Der Rathskeller

This is one fine and incredible hidden gem in Pasadena. It is located immediately next to Der Wolfskopf with a sign pointing to go downstairs. Inside, they play excellent music with a big emphasis on hip hop. Any place that plays Kendrick Lamar is pretty awesome in my book.
There’s very interesting art on the walls reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland style artwork, all of which are greatly enhanced by the dark lighting with candles. The bar area has ample open seating with a few large booths, small booths, and tables. The atmosphere and overall lightning is very dim, toned down, and dark but chill and relaxing at the same time. It gives off a very mysterious and cool vibe that we enjoyed.
We went on a Saturday night around 11:30, but it didn’t get packed and busy until just after midnight. There is a TV that shows movies on Netflix (we watched two old classics, The Sandlot and the Replacements with Keanu Reeves).
They had two very friendly and attentive bartenders who know how to make great drinks. We started off with $ 4 mystery shots (but $ 6 if you ask what’s in it) that smelled and tasted like a mix between Fireball and cough syrup. Next, we got a Radlerita (tequila, grapefruit radler beer, triple sec) which was very sweet and fruity. Then, we got an Irish Mule which was strong on the ginger beer and just how I wanted it to be. Finally, we finished off with another ginger beer cocktail that was once again strong with the ginger tastr and exactly how I want it to be. There was also beer and wine on the menu that we did not a chance to try out.
Overall, I would totally recommend this place for anyone to try out. I think it would be a perfect spot for a date or to hang out with a group of friends.

The murals in the wall are worth checking out alone. This place is a real low key basement German bar in a city with very few of those. If you like Red Lion without the heavy crowds check it out.

Super cool vibe with an awesome drink selection and very nice employees! Love stopping by here, and love the paintings on the wall

It’s a pretty cool basement bar below their sister restaurant Der Wolfskopf.
My friends had their wedding after party here just to grab couple drinks since their wedding venue closed early. They have a bunch of beer on tap, few signature cocktails, and a full bar. Personally not a beer drinker but they have this Grapefruit Beer that’s super delicious!
The waitress that night was super cool. She gave us her recommendations and got us our drinks. Awesome! I liked the lay out of the place because they had a bunch of comfy booths besides seats at the bar. The ambience is alittle dark and personally the painting on the walls were a bit creepy but overall it was cool. I just wish they had food/​appetizers…
I’m already craving their Grapefruit Beer… and it’s not even noon yet. LOL :)

I’m giving this amazing bar 5 stars because of the continuous, commercial-​free Star Trek series that’s playing on TV.

Great music, art and beer selection. I’ve been to bars all over the US and this is the nicest and coolest bar I’ve been to in a real long time. It’s a hidden gem that no one really goes to.

Great brats, beer and cocktails. Very nice bar with great atmosphere. Paper airplane is awesome.

We were having drinks with friends last night and all of a sudden my wife Lisa had a craving for the Schöfferhofer grapefruit beer. We used the untappd app and saw that Der Rathskeller was a bar that had it. What a great find!
We ran into some random guy named Carlos outside who comes here all the time and he told us to go in to look for the bartender, Angelica. We did and she took great care of us. This bar had an awesome selection and was a great space! We had so much fun that I think my wife left her glasses there. I think it was her excuse for us to go back again tonight. Either way, I plan on coming back here again and telling all our friends about it!

This is one of the best kept secrets around. Located in the basement of Der Wolfskopf, this spot opens at 8pm. It’s a short stroll from the courtyard Marriott in Fair Oaks. It’s the perfect place to have a few.
Another German style bar similar to other rathskellers you would find in Germany. The bar is very dark, has about 10 booths, a long bar, and very cool murals/​paintings on the wall. Each of the paintings had some type of alcohol brand theme. Good music playing and a TV showing sports above the bar.
We were the first customers of the night. Angelica greeted us right away and told us the specials. Mystery shots are $ 4 and $ 6 if you want to know. I like mystery. The shots were great. All the drinks beers served upstairs at der wolfskopf are available here. Angelica was awesome, she told us about the bar and how it started out. She is a perfect match for the place. Kudos to management for letting her represent the business. Overall the place is one of the best I have visited.
There’s only one restroom. I could imagine it getting crowded down here. Anyways, have fun in old town. Happy drinking!
Hey, it’s my 300^th review!

This bar is AWESOME. It’s brand new and has such a great vibe. The bartenders know what they’re doing as well. Great place!

Der Rathskeller saved my life. No joke, I came here over the winter break around 10pm when it was 37 horrible degrees outside and nurtured the cognac old fashioned in about 30 seconds. It wasn’t my preferred old fashioned, a little more on the sweet side but it warmed me, body and soul.
I made short work of the cocktail list and enjoyed the creativity around some of the cocktails. They were all well-​balanced, nothing too syrupy sweet and there was a great beer selection to help with the soul warming thing.
The walls are painted… creatively. There is ample seating and while it’s not a speakeasy it boasts pretty well-​made cocktails. DR also doesn’t cross that line into music blasting nightlife likeso many bars in old town seem to do. It was a great place to catch up with old friends and the bartender and bartendress were great.

