The Tiroler Hut

Open since 1967 and responsible for thousands, if not millions, of paracetamol the following day, The Tiroler Hut knows how to have a good time. To the uninitiated, this Austrian cavern in Notting Hill is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it place. The single door on Westbourne Grove is lit only by an enticingly sordid red neon sign and two cowbells below it. But for the initiated, this is a raucous night out where fun rather than food comes first.

Sure, the beef goulash is mediocre but who cares when Josef, the elderly owner in lederhosen, is playing the cowbells like he’s on the Pyramid Stage. In fact, don’t be surprised if someone is crowd surfing by the time the karaoke mic comes out. Some people in The Tiroler Hut’s Hobbiton-like room come here as two, but that just isn’t the way to do it. It’s a place for friends, new and old. Just ask Mike on the door—he’s been working it since 1986. Come for a big birthday blowout or to drink a boot of beer. Bring friends and make more. 

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

As with any restaurant led by an elderly owner-cum-musician in lederhosen, The Tiroler Hut isn’t giving a great deal of focus to its menu. The sausage selection with honey mustard is a delightful canapé, the käsespätzle an irresistible cheesy mess, and apple strudel a sugary shield against the grüner veltliner running through your veins. It doesn’t matter with a restaurant this unique, though. Just hope the wienerschnitzel lines your stomach by the time tomorrow comes.

Food Rundown

Chopped Sausage Selection

A plate of bite-sized pork on cocktail sticks is hard to get wrong and hard to resist in equal measure. These juicy chunks with a pot of honey mustard on the side won’t last long on your table.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Hungarian Beef Goulash

Look, this isn’t the worst goulash in the world, it’s just nothing to write home about. The meat is a little tough and the sauce is not the kind that will have you licking the plate.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Wienerschnitzel

Experience says a fried slab of meat is the safe option, but that isn’t always the case here. The crispiness of this schnitzel varies—the veal is not so good, but the chicken is.

Käsespätzle

These hand-cut noodles in a cheesy mixture do exactly what they say on the proverbial tin. Cheesy pasta? Big yes.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Apple Strudel

The stewed apples in this strudel are nice enough, with just a hint of cinnamon, and the pastry is a bit crisp and a little floppy. Squeezy cream on the side isn’t our first choice but it does the trick pretty nicely.