Cafè Abseits

Cafè AbseitsCafè Abseits
Cafè AbseitsCafè Abseits
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

Pödeldorfer Straße 39
Bamberg, 96052
Germany

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.23
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
10
pDev:
7.33%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
A 14 minute walk south of the Weyermann Specialty Malting's visitor center, or 12 minutes north of the Fässla Keller Biergarten, is Café Abseits. It's a small place with a tiny bar above, and tables below in the front window. There's also an outdoor area, or biergarten, which probably seats more than the inside does! During the day it seems much more like a coffee shop and light lunch spot, but it is, of course, a café and not a bar per se. Having said that, it actually makes a nice little stop during the day where you can enjoy a coffee, tea, juice or milkshake and a snack. They also have a full bar, although that's not very lunch-like, but my wife did have a glass of sekt while I drank my beer.

The food is fairly light and features vegetarian dishes and Tex-Mex items as well as the normally expected fare (flammkuchen, schnitzel, burgers). They offer breakfast on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm.

It's the beer we're after though, and they offer 4 regulars on tap and a seasonal, as well as at least 35 in bottles. Some of these are beers that you'll encounter elsewhere in Bamberg (Schlenkerla Helles or Märzen, Spezial Lager or Zwergla), or which are fairly common (Weihenstephaner Kristalweiss, Schneider Aventinus), but there are also some unusual items and I was glad to find Weyermann's Imperial Stout as I'd just come from the visitors center and they had a very limited selection of just their basic beers. The unusual beers are constantly changing and the majority of them are things that you've never heard of. The draft selection includes Mönchsambacher Lager, Keesmann Herrenpils, and Huppendorfer Weizenbier or Vollbier.

Seeing as it's fairly far outside of the altstadt I wouldn't recommend it unless you're already in the area to visit Weyermann, Fässla, or Mahr's. It is worth a stop if you're already there though.
Jan 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.24 by cichief from Virginia

Nov 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by MattSweatshirt from Texas

Jul 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by millelacsmark from Minnesota

Oct 15, 2013
Photo of Jwale73
Reviewed by Jwale73 from Rhode Island

4.29/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
About a 15 minute walk across the train tracks from Brauerei Fässla (where I stayed). Visited on 4/7 and 4/8/2013. Cafe Abseit is a must stop if you are in Bamberg- we went there twice and both times sat at the bar with the owner (Herr Schoolmann) who was very kind and knowledgeable. Food is not traditional Franconian, but was good (I had a great pesto pizza) and the service was friendly and quite helpful (and spoke English). Five or 6 local offerings were available on-tap and all were quite good. Bottle list was somewhat eclectic, but quite solid and reasonable with a nice selection of Belgians (they had Struise Pannepøt - Old Monk’s Ale - Pannepeut!); however, I didn't pay much attention as I was more interested in trying the regional drafts. They also had an experimental beer on from Weyermann which was excellent called Adam's Imperial Pilsener. A must stop if you are in Bamberg, and the only establishment we visited that had a traditional bar. The only downside was that the outside biergarten was closed during our visit, due to the season.
Apr 25, 2013
Photo of crossovert
Reviewed by crossovert from Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
I met up with some friends from Bamberg here. There is a small biergarten in the back and then the pub. I sat at the bar until they arrived, then a table.

By far one of the best selections of beer in Germany, if not the best. Just loads of rare and interesting beers. The bartenders are always monitoring your glass so it is also great service.

The atmosphere is a straight-up pub. IT had 70's music, a mix of college students and older people, and generally just a relaxed atmosphere.

It is a must-travel-to place in bamberg.
Aug 03, 2011
Photo of Bierman9
Reviewed by Bierman9 from New Hampshire

4.58/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
Cafe Abseits was actually the first place I visited on 27SEP09 while visiting Bamberg and Memmelsdorf. Abseits translates to "out of the way, remote" or, in a sporting sense, "offside". Unsure how they mean it here; perhaps out of the way. There was about an hour between my arriving in Bamberg and my bus to Memmelsdorf, and I was thirsty. I had a rudimentary idea of where Abseits was located, so off I went. My uncanny sense of direction got me here easily.

Located in the rear side of town relating to the Bamberg rail station, Abseits is on the first floor of a large, corner building. It is stonework and a funky pinkish color. You can either enter a front door, leading to a hall which intersects another hall, turning right leading you into the Cafe. Or you may enter around to the left side, which gets right into this second hall and straight in. Once in, to the right is a level about 4 steps down with tables and chairs right at the bright, large front window. On the upper level are some small wall tables and booths. The bar is ahead of you and zig-zags a bit around to the left. Turning left, you'll find a small room in the rear left seating another dozen-plus. There's also a small biergarten in the rear of the building.

The Cafe is fairly dark, overall, save for the front window area. It gives off a divey feel, but it really has quite the comfy vibe once you get settled in. Most walls are dark wood on the bottom half with light painting on the uppers. Bier posters, photos, and paintings adorn the walls. The bar-back has numerous, varied-style glasses as well as a number of different liquors. And though I usually give props to traditional german music when playing, I was happy to hear classic rock filling the air here.
Selection? Wow!! They had perhaps 50 or so choices, most of which originate in the greater Bamberg area. And since there are a shit-load of great little breweries around here, you get a wonderful selection. Want rauchs? Doppelbocks? A schwarzbier or simply a helles? Have at it! The staff was right on top of things and friendly to boot. I would most definitely return here on my next Bamberg visit. Prosit!!

