German term for bar or restaurant located in the basement of a city hall
This article is about Ratskeller in general. For the live music venue in Boston, see
The Rathskeller.
Ratskeller (German: "council's
cellar", pl. Ratskeller, historically Rathskeller) is a name in
German-speaking countries for a
bar or
restaurant located in the basement of a city hall (Rathaus) or nearby. Many
taverns,
nightclubs, bars and similar establishments throughout the world use the term.
The
Ratskeller in
Lübeck is one of the oldest in northern Germany, with parts dating from the
Romanesque era. The earliest documented use for wine storage dates from circa 1220.
The
California Hall (formerly Das Deutches Haus) was built in 1912 in San Francisco and had a Rathskeller restaurant in the basement.[2]
The Rathskeller in Boston was a famous rock and roll club from 1974 to 1997, a locus of Boston's
alternative rock scene, hosting local bands like
The Cars and
Pixies as well as many other bands such as
The Police and
Metallica before they achieved breakthrough fame.
The
Minnesota State Capitol, completed in 1905, contains a Rathskeller that was renovated in 2017. It contains 29 painted German mottoes and currently serves as a cafe.[3]
The Rathskeller & Gardens, in
State College, Pennsylvania, adjacent to the
University Park campus of
Penn State University, was opened by State College resident, "Pop" Flood, three days after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.[4][5] In 1934, Flood sold to C.C. “Doggie” Alexander, who changed the name to The All-American Rathskeller, the name that remained with the bar until it closed on January 28, 2018.[6]
Campus dining
Many
universities and public institutions have
pubs or
student center dining facilities located in repurposed basements. To market these nontraditional eating locations, many are termed "Ratskeller" or some variation thereof.
Binghamton University: The original SUNY rathskeller and often referred to as "The Rat".
University at Buffalo (SUNY) had a facility called The Rathskeller[12] that served food, alcohol, and occasionally had live music. It was housed in Squire Hall, and closed for good when that building was renovated starting in 1982.
University of California, San Diego: Muir College had a facility called The Rathskeller[13] that served food and non-alcoholic drinks. It was housed in Muir Commons, but was later replaced by the El Mercado restaurant.
McMaster University had a student pub called The Rathskeller for over thirty years, in the basement of The Refectory dining hall. It closed in the early 2000s and was replaced with a restaurant.[14]
University of Florida: Built in the 1960s, the Rathskeller was a dining hall, bar and concert venue. Irish rock group
U2 played their second U.S. show at this venue to a crowd of over 700 attendees in 1981. UF President
Stephen O'Connell worked in the dining hall as a youth. The venue closed in 1987 after a grease fire caused extensive damage.[15]