German Gymnasium

A humpy-thrivey German-specialist restaurant in a beautiful former gynasium (with vaulted ceiling) behind King's Cross station. Various schnitzel and sausage menu options compete for attention with fish and chips, a rib eye, burgers, chicken, lamb meatballs and Schupfnudeln (potato noodles), all of a certain high standard while not constituting fine dining. Breakfast is also a thing here, including poached eggs and hollandaise served with reassuringly Swiss-style Rösti (elevated hash browns). The two-floor venue doesn't resemble a beer hall in the slightest, but it serves beer like one, and is nearly as loud. Seats 200 indoors, with two outside terraces areas. There are tables upstairs for escaping from the full-on experience of the ground-floor Grand Café. A one-off restaurant, yes, but part of the D&D restaurant group (Le Pont de la Tour, Butlers Wharf Chophouse, Bluebird Chelsea, Angler etc). Opened November 2015. The 1865 stylish building was designed by Edward Augustas Gruning (1837—1908) and solely funded by German Londoners. It was England’s first purpose-built gymnasium, and in 1866 it hosted London’s first indoor Olympic Games.