4.58
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 - $

191
Oct 18, 2009
Photo of Goldorak
Reviewed by Goldorak from Canada (QC)

3.41/5  rDev -19.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
It was early, we had time to kill before heading to Spezial for dinner - we were still full from our sausage plate at Schlenkerla anyway - so I decided to check out this place. It's a pretty long walk from the tourist section of town. It was a bit chilly, so we decided to have a drink inside. It took a while to find the entrance but we finally got there. The bar section was way too smokey - damn smoking bans, it never used to bother me but now that I've been exposed to a non-smoking environment for over a year now, even one dude smoking in a large room bugs me, and everybody seems to smoke in Germany - so we sat in the restaurant section near the front window. Decor is like your local student hangout/pizzeria (lots of bikes in front of the door also suggests this), with posters of upcoming shows and art expositions, specials on blackboards and a few brewery signs.

The selection was pretty solid, over 30 bottles plus a few taps, quite impressive when every other place in town only seems to serve one or two Beers. Andescher, Kulmbacher and a bunch of whom I've never even heard of. My girlfriend was happy to see Federweisser and Prosecco on the menu, almost happy enough to forgive me for the long walk in this very humdrum neighborhood. I went for a tap brew who's name escapes me at the moment, which was a bit dissapointing, it tasted quite oxidized. Maybe that's why it was the "special of the month".

Don't go here for atmosphere or food - unless you're tired enough of eating pork to go for their pasta plates - but if you want a broader taste of German Beers this isn't a bad place.
Sep 26, 2007
Photo of UncleJimbo
Reviewed by UncleJimbo from Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I stopped in Cafe Abseits on my way back from Maisel Keller (about 15 min. walk). It is also located on the east side of the train tracks, sort of "behind" the train station, but since you cannot get through the station, you have to walk a few blocks around the station as a detour if you are trying to cross over the tracks. "Abseits" means "off sides" (sports term) or "off the beaten track" in German, and likely refers to the location.

Cafe Abseits is set up more like a modern bar than like the more traditional brewpubs in Bamberg. The bar is a sort of zigzag, L-shape, made of wood with stools. There were about 9 tables and one large booth. The place was a bit smokey, but that is to be expected. Various German language newspapers and magazines are at the bar for customers. Large windows face the street and offer nice, natural lighting to the cafe.

The bar offered 5 beers on tap and about 40 bottles. The beer selection was quite good. For example, they offered at least 6 Andechser beers (Bergbock, Doppelbock, Weizenbock, Weizen-Eisbock, Special Hell, and Hefeweissebier Hell). You could sit there all day and just drink Andechser beers. They also had quite a number of regional beers, and had many regional bockbiers as it was bock season. Prices were not bad: 0.5 L Andechser Doppelbock for 2.70 Euros. The beer was served very cold. (The beer menu is available online at their web site.)

They served various coffees and expressos. The food was good, and the menu was ecclectic. I sampled the spicy goulash soup. Yum. The music was at the discretion of the bartender, and on this visit featured a lot of American pop and classic rock (e.g., Eric Clapton and No Doubt). The service was very good and very friendly, and at least one bartender spoke English very well.

This is a great bar, and I wish I had found it sooner. It is not your "traditional" drinking establishment in Bamberg, but the beer selection is really great. I found it to be a very comfortable place.

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Finally visited in warm weather and sat outside in the biergarten in the rear. Very nice, laid back. Good service. Then when the garden closes (23:30 or so), the crowd moves inside until closing.

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Tried the home made potato chips. Nice!
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Have eaten here a couple more times. Good, solid food.

Recent visits: June 2010, November 2009, July 2009, June 2008, November 2007, July 2007, October 2006
Jan 17, 2005
Photo of FrankenBier
Reviewed by FrankenBier from California

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Cafe Abseits has the best beer selection of any pub in Bamberg. It is a modern style bar rather than a traditonal Gaststätte located east of the train station.

They have as regular draft beers Mönchambacher Lager, Keeseman Pils and Andechs Dunkel. They also have one or two (or more during special ocassions such as a bock fest in December) guest beers from some of the smaller breweries in the countryside. When I was there they had Nothelfer Export Dunkel from Alte Klosterbrauerei in Vierzehnheiligen and Weiherer Lager from Brauerei Kundmüller in Weiher. They also have over 20 different beers in bottles, including the full range of Mönchambacher and Andechs, and Aventinus Eisbock.

Food is sort of eclectic mix with pasta, local specialties and what they call "Tex-Mex" --- hey I don't go to Bamberg for Tacos and Chili Poppers :) They also serve breakfast all day. Everything I've had there was tasty. Service was also very good.

It is about a 15 minute walk from the train station (around behind) -- a bit out of the way if you are in the Altstadt, but well worth the walk.
Dec 11, 2003
Cafè Abseits in Bamberg, Germany
Place rating: 4.23 out of 5 with 10 ratings