In Munich: Your Guide to the City’s Beer Gardens, Beerhalls, and Breweries
~Munich Beyond Oktoberfest~
The very sound of the word Munich is enough to conjure up fond memories for fans of German beer, memories of languid afternoons in beer gardens, of joyous and occasionally raucous beer festivals, of winter evenings in beerhalls drinking warming beers to keep the cold at bay.
You can never get too much of a good thing when it comes to Munich and beer. With Oktoberfest knocking at the door, now’s as good a time as any for a rough-and-ready collection of places to visit.
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I’ve been writing about German beer for a minute or two now. And I’ve written a fair amount about breweries and beer gardens in and around Munich. Yet I haven’t written anything on a general level regarding how you might spend your beer time in this fine city. There’s just so much, and I never quite know where to start. Munich’s Munich, after all.
Munich is home to well over a hundred beer gardens (more than twenty of which seat 1000+ thirsty drinkers), a dozen or so breweries* and their several dozen outposts, and a goodly number of Wirtshäuser (inns) sprinkled about town. A daunting task, writing a guide about Munich! But I put pen to paper today in an attempt to gather together some of my notes on Munich’s fabled beer scene in one handy place.
*Munich’s “Big 6” are Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten-Franziskaner. These are joined by several smaller breweries, starting with Giesinger Bräu, Forschungsbrauerei, and a handful of craft breweries. Almost all have outposts across the city, as do nearby breweries like Ayinger, Kloster Andechs, Tegernseer, and Schneider-Weisse. (Check out the links if you want to learn more about each of these beloved breweries beyond Munich.)
Out and About for Beer in Munich
As comprehensive as this post is, it goes without saying that it’s not an exhaustive account of locales you can visit. Some establishments listed here are “must visit” places for those new to Munich, others are a little farther off the so-called beaten path, still others are hiding out in plain view. To make navigation easier, I’ve divided this guide into drinking spots in the center of town, and places along the cardinal points of the compass. In each section I try to move from what I think are more well-known to less well-known places among non-Germans who are into beer.
If you fancy a deeper dive into some of these establishments, here are a few posts I’ve written over the years. You’ll find a few more below under “Related Posts.”
Augustiner, Munich’s Retro-Hip Brewery
Munich’s Beer Gardens East and West of the Isar
Beer Gardens with a Dash of Spice: The Menterschwaige in Munich
A Beer in the Park: Beer Gardens in Munich’s English Garden
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Munich, City Center
Hofbräuhaus. Yes, it’s touristy, but Germans go there, too, and with good reason. It’s an institution worth visiting at least once in your life. The oompah band’s regular strains of “In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus” adds to the ambience of this ornate beerhall.
Schneider Weisse Bräuhaus im Tal. Schneider Weisse once had its brewhouse here before it was destroyed in WWII. They now brew their Weissbiers in Kelheim (near Regensburg), but have kept this prime location a few steps from Marienplatz for their Munich tavern.
The Viktualienmarkt. An ideal place to start or end a day of beer exploration smack-dab in the middle of Munich’s open-air market. (Also open in winter.) Taps rotate between Munich’s major breweries. For a change of pace from Munich’s “Big 6,” mosey over to the Kleiner Ochs’nbrater across from the main beer garden, where they have beer from Landshuter Brauhaus on tap.
Augustiner Stammhaus. Elegant though it is, the façade of the Augustiner Stammhaus blends in with the rest along this shopping thoroughfare near Marienplatz. Zum Augustiner (as it’s known locally) is one of Munich’s last remaining examples of Jugendstil architecture and is one of the most splendid drinking venues in Munich. The building was also the location of the Augustiner brewery from 1817 to 1884 before its transformation into a magnificent “beer palace.”
Ayinger Wirtshaus am Platzl. Right across from the most famous beerhall in the world, and much quieter. Plenty of wood paneling, but with a light touch. Perfect if you don’t have the time for a daytrip to sample Ayinger’s beers in the countryside southeast of Munich.
