From the small lane outside, 1920 gives little indication of what lies beyond.
Apartment buildings sit just across the way, while behind the restaurant’s entrance, tropical greenery opens into a secluded garden dotted with fountains and sculptures.
It feels remarkably at home in Liede.
Left: courtesy of 1920, Right: by Rachel Wu/That’s
The terrace has the intimacy of a private garden, with tables tucked among lush plants and a statue of a lady pouring water from a jug.
Inside, teal banquettes, flowers and chandeliers bring a more elegant character, while murals and oil paintings reveal unexpected cartoonish details on closer inspection.
Image courtesy of 1920
There is a sense of humor beneath the polish.
Long tables accommodate families and larger gatherings; more intimate corners work for a dinner between friends; and the garden offers a natural place to continue over drinks afterward.
Images by Rachel Wu/That’s
For a longtime Guangzhou favorite once readily associated with German beer, sausages and pork knuckle, the new 1920 presents a noticeably different personality.
Its German roots remain, but the restaurant beyond them has become greener, warmer and more cosmopolitan.
A Western Table with a Cantonese Accent
The menu follows much the same thinking as the setting.
Its foundations remain Western, from sausages and fish and chips to grilled salmon, slow-cooked beef ribs and crème brûlée.
Local ingredients and flavors enter more subtly, through a different fish, an unexpected casing or a sauce that changes the direction of a familiar dish.
The restaurant itself describes the new menu as moving beyond conventional German cooking, incorporating Lingnan ingredients while easing some of its traditional richness.
Image by Zhangzhangwuji
The crispy pork knuckle, a 1920 signature for 26 years, still deserves its place at the center of the table.
Cooked before roasting, it develops a crisp, puffed skin while keeping the meat tender, with mashed potatoes, sauerkraut and pickles alongside.
Elsewhere, the kitchen has more room to roam.
German sausages provide the natural starting point.
Cut into generous pieces, they come with the expected sauerkraut, then pick up a more contemporary savory-sweet note from crisp garlic and black garlic sauce.
Image by Rachel Wu/That’s
Fish and chips take the idea further by swapping cod or haddock for Bombay duck, prized locally for its exceptionally soft flesh.
The contrast beneath the crisp coating is striking, while egg-yolk mayonnaise and black garlic sauce leave a subtle sweetness that feels at home on a Cantonese palate.
Image by Rachel Wu/That’s
The most adventurous interpretation comes with the duck-neck seafood sausage.
Duck neck becomes the casing for a filling of duck breast, porcini mushrooms, shrimp and squid, bringing together meat, seafood and earthy mushroom flavors, with a mildly spicy meat jus to finish.
Image by Rachel Wu/That’s
Seared king salmon brings another mood to the table.
Its richness is balanced by grapefruit and a citrusy dressing, with avocado providing a softer counterpoint.
Image by Rachel Wu/That’s
At the more substantial end are CAB-certified Black Angus beef ribs, slow-cooked for three hours in a German-style red wine and vegetable sauce, and charcoal-grilled ribeye.
Madagascar vanilla crème brûlée provides a graceful finish.
Made for Gathering
What ties the new 1920 together is hospitality.
The garden, comfortable dining room, and generous menu all make sense for a restaurant sitting within an established community.
A family can spread out around a long table; friends can order across the menu; a smaller dinner can carry on with another drink outside.
The food works in much the same way.
German comfort classics provide familiarity, while local ingredients and a broader range of Western dishes give everyone around the table considerably more to choose from.
1920 has found a particularly fitting home for that idea in Liede: a welcoming neighborhood garden serving generous Western food with a distinctly Guangzhou perspective.
[Cover image courtesy of 1920]
