With Edi the Wolf, Wolfgang Ban helped reinvent the experience of a Heuriger, a rustic wine-tavern serving straightforward, simple cuisine. With Paulaner, Ban (also of Michelin-starred Seäsonal) takes reinvention a step further, situating his latest contemporary Bavarian restaurant directly inside an active microbrewery.

Paulaner is a modern take on the traditional beer hall with great food. It’s a hip and lively meeting place where large groups of friends can settle in at long communal tables, where reclaimed wood provides a warm contrast to the industrial chic of imposing copper and steel fermentation tanks; a place where everything from the beer to the bread, the sausage to the schnitzel, the pretzels to the stollen, is made in-house with locally sourced ingredients. Downstairs, there’s a private room for more exclusive or intimate parties.

At the center of the action, Master Brewer Andreas Heidenreich creates his own versions of the traditional Paulaner-style beers with recipes of his own invention, while following the Purity Law of 1516; he uses only four ingredients-water, wheat, hops and yeast. No spices, fruits or other enhancements are used to create Hefeweizen, lightly hoppy with subtle bitterness balanced with fruity character, Munich Lager, a classic bright amber beer, and Munich Dark, rich dark amber with a malty flavor. Heidenreich has also created Munich Pale Ale exclusively for New York City, a top-fermented IPA-style beer with three varieties of hops, including Amarillo from Washington State, and a changing roster of seasonal beers. This season it’s the Winter Bock, a strong dark beer with smoky, roasted aromas and malty caramel flavor. There is no fresher beer than the unfiltered, unpasteurized “Tank to Table” brew, which is also available for takeaway ingrowlers and mini-kegs.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Executive Chef Daniel Kill creates simple, yet sophisticated fare that tastes even better when matched with Paulaner’s beers and wines. Both his background and his training contribute to his culinary style. A native of Bavaria who grew up on beer and brats, he rose to the top of his profession at Munich’s Michelin-starredTantris and as Executive Chef of Wallsé, Café Kristall, Café Sabarsky and Blaue Gans.

A traditional starter that will be new to many is Obazda, a blend of creamy Camembert, butter, beer and spicy red pepper served with a freshly baked pretzel, still warm from the oven. Try it with a Hefeweizen, the most popular Paulaner beer. Then, move on to Chef Daniel’s authentic house-made sausages: Weisswürste, delicate tasting veal and pork sausage; snappy Bratwurst, a blend of pork and beef; lightly gameyLamb Sausages; and the Paulaner, a smoky, dry-aged beef sausage made with beer and local cheddar cheese. Or order the Sausage Sampler (ideal for two or more) along with a flight of beers and discover your favorite combination. The Wiener Schnitzel hereis an iconic expression of the classic: pounded slices of tender veal, breaded and fried until golden brown and perfectly crisp balanced with sweet-tart lingonberries. The irresistibly crisp-skinned, juicy Pork Knuckle with roasted potatoes or the WholeRoasted Duck with pretzel dumplings are sized for sharing.

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