Nürnberger Bratwurst Glöckl am Dom. This dark old tavern in the shadow of the Frauenkirche dates from 1390. It’s famous for its grilled Nürnberger Bratwurst and for the wooden cask of Augustiner Helles that they tap every afternoon round about 5 pm.
Gaststätte Fraunhofer. A classic Wirtshaus near the Sendlinger Tor and the Viktualienmarkt, and on the edge of the vibrant Gärtnerplatz area lined with cafes, shops, and restaurants. Rustic décor, and wonderfully executed Bavarian cuisine.
Munich North
Chinesischer Turm. Sure, this pagoda-crowned beer garden in the heart of Munich’s English Garden is up there on the tourist Richter scale, but it’s popular for good reason. In fact, it’s the epitome of everyone’s Munich, young or old, local or tourist. It’s also a treat for the senses. Aromas of bratwurst and roast pork knuckle twine together in a heady mix that calls forth one more liter of beer, while oompah bands oomp away beneath the pagoda.
Seehaus: Not far from the cafés of Schwabing, the Seehaus offers something that not many beer gardens do: lakeside seating. The beer garden’s origins date to the early days of the English Garden, when an enterprising park warden set up a beer counter to cater to workers at the nearby dairy. Nowadays, you can watch pedal boats drift by while you sip your beer. The Seehaus is unique for another reason as well: it’s one of two beer gardens in Munich that opens in winter if the weather’s nice.
Aumeister. Getting to the Aumeister is half the fun. Take a long, leisurely stroll through the English Garden from the center of town to build up a thirst, or rent a bike and cycle through the park. Unlike the bustling Chinesischer Turm beer garden to the south, Aumeister feels like you’ve walked in on an intimate gathering of local beer garden denizens. Hofbräu on tap.
Sankt Emmeramsmühle. Modern takes on Bavarian classics at this elegantly rustic establishment with a historic mill out back and a small beer garden out front. Countryside setting on the outskirts of the city. Located near the northeastern Tram 17 terminus. Or you can walk the roughly 5 km through the English Garden.
Insel Mühle. Situated along the fast-flowing Würm creek, Insel Mühle is surrounded by woods, meadows, and walking paths. Iron wheels, pulleys, and gears scattered about the beer garden evoke memories of the old mill, willows dip their leaves into the stream, and fish swim languidly around a small pond near the center of the beer garden.
Fasanerie. Pleasant beer garden and upscale restaurant a short walk from the S1 Fasanerie stop. The name means “pheasantry,” and the connection with pheasants reaches back to the late seventeenth century when Duke Maximilian II Emmanuel set about building pheasantries in the woods around Munich after the Thirty Years’ War. The pheasants have long since left the roost.
Munich South
Paulaner Bräuhaus am Kapuzinerplatz. You can get Paulaner just about anywhere, but the same can’t be said for every beer they brew. Situated in an opulent building near the Oktoberfest Wiesn (meadow), this Paualner locale features its own small brew system for unique beers that are only available in-house. Food is super tasty and the food coma-inducing portions are ginormous.
Waldwirtschaft. That sweeping vista across the valley! It’s one of the first things you notice when you find a seat in the WaWi’s expansive beer garden. As with any top-notch beer garden worth its malt, local lore has woven a certain mystique around the WaWi, which found itself at the center of the “Beer Garden Revolution” of 1995. So significant was this local upheaval that it helped usher in the Beer Garden Ordinance of 1999. The atmosphere is more tranquil these days, and the WaWi makes an excellent starting point for a relaxing stroll along the Isar.
Menterschwaige. Villas line the path that lead to the Menterschwaige, a onetime estate of the Wittelsbach dynasty. A small Swiss-style hut stands just off to the side of the beer garden. It’s this rather unassuming chalet that contributes to the Menterschwaige’s latter-day allure, for it’s here that King Ludwig I allegedly met Lola Montez for their nightly trysts. (That’s the same King Ludwig whose marriage celebration in 1810 occasioned the first Oktoberfest.)
