Barschwein

Barschwein in Schwabing is a two story bar of indeterminate genre situated just off the Leopoldstraße at Franzstraße 3.

From what I could make out, the smoking area was upstairs only and good deal livelier than the rather dull atmosphere on the first floor. Drinks were cheap (250ml beer for €1,20 and litre of Sangria for €8,50) which probably explains the younger crowd. Hanging above the bar upstairs were a number of red round glass holders, which I somehow initially mistook for curling rocks. The service was efficient if not friendly.

The paying system is quite original: upon entering Barschwein you are given a card on which a list of drinks appears. When ordering a drink, the barman marks off what you have ordered on your card. When you leave the bar, you swing by a payment booth, hand your card in and get charged based on what has been marked off on the card.

The ratio of guys to girls was unfavourable (3/4’s guys) but there were a bunch of pretty girls there as well – at least at the beginning of the evening. Music was a mix of current pop chart hits and beer fest favourites played by a highly unusual looking DJ – small, old, or at least weather-beaten, wearing what seemed to be a self-tailored tank-top and of indeterminate gender.

I was there, with my buddy Philipp, on Sunday night (31.05.2009) and we stepped out at about 10pm to check out another bar. While edging our way through the crowd towards the stairwell two guys almost got into a boxing match. We came back a couple hours later to see if anymore fun could still be had there and witnessed a couple more guys wanting to box each other. I guess that kind of aggressive vibe is to be expected with cheap booze.

Quick capsule review: Worth a visit based on value for money alone but not an ideal venue for those getting on a bit in years.