Rathskeller

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A basement tavern or restaurant, typically in a German-style building, serving beer and food
2. A subterranean drinking establishment, commonly found beneath city halls or municipal buildings in Germanic tradition, where patrons consume beer and meals
3. An underground beer hall or dining room characteristic of German architecture, situated below street level and featuring hearty fare alongside alcoholic beverages

Etymology: German "Ratskeller" is literally "council cellar": "Rat" means council, as in a town council, and "Keller" means cellar. The name comes from the cellars beneath German town halls (Rathaus), which were often used as taverns and dining rooms. Many of these vaulted cellars became famous for their beer and wine, so the name came to mean a basement restaurant or bar in general. The English spelling "rathskeller" is an older form of the German word, and it has been kept in English. Writers often retain it partly to avoid the association between "Keller" and "Kellerratte," or in English, the cellar rat, since the modern German spelling would otherwise invite jokes about rodents in the cellar.