Gasthof Hinterbrühl. A 180-year-old chalet tucked up against a pine-forested hillside, this rustically upscale dining establishment is a taste of the Alps on the edge of the city. Even though the inn is surrounded by woods, it’s the water features that’ll draw your attention. The classic beer garden affords a view of an artificial lake that was created at the beginning of the twentieth century as part of the extension of the Isar. A canal flows right past the inn, which became a magnet for the Isar raftsmen of yore. The Flöße (log rafts) still float by, but instead of lumberjacks and raftsmen, they carry revelers quaffing beer and singing merrily.
Zum Flaucher. Set in a clearing in an expanse of secluded woodlands along the Isar River, Flaucher is a popular haunt of cyclists, hikers, and families out for a Sunday stroll. The beer garden is named after Johann Flaucher, who opened a restaurant in 1871 in what was once part of a Wittelsbach hunting preserve. An ideal mix of dappled shade and sunny terraces, Flaucher is a fine place to forget the city a few hundred meters away.
HopDog. Franconian classics steeped in tradition meet cutting-edge craft, all served to a metal soundtrack by the inimitable Gregor Frannson. This is the only place I can think of (not just in Munich) where you’ll find such a broad selection of Franconian beer outside of Franconia. And yes, they serve hot dogs. This place is a sensory trip and gustatory experience. And I say this not only because Gregor has become a good friend over the years. Go there, especially if you can’t make it to Bamberg. You won’t be disappointed.
Augustiner Schützengarten. This beer garden in the shadow of a regal Schloss is affiliated with the Königlich Privilegierte Hauptschützengesellschaft München. You won’t be able to pronounce that after a few beers, but that’s okay. All you need to know is that it’s the name of the centuries’ old shooting club that owns and runs the beer garden and Wirtshaus (tavern) tucked into a corner of the palatial clubhouse. Find a spot near one of the wrought-iron lamps in the beer garden and then let the beer flow. As the name suggests, Augustiner’s on tap.
Kugler Alm. You’ve explored all that there is to offer in the English Garden, you’ve visited some of the iconic beer gardens in the center of town, and you’ve headed south for a drink in the leafy groves along the Isar. What’s left? Plenty. Like the Kugler Alm, an ideal “destination” beer garden, perfect for those times you want to get out of the city center. It’s also the place where the Radler was invented.
Isartaler Brauhaus. This Hausbrauerei in a former station building is right along the tracks heading out of the city. Large bay windows create an airy ambience and are perfect for watching the trains go by on a rainy day while sipping on a mighty fine Stationsweizen.
Munich East
Hofbräukeller. Rising high above the eastern bank of the Isar, the neo-Renaissance Hofbräukeller is one of the few remaining witnesses to the nineteenth-century era of architectural “brewing ensembles” (brewhouse, maltings, beer hall, beer garden).
Giesinger Bräu. One of Munich’s original craft breweries, Giesinger aspires to be the seventh brewery to be featured at Oktoberfest. Beers run the gamut from traditional Bavarian to Baltic and Belgian, all brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot. Not far from Paulaner am Nockherberg.
Michaeligarten. A picturesque lakeside beer garden in Munich’s Ostpark, and a relative new kid on the block (opened in 1973). Grab a seat near the shore and look out at and the fountains spraying up cascades of water that resemble crystal trees, often encircled by a parade of swans.
Tap-House Munich. This temple of all things craft manages to feel old world, which is refreshing in this new world of look-alike craft beer bars stretching from Tokyo to Toronto. Affiliated with Camba Bavaria, an innovative Upper Bavarian brewery.
Forschungsbrauerei Perlach. Flies well under the radar, though it’s been around since 1936. Famous for its Gottfried Jakobs Blonder Bock. It looks like a rural airport on the outside, but the inside is cozy Bavarian through and through. And the beers are usually quite good! A short train journey from the center of town.
Schneider Bräuhaus Berg am Laim. Less well-known than Schneider’s locale near Marienplatz, this upscale den is tucked away at the end of a residential street where a shady grove rises up above the apartment blocks. The interior is “chic-gemütlich,” contemporary yet timeless. The place serves up Bavarian cuisine washed down by the full range of Schneider Weisse’s wheat beers. A nice change of pace in an area of town where there’s not too much going on.
