Capital of the beer hall, the white sausage, and the chestnut-shaded garden.
Munich eats traditionally, drinks loyally, and treats lunch as the central meal of the day. The city's defining institution is the beer hall, with Hofbraeuhaus at Platzl pouring since 1589 and Augustiner-Stammhaus on Neuhauser Strasse the city's oldest Augustiner room since 1829. Weisswurst, eaten before noon with sweet mustard and a pretzel, is the morning sacrament; Schweinshaxe and Leberkaes anchor the lunchtime tables; Brezn are sold on every corner. The serious dining room has caught up: Jan Hartwig's three-star JAN on Luisenstrasse and Tohru Nakamura's three-star Tohru in der Schreiberei now sit beside two-star Tantris in Schwabing and two-star Alois Dallmayr Fine Dining in the historic centre. The everyday city is steady. A Hofbraeuhaus half-litre runs about five euros, a Hofpfisterei loaf around six, and a Viktualienmarkt Brezn under two.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Munich, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
The plates that define eating in Munich.
Veal and pork sausage poached in water, served with sweet mustard, a Brezn and a Weissbier. Eaten before noon by tradition. Munich's pre-noon ritual since 1857.
Where: Schneider Bräuhaus, Wurststandl Teltschik, Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, Augustiner-Stammhaus
Roast pork knuckle with crackling skin and tender meat, served with potato dumplings, red cabbage and dark gravy. The defining Bavarian beer-hall plate.
Where: Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, Augustiner Klosterwirt, Andechser am Dom, Paulaner am Nockherberg, Hofbräukeller
Finely minced beef and pork loaf, baked in a tin, served sliced hot or cold in a soft roll (Leberkäsweckl). Munich's classic mid-morning street snack.
Where: Vinzenzmurr Marienplatz, Wurststandl Teltschik, Hofbräuhaus am Platzl
Bavarian beer-garden cheese spread: ripe Camembert mashed with butter, paprika, onion and caraway. Served with radishes, pretzels and Brezn.
Where: Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, Augustiner Klosterwirt, Augustiner-Stammhaus, Hofbräukeller
Lye-dipped pretzel with a dark mahogany crust and a soft, salty interior. Munich's universal accompaniment to beer, Weisswurst and Obatzda.
Where: Hofpfisterei, Rischart, Julius Brantner Brothandwerk, Privat-Bäckerei Wimmer
Bread or potato dumplings, served as a side to roast meats or as a main with mushroom or plum filling. The Bavarian carbohydrate of choice.
Where: Wirtshaus in der Au, Andechser am Dom, Augustiner-Stammhaus, Spatenhaus an der Oper
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Munich.
Tantris has anchored Munich fine dining in Schwabing since 1971; Benjamin Chmura now cooks the two-star tasting menu in the original orange-and-brown 1970s room.
Signature: Tasting menu, Seasonal game course
Brothers in Munich's Schwabing took a Michelin star in 2023, three months after opening; Daniel Bodamer cooks a modern carte on classical foundations.
Signature: Tasting menu, Seasonal vegetable course
Mural in Munich's Altstadt holds a Michelin star inside a former transformer station; Bastian Falkenroth runs a sustainable, regional carte over six courses.
Signature: Tasting menu, Sustainable regional course
Ali Güngörmüs's Pageou in Munich's Fünf Höfe arcade cooks Middle Eastern plates on French foundations; the four-course Levante is the easiest entry.
Signature: Levante tasting menu, Chef menu
Mario Gamba's Acquarello in Munich Bogenhausen has held a Michelin star since 2000 on cucina del sole; the Italian list runs over 1,000 labels in the cellar.
Signature: Tasting menu, Risotto course
Broeding in Munich Neuhausen runs a Michelin Plate kitchen on a quiet residential street; the menu rotates daily and the cellar is a working wine shop.
Signature: Demeter tasting, Alpine cheese course
The historic centre around Marienplatz and Viktualienmarkt: Hofbraeuhaus at Platzl, Augustiner-Stammhaus on Neuhauser Strasse, Alois Dallmayr on Dienerstrasse and Tohru in der Schreiberei's three-star kitchen on Burgstrasse.
Best for: Beer halls, Fine dining, Markets, Bavarian
The university quarter around Koenigsplatz: Jan Hartwig's three-star JAN on Luisenstrasse, Sparkling Bistro in a townhouse, plus a long run of student cafes and bakeries.
Best for: Fine dining, Cafes, Bistros
The old bohemian quarter north of the centre, now a steady food borough: Tantris on Johann-Fichte-Strasse, Brothers and the English Garden beer gardens at the Chinesischer Turm.
Best for: Fine dining, Beer gardens, Cafes
The French quarter east of the Isar: Wirtshaus in der Au for Knoedel, the Wiener Markt for Saturday produce, a cluster of natural-wine rooms and Vietnamese counters.
Best for: Bavarian, Wine bars, Vietnamese, Markets
Munich's queer and creative borough south of Sendlinger Tor, with Zephyr Bar on Baaderstrasse, Bergwolf for late-night currywurst, and the cafes around Gaertnerplatz.
Best for: Cocktail bars, Late night, Cafes, Brunch
The Turkish quarter west of the Hauptbahnhof: a long stretch of doener counters and Anatolian bakeries on Landsberger Strasse, plus Augustiner-Brewery and its 100-year-old Keller on Arnulfstrasse.
Best for: Turkish, Doener, Beer gardens
Peak food season: Mid-September to early October (Oktoberfest), plus April to June for Spargel, Bavarian asparagus, and June for the strawberries. Beer gardens run May to October; many close for winter. Christmas markets fill late November to 24 December.
Local dining hours: Weisswurst is eaten before noon, never after. Lunch 12:00 to 14:00, dinner 18:00 to 22:00. Beer gardens run from 10:00 to 23:00 in summer; kitchens at most beer halls stop at 22:00. Sunday is a normal restaurant day in Munich, but most shops close.
Tipping: Service is not included; round up by 5 to 10 percent for table service and tell the server the total before they ring it on the card terminal. At Imbiss counters a euro or two is welcome but not expected.
Peak food season in Munich is Mid-September to early October (Oktoberfest), plus April to June for Spargel, Bavarian asparagus, and June for the strawberries. Beer gardens run May to October; many close for winter. Christmas markets fill late November to 24 December.
Local dining hours: Weisswurst is eaten before noon, never after. Lunch 12:00 to 14:00, dinner 18:00 to 22:00. Beer gardens run from 10:00 to 23:00 in summer; kitchens at most beer halls stop at 22:00. Sunday is a normal restaurant day in Munich, but most shops close.
Service is not included; round up by 5 to 10 percent for table service and tell the server the total before they ring it on the card terminal. At Imbiss counters a euro or two is welcome but not expected.
If you only have one meal, eat Weisswurst. It is the dish most associated with Munich.