Substanz Club has run on Ruppertstrasse in Ludwigsvorstadt since 1990 as Munich's indie and punk grandfather, mixing live concerts with poetry slams, comedy nights, an English-language quiz and Tuesday-to-Saturday DJ sets.
Tip: Tuesday-Saturday doors at 18:30 until last call. The English Comedy Club and pub quiz nights are weeknight regulars; cash is easier than card.
Address: Ruppertstrasse 28, 80337 Munich
Kilians Irish Pub sits in the shadow of the Frauenkirche on Frauenplatz with live music five nights a week, a six-metre bar and a mix of solo Irish folk acts on weekdays and bigger blues and rock bands on weekends.
Tip: No cover for the live music. Solo acts Mon and Wed, bigger bands Thu through Sat; arrive by 21:00 on weekends for a seat.
Kennedy's at Sendlinger Tor runs a 6-metre Victorian bar and a wide terrace, with live music or karaoke every evening, broadcasts of international sport and a kitchen that turns out Irish-pub plates until late.
Tip: Live music starts around 22:00 most nights; karaoke takes the remaining slots. Terrace is open in warm weather.
Ory Bar opened in 2018 on the ground floor of the Mandarin Oriental on Neuturmstrasse, with a long marble counter, deep spirits selection and a summer rooftop opening for cocktails over the rooftops of the Altstadt.
Tip: The hotel rooftop opens through the warm months; the indoor bar runs year round. Book ahead for the Friday and Saturday late slots.
M'Uniqo sits on the 13th floor of the Hyatt Schwabinger Tor at the north end of Leopoldstrasse, with a 360-degree wraparound deck, Alpine sightlines on clear days and a Mediterranean small-plates programme.
Tip: Sunset is the seat to chase; arrive by 19:00 in summer. Check the Hyatt page for current opening days before travel.
The Deutsche Eiche on Reichenbachstrasse has stood since 1864 as a Munich gay-village landmark, and its rooftop terrace looks over the Glockenbachviertel rooftops with drinks alongside the Bavarian restaurant downstairs.
Tip: Open with service; the restaurant runs alongside. Freddie Mercury and Donna Summer are part of the house lore.
Schumann's Bar moved from Maximilianstrasse to Odeonsplatz in 2003 and keeps Charles Schumann's unfussy cocktail discipline intact, with a long counter facing the Hofgarten and a clientele that runs from suits to artists.
Tip: Closed Saturdays. Cocktail names skip the gimmicks; ask the bartender for an off-menu build to your taste.