It’s loud and gray under the railway bridge near Columbus Square. A dreary concrete desert, cars rush by. Not necessarily a place where you would like to voluntarily spend your evening after work. But that’s exactly where Julian Hahn and his team built a kind of witch’s house: the “Goose Elsewhere”. And what one of the Hahn brothers tackles is usually a success – see the goose by the water in Westpark, the Alte Utting or the railway attendant Thiel. And the experiment was successful again in Giesing. Because there you feel like in a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, despite – or perhaps because of – the structural environment.
As soon as you step through the door of the house that opened a year ago, you are no longer at Columbusplatz in Giesingen, but rather in an oversized tree house with spiral stairs that reminds you of adventure playgrounds from childhood. In the Goose Elsewhere, visitors discover cozy niches, window sills and balconies on and in which they can take a seat.
The heart of the site is a cabaret on which artists perform, there is live music, but also poetry slams and readings are on the program. The main terrace on the first floor was built entirely from wood in a treetop. You sit there, drink your Helles (3.30 euros) or your Aperol Spritz (5.90 euros) and enjoy the evening under chains of lights. Prosecco rhubarb (5.90 euros) or gin and tonic (7.30 euros) are also on the menu, along with other drinks.
The staff at Gans Elsewhere are friendly and do their best to look after their guests. As soon as it gets a little chilly, there are blankets for the guests. If you can’t find a seat straight away (there’s a lot going on from the early evening onwards, after all, beautiful places get around quickly), you will be guided over the area until you find a place.
If you are hungry, you can order a wood-fired pizza (from 7.70 euros) or a portion of French fries with rosemary (3.80 euros). The pizza is fresh and flavorful. So it’s not just the atmosphere that is convincing. The only drawback: the food is served on paper plates that end up in the trash after use.
A visit to the Gans Somewhere is not a “classic” evening in a bar, as one has experienced it a thousand times. It’s like diving into another world – with a cool drink in hand. That is sometimes really good in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Just like the trip to the adventure playground in the past.