Munich West
Augustiner Bräustuben. The scent of hops wafting through the air. The cookie dough fragrance of mashing grain. These are the first telltale signs that you’re getting close to the Augustiner Bräustuben on the old brewery grounds. The Augustiner Bräustuben is both a beerhall exuding Gemütlichkeit and current location of the Augustiner-Bräu brewery, Munich’s oldest (founded 1328). Occupying the brewery’s former dray horse stables, the Bräustuben is a classic beer hall with character to spare, more down-home than other beerhalls in the city. Fortunately for the thirsty among us, it’s but a short walk from the main train station.
Augustiner Keller. One of Munich’s quintessential beer gardens, the Augustiner-Keller began life in 1808 on the site of a former gravel quarry. When Joseph Wagner, whose initials still grace the Augustiner logo, acquired the property in 1862, only the small horse shoe-shaped area above the cellar was planted with trees, while the rest of the site was a meadow. Wagner went on a foresting spree, and now over a hundred stately chestnut trees cast their shade over a space large enough for 5000 beer garden aficionados. The combination of greenery, oompah bands, bratwurst on the grill, and cask-conditioned Augustiner Edelstoff doesn’t get any better than this.
Hirschgarten. Set in the woods amid a former aristocratic hunting preserve, this sprawling beer garden is Munich’s largest. In keeping with a growing trend during the eighteenth century (see Vienna and Joseph II, and how his reforms led to today’s beer gardens), Karl Theodor opened his preserve to the public in 1784. The hunting lodge serves up food and drink to this day, and the erstwhile hunting preserve is now a park complete with penned deer, plenty of green space and walking trails, and an 8000-seat beer garden.
Löwenbräukeller. The turret punctuating the façade is a clear sign that you’ve arrived at one of the last remaining “beer palaces” of the nineteenth century. The prodigious beerhall offers enough space in its various rooms for 2000 guests. Check out the Steinheber competition (in which you hold a liter of beer in front of you for as long as you can) during the Lenten strong beer season.
Wirtshaus Bavariapark. Just up the hill from the majestic Bavaria keeping watch over the Theresienwiese, this rustic tavern with its heavy beams and wooden floors is connected to the postwar Kongresshalle. The Bavariapark’s beer garden is all the shaded goodness you could ask for in the summer, and it’s right across from the really cool Museum of Transportation.
Waldwirtschaft Bienenheim. Passing a pond here and a few ducks there, I eventually found this gem in the woods of Lochhausen, a district that has retained its pastoral character since it was a village on Munich’s western outskirts. It’s tiny as far as beer gardens go, a well-shaded garden and terrace surrounded by a ring of beehives. (Wondering why old steins have lids? To keep stray blossoms and leaves out. And bees.) About a hundred and fifty years ago, King Ludwig granted this erstwhile brickworks to the Fruit Growers’ and Beekeepers’ Association of Aubing. The Wirtshaus with its beer garden is the former clubhouse of the beekeepers’ association.
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Munich Beer Here, There, Everywhere
Phew! Time for a beer after all that reading! That’s a good thirty places for you to seek out over your next several visits to Munich. Happy beer wandering!
Munich Beer and Food [Click on a Thumbnail to view]
Related Posts
Beer Garden Ambles in Southern Munich
Kugler Alm, The Radler Beer Garden in Southern Munich
Talkin’ About a (Beer Garden) Revolution: Munich’s Waldwirtschaft
The Augustiner Bräustuben: From Barn to Beerhall
The Munich Baker-Brewer Dispute: Yeast and the Emergence of Lager
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Beer gardens, breweries, beerhalls … and a cup of Ko-fi to round things out. If my work has led you to a new discovery on your travels, or if you’ve enjoyed the journey from the comfort of your home, please consider supporting my writing. You can buy me a virtual drink here, or by clicking on the button below. Prost! And a huge thanks for supporting my writing!
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Images by Franz D. Hofer
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