EBG Rating: 8/10

Choice/Quality of Drinks:
❤️❤️❤️
Standard fare for St Pauli but a broad back bar and Hacker-Pschorr beer from Bavaria bolstering it somewhat.

Style/Décor:
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Characterful exterior with its iconic bawdy splayed legs above the sign. Set in a yard off the Reeperbahn, there is already a sense of rich history to it before you walk in. On entrance a long bar leading to a rear entrance with red upholstered seating in booths across the bar, with most space to the rear. Downstairs a fully operating boxing ring you can explore.

Atmosphere/Character:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Excitable, a little touristy but not exclusively, a slight edge as you’d expect from somewhere close to the Reeperbahn at times which rubs off with the service, but overall a dynamic and atmospheric place to be.

Amenities/Events:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Snacks, outdoor seating, smoking permitted, boxing ring downstairs, Jukebox.

Value For Money:
❤️❤️❤️
Not the best or worst on the Reeperbahn, a view of the menu will be a good idea before choosing.

Description:
Among the Reeperbahn’s legendary and distinctive venues, you’ll spot the iconic splayed legs of Zur Ritze as you pass along the street. Head down that yard.

This place had very humble beginnings, the yard being used as a urinal of the Palais D’Amour. In 1974 a boxing ring was constructed in the basement, one that is present and still in use today. Yes, you read that right.

On the ground floor, the pub ticks all the classic dive bar boxes. There’s the history of decades of great nights plastered on the walls, you’ll feel an atmosphere of excitement, not without an edge, but one that makes it an engaging place to be.

There’s a broad back bar while beer options are bolstered by the unexpected appearance of Hacker-Pschorr. Prices are on the touristy side, but if you peruse their menu you will likely find something at a reasonable rate.

Their website confirms its heyday was the mid-1970s, a wilder and in many respects more permissive time, but you’ll still experience more than a dollop of that when you visit here.

Don’t forget to explore the premises including the boxing ring in the basement! (Added September 2025)