Alpine Village

Growing up with a pre-​dominantly German background (mom was born and raised in Germany) I have always associated closely with German culture and ended up marrying a woman who is a German teacher and our kids speak both German and English fluently. It’s hard to keep the culture going in an area like Los Angeles as there isn’t a ton of German culture in these parts. There are the new biergartens popping up and wursthauses, but some of them are pretty Americanized.
Alpine Village goes back to the old world German flare. I bet when it was first built, it was a far more attractive set of stores that really helped Germans keep some of the European spirit, but over time, it looks like the façade is mostly maintained, but the stores could use a bit of an overhaul. Not merchandise wise, they sell all the right stuff. Especially the grocery store/​deli. The restaurant is still fairly well maintained inside and out though run somewhat disorganized. The other shops need a bit of updating and maybe spreading some of them out to multiple storefronts. There’s one that is nicely kept, but is so full, you can barely walk through it while other areas of the village are vacant. The bookstore that smells like cigarette smoke is avoided each time I come, and the antique store… it’s kinda creepy.
What is great about Alpine Village is that many of the storeowners speak German, the pharmacy sells products you will find in Germany, you can find great Christmas décor at the village as well as traditional German clothing. The village is set up like a town square and aside from the Oktoberfest which likely generates enough revenue to keep the whole establishment from going under, they do hold events throughout the year. There’s a small Christmas market they do in December along with snow for the kids which we’ve gone to for the past 2 years with our kids. It was better when they did it outside by the playground instead of in the storefront they did it in this past year. They also had Elsa and Anna there which my kids still talk about (warning: likely not Disney sponsored…)
There are a lot of Germans around the L.A. area, but getting to this location can be a challenge, especially for us, so we make at least one annual trip a year during the Christmas season and purchase some goodies which has grown into a highly anticipated event each year with our kids.

This is as close to Germany as you can get without flying Lufthansa. Alpine Village is a collection of several German shops. I love the pharmacy there where I can get lots of bath products and homeopathic supplements. I bought a big pack of dried chamomile flowers for a tisane that cost $ 4. This is where you want to get the kids’ Easter baskets. No one does Easter like the Germans of Kinder egg fame. There is a watch repair shop that sells nice collectable pieces, as well as antique shops and an outdoor swap meet. You can even buy lederhosen and get married at a darling little chapel. The beer hall is being renovated, but the cafeteria has Old World charm. I had a delicious bratwurst with sauerkraut and amazing potato salad like from your grandma’s Lutheran church picnic and a bottle of Bittburger. There is an adjacent supermarket with a butcher and cheese monger, a whole aisle of tinned fish and pickled vegetables and nice liquor selection. You can get some rare eaux de vie, gin and vodka. Definitely hit this place up, if you’re in Torrance!

Almost every year, my friends and I would go to Alpine Village’s Oktoberfest because we used to be really into beer, debauchery, and all sort of shenanigans!
For pretty much the entire month of October, it is one huge celebration. The admission to enter is $ 5, and beer (depending on the cup/​mug size) can range anywhere between $ 6 to $ 10. They have several events or festivals throughout the year, but of course, the reason it draws the crowd is simply for Oktoberfest.
I recommend you go if you are in town during the Oktoberfest dates. Check their calendar to see what events they are having. The beer of choice is their Alpine Hofbrau Lager, which is made on site. Have some fun and do the chicken dance!

I had been here a few years back. I just recently came back for a event. I had the best time ever. Parking was good. Food and drinks were good but a bit expensive. Service was crazy busy and very slow as far as food was concerned. The bars were crowded, again thats expected from large events. I had a good view of the stage which was good. I do like this place and I would reccomend this place to family and friends even if your not attentiing a event there is a store and wine and resturant area …

This place has it’s own restaurant, has a marketplace, a swap meet and little international boutiques. Many events take place here. Came here for a concert on a Saturday back in June.
Outside during the day there is much to look at. At night the international shops and swap meet are closed. There are 2 main bars and paid reserved seating/​tables for $ 30 + a table (so that’s what we heard). The dance floor is pretty small and so is the stage. But sound is pretty good.
The temperature can rise fast once you have all those bodies gathered in there, swaying to the rhythms of whoever is playing. So you’re either standing around enjoying the bands or you have a booth or table. No other additional «free seats», at least none that I knew of. There is an outside smoking area. Maybe next time, I’ll shell out $ 30 bucks for a table in addition to my ticket price (or maybe not). And for the smokers, there is an outside smoking area.
Watching a concert here can be fun and enjoyable. I’d come back by in the daytime just to peruse the market, swap meet and a couple of shops.

