Back in September I was looking for a good German Bier Garden for Oktoberfest. One of the places I found was Zum Schneider in the east village of Manhattan. When you walk in you quickly realize that this is a true bier garden. They have the long wooden tables typically found in Germany and have a dozen or so German beers on tap, all of which are fresher than fresh. Yesterday Cathy and I went there for dinner and had an exceptional meal. Seating is always tight, so only being a party of two we shared one of the long wooden tables with another gentlemen. We both had the Reiberdatschi as an appetizer. Reiberdatschi is potato pancakes and a greens salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Served with a side of fresh apple sauce it is always a winner. For the main course we both got the Bratwurst Platter (What can I say, we have similar tastes). I substituted the sauerkraut for potato salad. Their sauerkraut is good but Ive never had much of a taste for it. The brats were fresh and they provided a couple of different mustards which complimented them well. In the past I have had the sausage platter which was excellent as well. One of these visits I will try the Weiner schnitzel, but their sausages are so good that I always change my mind once i get there.

As for beer suggestions, I like the Schneider Weisse with the Reiberdatschi. It is a wheat beer so if you don’t like the less filtered taste then it might not be for you. With the brats I like the Hofbräuhaus München. Both were very fresh and both complimented the respective dishes.

If you’re not in the mood for dinner then visit for the drink! More people go to Zum Schneider for the drink than the food, which I find incredible considering just how good the food is. All in all you wont be disappointed with the atmosphere, drink, or the food.