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One of the great things about London is the fact you can borrow drinking experiences from just about anywhere.

We’ve enjoyed taking part in tapas crawls, albeit with a bit more of a walk between stops than we’re used to from Madrid or Seville.

If you want an authentic German beer garden (industrial sausages and all) you’ve got Stein‘s, although for much of the same atmosphere with better food and beer, try the Meantime newcomer, The Old Brewery.* And while it doesn’t have a much of a garden, Zeitgeist continues to be a lively place, providing a haven for German bankers and native Sarf Londoners to watch the Bundesliga together.

For rainy, wintry days, we find that the Dove in Hackney is a good subsititution for our all time favourite Belgian pub, the Poechenellekelder. * Odd, considering the braying Shoreditch clientele and the sometimes too-kool-for-skool barstaff — we think it’s the wooden decor, multi-floor layout and cosy nooks.

On the downside, the Austrian imbiss is sadly no longer with us.



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