It all started when Florian Frey and Azadeh Falakshahi moved from the Black Forest to Brighton in 2005. They both grew up in this hilly region of south-west Germany and having settled on the British sea-side they started missing the traditional sausages they could get on every street corner at home. Azi studied Photography and Florian is a hairdresser but their passion for food inspired them to set up a little business selling imported sausages from their local butcher in Germany at their local pub in Brighton. Realising how popular they were Azadeh and Florian bought two trailers and started selling at local music festivals: and this is how in the summer of 2008 Herman ze German was born. After having toured the country for two years, taking with them festival such as London Thames Festival and Get Loaded in the Park London they felt it might be time to do something more permanent and move to London. In September 2010 the first Herman ze German shop opened on Villiers Street in London and has been a roaring success ever since. It combines the festival spirit with quirky details and a good dose of humour.
Herman Ze German
Cafe at 33 Old Compton Street
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No longer at this address
Our records show that Herman Ze German is closed.
7 / 10 from 1 review
Region
Soho
Soho
Category
Cafes & Tea Rooms
Cafes & Tea Rooms
Herman Ze German Picture Gallery
All In London Review
Hot sausage action on Old Compton Street
New on the scene is a new branch of wurst outpost Herman Ze German (the original being on Villiers Street), and despite the jokey name it’s actually German-owned. There are purportedly loads of Germans in London but they like to keep a low profile, so as a Germanophile I'm happy to see places like Herman's popping up.
Decor is akin to a trendy chip shop; coloured light bulbs and old fashioned mincing machines adorn the walls, and seating is on small benches crafted from wood beams. Downstairs there are more tables and a big screen, which was showing a Dortmund match watched by a small contingent of ex-pats. This will come into its own during major football internationals.
Now I don't profess to be a connoisseur of sausages; I've had currywurst a couple of times in Berlin. Once was in one of the oldest places, an 'imbiss' that’s been banging them out beneath Eberswalder Strasse since the 1930s, and the second time at a McDonald's type fast food place in the massive Hauptbahnhof train station. To be honest, I couldn't tell much difference between the two.
Anyway I digress, but the point is that the snags at Herman's were better than both of my Berlin experiences, with a much nicer currywurst sauce, which is essentially curried ketchup. We tried a classic bratwurst with a top spiced 'ringer' sauce as well as a milder version - as Germans are not known for their love of spicy food, the ringer did pack a surprising punch. Possibly pepped up to cater for the Brits' battle-hardened-by-curry tastebuds, we actually preferred the mellower one which didn't overwhelm the meat.
The chilli beef wurst was also good, but a bit surplus to requirements if partnered with currywurst sauce, and the sausages tasted just as good in white rolls with a dash of mustard. New for the Soho branch are schnitzels, ours was moist with a crunchy breadcrumb coating. At £9.95 including chips, this was a nice alternative to sausages.
Alcohol is available too, German beer naturlich. There’s Paulaner on draft and bottled Bavarian Augustiner Helles (known locally as ‘liquid bread‘!) Open until midnight, this is a canny tip for getting in a sneaky drink and a quick snack after you’ve been turfed out of a nearby pub at 11.
Reviewed by Matthew B
Published on Nov 15, 2013
In The News
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