Foaming beer served by the boot-load. Incomprehensibly mountainous plates of meat. Lederhosen-clad staff as standard. All interspersed with light yodelling.
The Tiroler Hut Austrian restaurant in Westbourne Grove is a one-of-a-kind. In its 52 years in the same west London spot, it's welcomed Hugh Grant, Kate Moss, and countless other revellers eager to stuff their faces with pig, then shamelessly jig around to oompah. We named it as one of the city's best themed restaurants.
Sadly, on 12 August, Tiroler Hut was struck by a devastating fire — the building has been gutted, and owner Josef Friedman's lost his beloved collection of brass instruments and cowbells.
The good news is that people are already rallying to bring Tiroler Hut back to life. A GoFundMe campaign has raised almost £5k of its £10k target, with the aim of buying Josef new instruments, lederhosen, and various decorations for a new venue.
And the happy memories are flooding in — one donor remembering: "The first evening I met my boyfriend he took me here for a stein. On Thursday we’ve been married for two years. The hut is filled with so much love"
If Tiroler Hut holds fond memories for you too, you can contribute to the GoFundMe campaign,.