I said I wouldn’t be caught dead there, and it is the most unlikely place we would have ended up watching the opener of the World Cup 2010 but there we were in seats suited for VIP at the Hard Rock Cafe. Some things are simply meant to be. Our first choice of venue, Bayernhaus, has no televisions whatsoever. And no patrons–not a one–on the opening night of the World Cup. Hopefully management figures out the gaffe because it would be sad to see Bayernhaus go under. Their beers are invariably fresh, they have a temperature-controlled fridge, and the owner does seem to want to bring in different Bavaraian brews that no other bars in town have.

Having nowhere else to go on the way to Pavillion (our absolute last resort) we peek at the outdoor patio of the Hard Rock Cafe. There is a large projection screen on the patio, and several high tables are empty. I presume they are reserved as the inside of the place looks packed. But, we approach the hostess crew and those tables just happen to be free. A few minutes later one of the servers offers us the table in the front. That was very cool, he needn’t do that. The staff was absolutely excellent at the Hard Rock, I give them a lot of credit for making the overpriced beers more palatable. RM 34 (US$10) for the Hoegaarden 500 ml, before tax. Once every four years, I think we can handle it.