Editor’s note: Well, I lived many years in Munich and have spend some time at the places mentioned here. However, there are so many more top Bavarian restaurants (centrally located or off-the-beaten path) that it easily would fill a book. The following is a list of places that popped into my mind as the best known and also not known places in Munich.
Another note: a beer garden is the English translation for the German term ‘Biergarten’, an outdoor place where small and large (1 liter) beers are served. Most of them also offer food. An authentic Biergarten is a place where self-service rules and only (if so) small areas with few tables offer service. The former is the way to enjoy a Biergarten in the most authentic way.
Beer Gardens (most of them have a indoor restaurant / beer hall as well)
- Augustiner Keller & Beer Garden
Arnulfstraße 52, 80335 Munich (close to Hauptbahnhof / main train station)
A great and traditional place where to find lots of locals. Augustiner beer has a reputation as a rich and strong beer. - Aumeister Beer Garden
Sondermeierstraße 1, 80939 Munich (northern part of the English Garden Park)
Mostly frequented by locals and only a handful visitors make it here. It is a great location right in the English Garden Park. - Chinesischer Turm / Chinese Tower Beer Garden @English Garden
Englischer Garten 3, 80536 München (in the middle of the English Garden Park). Best to reach by walking a short distance from Schwabing Subway Münchner Freiheit or Subway Giselastrasse. Head west and follow the crowd)
May be the best known beer garden among tourists. However, due to its central location right in the middle of the Englischer Garten (English Garden Park) in the Schwabing neighborhood, which is one of the best entertainment (bars, restaurants, cafes) districts of Munich, it is full with locals. The Munich University is closeby and taht also contributes to the beer gardens popularity among students. On a warm and sunny day better be here very early because it will become difficult to find a seat in the afternoon when people finished work and stream into the beer garden.
This is the place to go to watch people, get relaxed with some beers. Combine your beer garden visit with sunbathing in the Englischer Garten or dive into Schwabing’s nightlife afterwards.
Chinese Tower beer garden has may be more drunk people than other beer gardens and sometimes not very sophisticated people but this is a subjective opinion that might be seen differently by others.
Our editors liked the atmosphere anyway because this beer garden is so huge and diverse and you will not find this anywhere else. That makes it so special. - Flaucher Beer Garden
Zum Flaucher, Isarauen 8, 81379 München
Mostly known to locals. It is located close to the Isar River shores and people often combine their afternoon sunbathing with a beer garden visit afterwards. - Zum Franziskaner
Perusastraße 5, 80333 Munich (downtown)
One of the top downtown beer halls and restaurants. Outside seating possible. The beer cellar has the exact rustic flair many people are looking for. Upstairs is the rrestaurant area. The Franziskaner has a slightly more sophisticated atmosphere than some other beer halls, may be due to its location in the more upscale shopping district around the Opera. - Hirschgarten Beer Garden
Hirschgarten 1, 80639 München
Another very authentic beer garden and mostly populated by locals. It’s one of our favorites – large trees spend shade and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Combine your visit with a walk through Nymphenburg Palace which is closeby. - Löwenbräu Keller & Beer Garden
Nymphenburger Straße 2, 80335 Munich. (Am Stiglmaierplatz)
This is a real classic beer hall / beer garden. Also an epi center throughout the Strong Beer Season in February/March. The beer garden offers a great atmosphere and huge trees are spending shade. - Paulaner am Nockherberg
Address: Hochstraße 77, 81541 Munich
An institution in Munich. A great bavarian restaurant and beer hall and during summer an excellent choice to sit outside in the beer garden. During Strong Beer Season in February/March it is THE place to go. - Seehaus / Beer Garden @English Garden
Kleinhesselohe 3, 80802 München
Considered a more stylish beer garden, not as rustic as most of the others. Therefore the folks here are a little different as well. Hard to describe, check it out, it is a cool place direct at a small lake. - Taxisgarten Beer Garden
Taxisstraße 12, 80637 Munich
Not even everybody in Munich knows this small beer garden – it is mostly known to the residents of the neighborhoods, however, what a cool and relaxed place.