It’s the downstairs area, though both upstairs and downstairs are under the same management. I went down the stairs not knowing what to expect and was very thrown off by the wall artwork and vibe of the entire place. I can’t say it felt German, but the bar area, on the other hand, definitely gave off the German, quaint vibe.
I love how they have water out on the bar table available for you to grab for free. They have cucumber in them so if you are not into that, just ask the bartenders for normal water.
I ordered the beiwagen drink because pear brandy sounded good. I asked the waitress if the drink would be strong and she said yes. It came out and it was tiny so I was doubtful… when she came by again I said I still did not taste the alcohol and she said not to worry because it was there. Another couple of minutes later, I finally finished the drink (it did NOT taste good, so it was a pain to finish), but no headchange or any signs that I had just finished a drink. It was a sugary drink full of nothingness. So, even if I liked the open booth seating and music and vibes, the drinks do not do this place justice to return.

Nicely made cocktails with distinctly different styles like the sweet Beiwagen with pear brandy, the dark Doppelgänger with Scotch, the light Black Bird with Remy cognac and edible flower, and the creamy Brandy Alexander (I dated a girl with this name and she didn’t taste this good). Even better, they were all $ 12 or less.
Located in a dimly lit downstairs room, the atmosphere was welcoming for those looking for some privacy. It wasn’t dirty and divey, but dark and a little eerie due to the creepy murals.
A bar and eatery upstairs called Der Wolfskopf (see
) is run by the same people as Der Rathskeller.

Great spot with a bartender who takes craft cocktails seriously. Nice ambiance and around the corner from a lot of restaurants.

This place opened up pretty much as soon as I moved out of Pasadena, which is a true bummer for me. I dig this place, and I’m sure I’d be a regular if I lived nearby. If and when I do find myself in Pasadena at night, I definitely make sure to stop by.
It’s a bit more intimate than your typical Pasadena bar, with dim lighting, cozy booths, and a nice long bar area to socialize at. It’s still relatively new, and, consequently, lacks the overcrowded quality that a lot of other nearby bars suffer from. They offer up some intriguing brandy-​based cocktails, along with other specialty cocktails and drinks.
As mentioned in the other reviews, Brady is a bartender to make note of. He knows his ingredients, and it comes across in his cocktails. And if you don’t see anything on the menu that tickles your fancy, he probably can still make you your favorite cocktail, and he can make it well.
It’s a late night spot (opens at 8:30) and can be somewhat pricey for the area, so I wouldn’t call it a 5-​star bar. That being said, though, it’s certainly a great place to enjoy the night and it offers something a lot of Pasadena bars simply don’t — solid, hand-​crafted cocktails.
Recommendation: bring your friends or a date you’re trying to impress, and indulge in some quality libations.

So I feel like a general rule of thumb when it comes to cocktails is wherever your favorite bartenders go, that’s where you go. Brady Weise (formerly of bar 1886) is one of the bartenders here and he is an AMAZING drink maker! Seriously — if you can’t make up your mind, just tell him what you feel like having, or what you feel like tonight, or what spirit you like, and he will make you something super amazing. For the best cocktails in Pasadena, go here.

I had a really lovely night at this bar. The underground setting is cozy and the décor is tasteful. What really stood out about this place was the cocktails (mostly brandy based I think), which are really well-​made. I had a Georgia Julep. It was refreshing, juicy, floral, and gorgeously decorated. I sipped on it for quite a long time, and really had a good chance to savor it.
Our bartender Brady was really knowledgeable about all the brandies/​whiskies/​gin. He was patient with my friends and I, and wasn’t a bit arrogant with a bunch of newbies like us. We sampled some excellent brandies and a violet liqueur that blew my socks off. When my friend noted that he didn’t enjoy gin, Brady made an Aviation cocktail that changed his mind. I’ll be coming back for one of those myself soon!

Probably the nicest bar I’ve been to in a while. Also considering that it’s brand spankin new it smelled really nice and the furniture was extremely clean. Also I really enjoy underground bars. Dimly lit, great drink selection, and loving the mason/​leather/​wood décor combo.
Very similar to the blind donkey but a bit more intimate, they’re focused more on cocktails rather than strictly whiskey and beer. Bartenders definitely have skill and knowledge in their trade. Definitely coming back!!!

Amazing!
Everything about this downstairs bar is perfect.
The ambience, the cocktails, the staff. Can be a bit pricey, but honestly you get what you pay for and I’m more than willing to pay a little more to enjoy this clean, relaxed, new spot.
Can’t wait to visit again.

Last night was our second time here. We are hooked! I was looking forward to Brady’s artisan cocktails all week. He doesn’t just mix drinks, he creates them. Everything we had was beautifully made and tasted strong and delicious. I can normally hold a few down, but after just 3 cocktails I was out for the count.
This location is downstairs from Der Wolfskopf. It opens at 8:30 pm. It is dark and mysterious downstairs. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the ingredients they use to make the perfect cocktail.
So far I have had a Vodka Old Fashion, White Russian, Cosmo, and many others that I can’t recall the names of. Every single drink rocked. Check out some of my photos. The Cosmo was the BEST I have ever had. I had no idea they could taste that delicious. I also asked for vodka based drinks, there are so many more offerings. Vodka keeps me normal the longest. Lol!
My new favorite place. They have been open for about a month, so I feel so fortunate to get the time and attention from Brady. I know this place will pack out in the near future. So hurry, go experience this treasure before the word is fully out.
Cheers!