This is where workers from the slaughterhouse met after their shift, residents of the district met after their journey home and actors from the Volkstheater met after a performance. They were all welcome in the “Zenetti Pils”, as befits a Boazn. At the beginning of January, the bar on Zenettistrasse opposite the Volkstheater had to close for renovations after around 20 years. The landlord decided to retire; the guests were worried about their extended living room, which had until then been spared from the gentrification of the district.
The “Zenetti” (now without “Pils”) has been open again since mid-July. It is no longer a bar, but instead a – well, what exactly? A bar, you think when you first look at the row of bar tables along the floor-to-ceiling windows. The new counter on the right of the room – not bulky and curved like before, but straight and simple – says bar, the seating on the other hand says restaurant or café. A couch next to the kitchen makes the confusion complete, and the flamingo neon light next to it even more so.
Perhaps a look at the menu will provide some clarity. The food has remained Greek, because Achilleas Tziomakis, one of the two new landlords, is Greek – like his predecessor. Tziomakis has been running the “Ola Ta Kala” café in Kapuzinerstrasse nearby for years. For his business partner and long-time friend Michael Schilling, Zenetti is the first gastronomic project. He is the editor-in-chief of the evening newspaper by day, lives in the area himself and couldn’t have wished for a better location for his first pub, he says.
Anna Papadopoulou, the “good soul of the house”, as Schilling calls her, has also remained loyal to Zenetti as a waitress. She no longer brings Spaten, but Augustiner beer (a half liter of Helles costs €4.40) to the table. There are also a few classic spritzes and cocktails, such as Aperol Spritz (€7.50), Negroni (€10.50) or Espresso Martini (€12.50), but most people drink beer and wine here. The house wines, red (from €4) or rosé (from €5), naturally come from Greece.
The “Liquid Cocaine” shot (4.50 euros) provides a quick caffeine kick. It is traditionally made with vodka or grain alcohol, coffee liqueur, espresso and sugar. In Zenetti it tastes particularly creamy and sweet and is a great quick dessert to drink after the homemade meatballs before heading to the theater or club across the street. The new concept may seem a little thrown together, but it fits in well with the tradition of the location. A varied offering ensures a varied audience. How fitting for a pub between the slaughterhouse and the theater.
Zenetti, Zenettistraße 20, 80337 MunichTelephone: 089/18901124, Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 5 p.m. to open end