Rathskeller

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Rathskeller \Raths"kel`ler\ (r[aum]ts"k[e^]l*l[~e]r), n. [G.,
     also {ratskeller}, prop., town-hall cellar.]
     Orig., in Germany, the cellar or basement of the city hall,
     usually rented for use as a restaurant where beer is sold;
     hence, a beer saloon of the German type below the street
     level, where, usually, drinks are served only at tables and


     simple food may also be had; -- sometimes loosely used, in
     English, of what are essentially basement restaurants where
     liquors are served.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  rathskeller
       n : a tavern below street level featuring beer; originally a
           German restaurant in the basement of city hall

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  31 Moby Thesaurus words for "rathskeller":
     alehouse, bar, barrel house, barroom, beer garden, beer parlor,
     bistro, blind tiger, cabaret, cafe, cocktail lounge, dive,
     dramshop, drinking saloon, gin mill, groggery, grogshop,
     honky-tonk, local, nightclub, pothouse, pub, public, public house,
     rumshop, saloon, saloon bar, speakeasy, taproom, tavern,
     wine shop