There is a very unusual pub/restaurant lurking on the outskirts of Somerset West, close to the border of Sir Lowry’s Pass Village. It’s a German pub (which in itself is not unusual given the high levels of German ancestry throughout Somerset West) called Im Eimer, and what I find strange about the whole setup is despite its rather unwelcoming, rundown exterior (and rust filled interior), the restaurant is MASSIVELY popular with the locals.
The name “Im Eimer” translates directly into “in the bucket” a saying which refers to items that are ‘kaput’, i.e. have reached the end of their useful life and have been tossed aside.
With that in mind, the restaurant is itself home to many old, broken odds and ends, or as some people put it, antiques. Also, there is the literal bucket hanging on the wall, a 100 year old rusted relic that was used to dig a well on Auas Sued in South West Africa near Bethanien in 1894.
You get the idea then. Im Eimer is a name that suits the look and feel of this place rather well then.
The thing is, the restaurant is known for its excellent German menu, with many people praising its authentic German cuisine (and of course, beer), with the Eisbein in particular always getting a rousing mention.
Of course, with all that praise for their tasty pork knuckle, it was therefore essential for Chantelle and myself to give it a go – which is then exactly what we did come one lunch time back in June of this year.
Pro tip: It is definitely a good idea to phone ahead if you are going to be ordering the Eisbein – preparing one as you might imagine does take a fair while!
We of course didn’t, giving us a good hour or so to first sit, drink and take in the unique… setting/decorations.
The good news is that, served with sauerkraut, mustard, and mash, the Eisbein is indeed well, WELL worth the wait.
So yeah, that was a surprise. Definitely one of those classic ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ cases!
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Bonus: Im Eimer makes a quick little feature towards the end of Cape Town Tourism’s “Love Cape Town Neighbourhoods Series: Somerset West” YouTube video (around the 04:00 mark):
So, worth a visit, even if it is just for the Eisbein!
Related Link: Im Eimer | Somerset West
Eisbein and German Cuisine at Im Eimer in Somerset West (2017-06-13) There is a very unusual pub/restaurant lurking on the outskirts of Somerset West, close to the border of Sir Lowry's Pass Village.