If you are tired of big beer gardens then this is the place to go. - Waldwirtschaft Beer Garden
Georg-Kalb-Straße 3, 82049 Pullach im Isartal (Grosshesselohe)
Even if not so centrally located it is on eof the trendy spots of Munich’s beer garden scene. It’s worth to come here. - Menterscheige Beer Garden
Menterschwaigstraße 4, 81545 Munich
Huge trees protect you from the sun. The beer garden is located directly at the Isar River and along a bicycle trail which follows the Isar. - Hofbräukeller am Wienerplatz
Innere Wiener Straße 19, 81667 München
One of the top Wirtshäuser and Biergarten in Munich – athentic food, a beer garden, a beer cellar, and a restaurant.
Beer Halls
- Hofbräuhaus Munich
Platzl 9, 80331 Munich
Although the perhaps best known beer hall in the world it is still a good mix between locals and tourists. A Must-See place, no doubt. You’ll either love it or hate it. If the latter is the case then you have plenty of other ‘Wirtshäuser’ (beer restaurants / halls) in the close approximity of this location. - Zum Augustiner
Neuhauser Str. 27, 80331 München
A well known Munich institution. A great bavarian restaurant, a small, kind of hidden beer garden in the yard, an outdoor seating area to the front, and a beer hall area. Everything you want. And it is located right in the shopping area Neuhauser / Kaufinger Strasse. So, if you get tired on your feet, just make a stop here and have a beer and some food. Kaufinger Strasse / Neuhauser Strasse, Marienplatz and Tal offer plenty more such typical bavarian restaurants. - Weisses Bräuhaus
Tal 7, 80331 Munich
Located right behind the old Town Hall this restaurant is famous for its Weissbier and food. Again, a great place to stop by while shopping in downtown. - Donisl
Weinstraße 1, 80333 Munich
So old and traditional it is hard to tell when it was established. Sure, just look up their website if you are interested in history. Located right at Marienplatz, downtown, it is a sometime called ‘touristy’ establishment. If you ask people from Munich they would not necessarily send you there, but check it out and may be you’ll like it.
There are plenty others in downtown, e.g. walk down Kaufinger Strasse (Kaufinger Street) which is th emain shopping mile in Munich and you come along several typical bavarian Wirtshäuser (bavarian restaurant and beer hall). During summer all offer outdoor seating and don’t be shy to have your first beer before noon. You will notice that this is quite normal in Munich. Everybody does it.
Traditional and famous ‘Wirtshäuser’
Those are places where you get traditional Bavarian food and beer — all the following places are kind of institutions in Munich and visited by locals and tourists. Some are not so much known to tourists and others are found in every guide. Here’s our list…
- Augustiner Bräu, Neuhauser Straße 27 (this is a very authentic place, directly in downtown)
- Haxnbauer, Sparkassenstr./Am Platzl (this place has probably the best pork knuckles)
- Spatenhaus, An der Oper, Residenzstraße 12
- Zum Dürnbräu, Dürnbräugasse 2, (lots of locals, kind of difficult to discover, because it’s located at a very tiny alley)
- Zum Spöckmeier, Rosenstr. 9 (great reputation)
- Hofbräuhaus, Platzl 9, Tel. 2901360 (the most famous beer hall, lots of tourists, but gorgeous)
- Weisses Brauhaus, Tal 7 (Expensive but great Weizen-Beer)
- Andechser am Dom, Wein Str. 7a (Andechs Beer (dark) is one of the Finest! Good food is found here as well)
- Franziskaner Fuchsenstuben, Residenz Str. 9 und Perusa Str. 5 (always a very good choice; Franziskaner brewery has one of the best Weizen Beers in Germany)
- Donisl, Weinstr.1 (touristy…)
- Hackerhaus, Sendlinger Straße 14
- Ratskeller, Marienplatz 8 (not too rustic, business appeal)
Outside of Munich
- Klostergasthof Andechs (near Munich)
Bergstraße 2, 82346 Andechs - Weihenstephan (in Freising near Munich) — see: Weihenstephan — oldest brewery in the world