OMG! It is a good thing this place isn’t any closer. I walked out with more than I expected. Lots of great meats and cheeses at the deli. Good selection of beer and wine and some special spirits. Fun selection of sweets and other hard to find products.
Don’t forget to check out the bakery. Trust me you won’t leave empty handed. Looking forward to my return.

Love this place I go to the village market the deli it’s so good I Oder the cake my sister cake the bakery it’s so good n I just Oder my son cake with his pitcher on can’t wait to pick it up I know it’s so good

Love my German beer and German food. Why go anywhere else???
Todd the Bar Tender is awesome, makes decent drinks and knows his stuff!

A german village and swap market across the street. They offer a variety of things to shop. Including all kinds of german beer and then you can get it and drink it outside. Parking is a plenty and majority of the people are old. There’s a little café also to eat at. It’s pretty cheap.

Sad that this little German enclave is so dead. I wish it was vibrant and bustling year round, not just during octoberfest. I guess the German population has dwindled and scattered.
If your feeling nostalgic about Germany this is a good little spot to visit, if it doesn’t make u a bit sad with it’s emptiness.
There are Lots of cute Germancentric shops. There is a store carrying German beer and food products, a restaurant, another store that features drug store products, and another for grandfather clocks and antiques.

Alpine Village is as cute as a button but there are no really useful stores there. Maybe the 1 shop that sells some German trinkets and magazines but nowadays you can just read the magazines online. There is a driving school which I thought was interesting but everything else seemed barren and I didn’t see any customers anywhere. It’s almost like the place is a ghost town frozen in time. I’d recommend to go only if you are in the mood to admire 5 – 10 minutes of kitsch or are the type of person that loves to take pictures to post on Facebook/​Instagram of yourself looking like you are doing something much funner and cooler than you actually are. Come back in the fall for Oktoberfest.

Not sure why people are reviewing the restaurant here, this page is supposed to be for Alpine Village, the restaurant has a separate page I believe…
Anyway, I’ve been coming to Alpine Village since I was a kid. I love this place! It’s changed over the years, taking out some of the things I once loved (the miniatures shop for example), but it’s still a great place so come. I love the little German shops, the market, and of course the restaurant.
Great Oktoberfest as well! Fun place to come for a family, especially the restaurant for Sunday Brunch, followed by a walk around the shops. We usually come here for Mother’s Day and love it.

[Review #38]
Since we were here for the Swap Meet, I wanted to see what was in the Village & what it looks like during the day. It has definitely seen better days… & I don’t recall it looking so run-​down even though it’s been a few years since I’ve been here. It has a vibe of cute little shops (based on its layout/​set-​up) but have been abandoned for whatever reason… no longer synonymous with a small German village that they used to be known for. It just feels s-​a-​d. :-(My l’il one liked the fountain in the courtyard surrounded by flowering bushes, but asked why it was so quiet here. I told her most of the patrons were shopping at the Swap Meet.
From its initial impression, most would probably turn around & leave but we decided to check the village map to see what’s available. I wanted to visit Collectible Books but didn’t want H to finger through books that could be delicate to handle (it’s supposedly a secondhand bookstore with 1^st editions, of what, I’m not sure). We hit a couple of [gift/​trinket] shops, & our last stop at the Alpine Toy & Gifts was nice find! It seems filled with tchotchkes but if you delve a little deeper, you’ll find gorgeous dirndls (it’s out of my current budget but something interesting for the closet if you happen to go to a Renaissance Fair or the like) & delicate Christmas ornaments hidden in the back of the store.
A makeover (a little paint, parking lot repairs, update on the displays, etc.) would do wonders for this «interesting» village… I recommend the Market, it’s a definite go!

The village needs help, and lots of it. The market is still wonderful (see my review,
), the restaurant is decent (Sunday brunch, especially), the biergarten during Octoberfest is not deluxe or Munich, but it’s still fun and crazy, but the rest of it has become, blah.
The parking lot is HUGE, yet old and cracked… and mostly used for the weekly farmers market and swapmeets. While this may be great for some, it no longer is synomous with a great German village of cute shops. It’s not well maintained and clean, and while some shops still are open, the quality of the goods are way lower in quality than in days old. Years ago, it was a wonderful place. It used to be lovely, stores filled with high-​end, imported items.
A serious makeover is needed. Actually, I can’t believe it lasts like this without being gobbled up with condos. If so, it’s a shame.

