The German Gymnasium

Last Updated on September 21, 2017 by Fiona Maclean

German Traditional Events in London

For the perfect meeting place for friends and family travelling through London via Kings Cross or St Pancras, don’t miss The German Gymnasium.

Built by the local German community for its Gymnastics Society, back in 1866 the Gymnasium was the venue for the indoor events of London’s first Olympic Games. Today it stands out as a remarkable, purposeful-looking building: a gate-keeper for the new Kings Cross and St Pancras basin development growing up beyond it.

The interior is a vast space which has been tastefully and cleverly designed to accommodate every type of eating occasion. Whatever time of day you visit, the experience will suit your needs: an intimate dinner on the first-floor restaurant; a quick beer at the outside open-air bar; a German style coffee and cake in the Grand Café or brunch on the terrace.

Diners can choose from an appealing range of modern European dishes, with more than a few nods to the building’s heritage, (and the restaurant’s German-born Executive Chef), and the wine list offers an extensive selection from Germany’s 13 wine-growing regions.

To celebrate the quality of their wines, during the summer,  The German Gymnasium partnered with Wines of Germany to create an urban picnic hamper to enjoy on their terrace or to take away to your own perfect picnic spot.   I went along to try for myself.  Designed for two and presented in a metal hamper placed on its own piece of astro-lawn, the Berliner Picnic offered a delicious choice of Bavarian Giga Rolls filled with Black Forest ham, Smoked salmon and cream cheese, and chili and lime avocado, paired with a delicious Sekt, Reisling or Pinot Noir. The hamper also housed some good old British crisps, a classic German pastry, nussecken, and four divine marzipan treats.The picnic was fun and tasty and a great reward for those who planned perfect summer picnics under blue skies and broad oak trees, but instead endured soggy sandwiches whilst sheltering from showers.  Sadly, summer is over and the promotion ended on 10th September.

Now, instead of the picnic, The German Gymnasium has moved on to Oktoberfest – and the good news is that you have until 1st October to try for yourself.  The celebration takes part on the same alfresco terrace where you can enjoy a range of beers on tap and a selection of traditional barreled beers including Fest Bier Rothaus Marzen, Rothaus Hefeweizen and Rothaus Pils.  These naturally unpasteurised, high quality beers are typical of the Black Forest and you can enjoy them in Oktoberfest steins!

There’s more of course, in the form of a whole range of traditional German delicacies – dishes on the menu include a selection of German delicacies, such as the KX Currywurst and the Buttered Giant Brezel,  Mini Schweinshaxen – mini pork knuckles with a sour cream dip and the Oktoberfest cold cut platter featuring black forest ham, Gruyere cheese and pickles.

The German Gymnasium is located at 1 King’s Boulevard, London, N1C 4BU and Oktoberfest runs until Sunday 1st October 2017