Good German restaurants are hard to come by in Bangkok. Sure, you can get a pork knuckle or a sausage platter at nearly any beerhouse from the city to the suburbs, but they rarely scream authenticity. Schneider Haus, Ari’s latest beer garden and quasi-German establishment, isn’t a game-changer in that regard.

With links to Bavaria’s Schneider Weisse brewing company, Schneider Haus is set in a spacious house tucked in a quiet nook just down Ari Soi 4. But to call this place a “German” restaurant doesn’t quite feel right. The menu boasts around 120 dishes, only about seven of which are actually German. The rest span the typical hodgepodge of international and local flavors—Italian pasta, American burgers and Thai comfort food.

The eclectic decor—metal chairs, bare wood tables, hanging chandeliers and Schneider Weisse flags—also feels a tad German, but mostly not. The blasting pop-EDM songs don’t help the vibe much. Given the space, atmosphere and massive menu, it actually serves well as an all-purpose, family-friendly restaurant.

This isn’t to say that Schneider Haus is a bad experience. While dishes like the German sausage platter (stacked high with Frankfurters, Nurnberger and bratwurst, B250/medium, B350/large) won’t redefine your expectations when it comes to German food, it’s clear there’s attention to the basics here. Piping hot off the grill, the sausages have a snappy, fresh bite bursting with all the juicy flavor you hope for.

Other traditional German dishes are hearty, loaded with carbs and generally satisfying. The Schneider Haus pork knuckle (B595/full, B250/half) is an intimidating slab of roasted meat, even in the half size, dropped on your table still piping hot and begging to be sliced open. It’s a shame that, on our last visit, it was overcooked and dry. The schnitzel (B280) also suffers the same fate—fresh, hot and filling, but not something to write home about.

For better or worse, the food pairs excellently with the restaurant’s seven-strong selection of on-tap Schneider Weisse (from B140/0.2l to B1,490/3l), like the full-bodied mein original with its slightly bitter-sour finish to help kick back the salty German fare. The on-the-ball staff also make sure your empty beer mugs don’t stay that way very long.

There are certainly better places in town to gnaw on pork knuckle and knock back heavy beers, but Schneider Haus’s offerings are good enough to leave you feeling full and a little wobbly. That’s enough for us. 

This review took place in May 2018 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.