Came here for Octoberfest (beer fest)
Had tons of fun. Not many beer varieties actually only 3.
Food is over priced. Porta-​potties are disgusting of course.
Merch is over priced.

Growing up in the South Bay, I only went to Alpine Village a handful of times… and most of those times were to visit the batting cages (that no longer exist) that my then-​boyfriend frequented.
As an adult, I have been to Alpine Village enough to know that it’s a fun detour from the usual weekend activities; however, I was flabbergasted and full-​on blown away by some of the things that I saw in the shops.
— Alpine Clock Sales & Repair: Cute little grandfather/​antique clock shop complete with cuckoo clocks and clock repair.
— Alpine Village Cosmetics: Interesting, hard-​to-​find European cosmetics/​toiletries. However, on the day I visited, I witnessed the owner/​shopkeeper verbally assault a geriatric woman who had accidentally hit her car. NOT COOL.
— Alpine Toy & Gifts: Full of German/​European tzatschkes. Good for browsing but not sure if there’s anything really worth buying.
— Alpine Wedding Chapel: Cute, TINY chapel. I got to witness a bit of the Sunday service, which I believe was held in Latin. Mostly old people.
— Collectible Books: Cute little secondhand bookstore. Lots of First Editions.
— Romantic Treasures: HOARDER’S PARADISE. Seriously, I’m not even sure that you can enter this store. The guy basically does all the business from the outside, and the windows show shit piled high to the ceiling.
— Salamander Shoes: If you’re into geriatric footwear, this is the place for you. Swedish/​Scandinavian clogs are also WAY overpriced.
— Collector’s Gallery Antiques: You guys, I can’t even believe this place exists. I shit you not, they have TONS of swastikas in here, and it’s really hard to leave without crying. Buttons, pins, labels, patches, Hitler pamphlets paraphernalia… NOT COOL. I asked the owner if the swastika sold well, and he said it was his best-​selling item… and not because of what it stands for but because of the historical context. YEAH F’ING RIGHT. I understand if you’re a collector… but you need to hide that shit like the ugly, red-​headed stepchild in the basement. I was HORRIFIED. For this reason alone, Alpine Village gets 2 stars.
— Alpine Market: Tons of interesting European foods (not just German!). Deli, bakery, and groceries galore. I love the European candies and alcohol. They even have a Swedish princesstårta! *beams*
— Alpine Village Restaurant: I have only been here for Sunday champagne brunch ($ 19.99 per person), and I think it’s worth it. It’s seriously so strange inside… like geriatrics mixed with club music… but endless amounts of breakfast items (waffle bar, sausages, mounds of bacon, potatoes, cakes, etc.) with unlimited orange juice, coffee, and champagne. *thumbs up*
Overall? A good place to kill time. It’s not very big, and you can go through the shops relatively quickly. When you’re done, you can hit the swap-​meet, although I hear it’s quite ghetto.

Village itself was quiet and not all that interesting. Grocery store was great and I was able to sample many meats & cheeses. Café next door had a very short menu, but what we tried was good.
Picked up a slice of German Chocolate cake that was very good.

The Alpine Village shopping center is beautiful looking. It is made to look like… an ALPINE VILLAGE! :) I was looking for German items and clothing to prepare for Oktoberfest and Hubert’s Socktoberfest. I found everything I needed! ZAZZ!

First off, I’ll say I’ve never been a fan of Alpine Village ever since I was a little kid. I hadn’t been there in almost two decades and I was in Torrance with time to kill. I thought, maybe I’ll drop by and see why I hated the place so much. Man, was this place one of the most depressing ‘tourist’ stops I have been to in a long time. The stores that actually sold merchandise looked like thrift stores. There were no customers around and the store owners were either standing in the door way talking to the other merchants or sitting in front sleeping. Things really looked run down. The only redeeming factor was the market. It was kinda cool to walk around in it and see imported food items and trying to figure out what it was.
I guess the only reason this place exists is for Oktoberfest, which seems pretty popular on here. There’s also a flea market that I think occurs every weekend. I’m sure most of their income comes from renting space for that. Other that, I don’t know how they survive.
Most things you remember as a kid are never as good as you remember it. Some things are as bad as you remember and this is one of them.