Germany is steeped in bread making tradition, and these places sell one of its most recognisable icons. Here is where to find best pretzels in Singapore.
Also known as a brezn or brezel, a pretzel is a baked wheat pastry shaped into a knot. It is typically bathed in a lye solution similar to how yellow noodles and ramen are made, flavoured with salt, and served with condiments like butter and mustard. Other popular toppings include cheese, nuts, and seeds, while sweetened variants come with cinnamon and chocolate. Whatever the form, a good pretzel should have a shiny brown skin and a soft, springy texture.
Pretzels are most commonly found in Bavaria and Austria, as well as the German-speaking regions of France, Switzerland, and Italy. The snack is thought to have religious origins. Some claim it was a reward for children who recited their prayers correctly. Others said it derived from the Latin word for bracelet and little arms. Eventually, it became popular in the Middle Ages and turned into a symbol of matrimony and prosperity. Pretzels also spread to America, which gave birth to the hard pretzel. There is even a National Pretzel Day celebrated annually on 26 April.
Unsurprisingly, German dining establishments sell the best pretzels in Singapore, including Frieda, Brotzeit, Bread, Beer & Brez’n, and Paulaner Bräuhaus. Joining them is Park Bäckerei, a bakery that makes pretzel sandwiches. Then there is the ubiquitous Auntie Anne’s, which sells pretzels in all kinds of flavours. Check them out below.
(Hero and featured images credit: Park Bäckerei)
Where to find the best pretzels in Singapore today:
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Auntie Anne’s was founded in 1988 by Anne Beiler, who bought a stand in a Pennsylvania farmer’s market and started experimenting with pretzels. The first Singapore outlet was set up in 1996 at Parkway Parade, and the brand now has 13 halal-certified locations around the island. Still hand-rolled and freshly baked, selected branches have Singapore-exclusive flavours including matcha green tea and seaweed, while egg-free and dairy-free options range from garlic to cinnamon sugar.
(Image credit: Auntie Anne’s Singapore / Facebook)
Bread, Beer & Brez’n, better known as BB&B, applies the Bavarian tradition of outdoor beer gardens to both its locations in Tanglin and River Valley. Pretzel, of course, is a highlight of the menu, which is freshly baked daily and served with butter. BB&B also suggests having it with weisswurst, or poached veal and minced pork sausage. Other German specialties include pork knuckle, sauerkraut, and various German beers.
(Image credit: Bread, Beer & Brez’n / Facebook)
Brotzeit’s claim to fame is its three-litre beer kegs and platters of meats, but the restaurant chain remains true to its moniker. Named after the German phrase for “bread time,” the star of Brotzeit’s baked goods is the pretzel, which they offer in its original flavour or with bacon bits and Emmental cheese (gratinated brezn). Besides Bavarian classics, Brotzeit also has regional dishes like spätzle and fladen, a pizza-flatbread hybrid.
(Image credit: Brotzeit Singapore / Facebook)
Named after founder Berthold Kempinski’s daughter, Frieda marries a beer garden with a restaurant serving hearty German fare, including the pretzel. The hausgebackene pretzel is freshly baked every day and served with Dijon mustard, or with weisswurst and sweet mustard. Get there in time for the bar snacks between 3pm to 6pm daily, and the pretzel comes with cold cuts, cheeses, and pickles, as well as camembert spread.
(Image credit: @thegaldines / Instagram)
As Singapore’s first German pretzel bakery, Park Bäckerei takes the bread seriously. It is made in the hand-shaped Swabian-style from southwest Germany – characterised by its skinnier ends and plump centre – and is dipped in a lye solution before being baked. The signature is done in various ways from a hedgehog-shaped pretzel bun stuffed with caramel, to pretzel sandwiches holding sauerkraut and sausage.
(Image credit: Park Bäckerei)
Paulaner Bräuhaus brings a glimpse in how a historic Munich brand does beer and pretzels. The business was founded in 1634, and has been slinging German beers and pretzels in Singapore for more than 25 years. You could get one freshly baked from the oven, but four pieces come draped on a quirky pretzel tree, while the giant pretzel with butter is a meal on its own. There is also obazda with pretzel, a Bavarian cheese delicacy made with brie, butter, and spices, and garnished with red onion and chives.
(Image credit: Paulaner Bräuhaus Singapore / Facebook)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur
