish, and they were quite good.
Saturday Worthy?
It is expensive to eat here, especially when beer is involved. Stammtisch is likely our only source of German beer within a convenient distance from us, and the spaetzle was very satisfying. The service during our visit was a bit shit, but they didn’t mess anything up. Hopefully, the disinterested attitude of the waitresses was just a problem for this day. I haven’t tried Bavarian Bierhaus at The Curve, which looks cheaper and has a better food presentation than Stammtisch. Until I do, Stammtisch KL is now my preferred place when I want to taste Germany again.
Price for 2 Pax: RM183.30
Bacon and Onion Spatzle: RM38.00
Kase Wurst: RM50.00
Early Bird Pints x 2: RM70.00
10% Service: RM15.80
6% SST: RM9.48
Rounding: RM0.02
Zum Stammtisch German Restaurant & Bar
Address: Lot 18-G (next to Gravy Baby), Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: 12pm – 12am Monday to Saturday, 12pm – 10pm Sunday
Alcohol Served: Yes
