On Saturday we have been invited to a birthday party at the Oktoberfest at the Paulaner Bräuhaus @ Expo, Pudong. The birthday girl had reserved a table for all of us and we could choose a menu for the evening. The boys chose the meaty menu with lots of different sausages, Kassler (gammon steak), chicken, Kohlrouladen (cabbage rolls) and much more, and us girls chose the Käsespätzle (cheese pasta) as main dish. The food was pretty authentic and tasty, but the main highlight of this menu was the all-you-can-drink offer with delicious Oktoberfestbier, Radler (shandy), Weizen (wheat beer) and other delicious drinks all night!

We had a great time there with a live band from Austria singing traditional German, but also a few English songs, a full dance floor and a lively outdoor area for the smokers and some fresh air. The Paulaner was full of German people, which was no surprise as Germans is one of the biggest expat groups in Shanghai. I would say the only things that made the Shanghai Oktoberfest less authentic was that we didn’t dance on the benches and that they served the beer in small glasses – 0.5 beer glasses instead of the Masskrug (falsely called Stein in English) that fills 1l.

Unfortunately, my Dirndl that I ordered from the South Bund Fabric market wasn’t ready in time, but I’m sure we’ll be back for another Oktoberfest in Shanghai next year!

– Her