Dinky Wieners at Quadriga German Restaurant

The “one foot in the East” jet set that calls East Lake Villas home now have another imported treat to add to their Western groceries and French coffee and cakes. A boxy, simply adorned space fits in ten wooden tables, a bar and prints of contemporary Berlin. Bratwurst, currywurst, Munich white sausage and Vienna franks are the mainstays of the menu, served either with bread, fries or bacon-studded potato salad.

My currywurst with fries (RMB 48) arrived on such a tiny plate I feared I must have mistakenly ordered from the “Dinky Wieners” kids’ menu. (That’s what I’d call it, if such a menu existed.) The addictively crispy fries, the tangy, fruity sauce and the good quality sausage were all welcome. Just double the portion, bitte.

Already half-full, I was loath to order a whole other dish just for myself. I needn’t have worried. The salami sandwich (RMB 36) was served, open, on the sort of petite bread roll you get at a hotel breakfast buffet, eat three of and yet still have room for an omelet. Peppery meat and plenty of butter, but almost laughably tiny. I can’t figure it out. With German cuisine, take away the hearty portions and what are you left with?

Beer, of course. And the Wernesgrüner Pils on draft, light and dark, is the highlight. Sticking to the theme of the meal, I ordered a small (RMB 28), which came with a head of silky froth. Moments later I ordered another.

Standout dishes: Currywurst and fries, homemade pickles
Also try: Schindler’s Anlegestelle, Hopfenstube

Quadriga
Daily 10am-10pm. Inside clubhouse (next to Comptoirs de France), East Lake Villas, 35 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District (6467 7637)
东城区东直门外大街35号东湖别墅俱乐部（法派旁边）