The owners revived it from a local alcoholic’s dive to a popular hangout for all sorts of people. The Tachles ethos is, ‘this is where life happens’. Sitting there munching on the house speciality of delicious homemade Polish Pierogi, I see couples touching hands across the table, groups of friends loud and laughing, two girls engaged in an animated political conversation – this is actually one of those places you enter and you realise it has a living, beating heart. Tachles attracts life. People meet over their wooden tables, under the dim light for love of each other, or conversation, or for the love of the vast range of Polish beer and the delicious menu (If you don’t choose the Pierogi, try the spaghetti, or the Palatschinken (crêpes)). Silent films of Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy are forever projected on the wall, while music fitting for the warm atmosphere can be heard. Find our full review of Tachles, here.
Winter Goodness: Music concerts and other performances are often hosted downstairs. The menu is made for winter.
Plus: They are one of the few places in the city who practice the suspenso tab system, where you can buy a coffee or a meal for somebody less fortunate, in advance. This is recorded, and if somebody comes in asking for a free meal, you’ve already paid for it for them.
Story behind the name: Tachles is a Yiddish word that means, ‘Klartext’ in German, and in English it means to speak clearly and literally. ‘I like this a lot in a world in which we often hide’, the charismatic manager Daniel tells me.
