Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel

Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel is a house brewery at Bolkerstraße 43-47 on the Altstadt's main bar street in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The brewery makes Schlüssel Alt on site and serves it in a large, lively brewhouse with several rooms, wooden tables and a busy standing area. The crowd is a blend of local regulars, office groups, stag and hen parties, and international visitors passing along Bolkerstraße, with an age range that runs from the twenties upward. There is no dress code, and casual clothing is typical. The atmosphere is boisterous and social, especially on Thursday to Saturday evenings when the street outside fills with people, and music is incidental, with conversation and the clatter of glasses dominating. The drinks programme centres on the house Altbier, delivered by waiters in the traditional Köbes style, with other beers and soft drinks available. Altbier costs about €2.50-3.50 (~$2.90-4.00) per glass, and there is no cover charge. The kitchen serves traditional German dishes such as sausages, roast pork and other hearty plates, which helps absorb a long evening of drinking. Opening hours vary by source, so the website zum-schluessel.de should be checked before visiting; the phone number listed is +49 211 8289550. Reservations are mainly useful for dinner and larger groups, while casual drinkers can usually walk in. Because Bolkerstraße is the most tourist-heavy stretch of the Altstadt, the brewhouse is easy to include in a pub crawl that also takes in Uerige, Schumacher's Altstadt branch Im Goldenen Kessel and the bars of Ratinger Straße. Weekend nights are the loudest and most crowded, while early evenings on weekdays are better for conversation and a seat.