Rick's Favorite Sleeps & Eats: Munich
Sleeping in Munich
(€1 = about $1.10, country code: 49, area code: 089)
There are no cheap beds in Munich. Youth hostels strictly enforce their 26-year-old age limit, and side-tripping in is a bad value. But there are plenty of decent, moderately priced rooms. I've listed places in two neighborhoods: within a few blocks of the central train station (Hauptbahnhof) and in the old center. Many of these places have complicated, slippery pricing schemes. I've listed the normal non-convention, non-festival prices. There are major conventions about 30 nights a year — prices increase from 20 percent to as much as 300 percent during Oktoberfest (Sept 18-Oct 3 in 2004; reserve well in advance). Prices can also go up slightly for smaller conventions. On the other hand, during slow times, you may be able to do better than the rates listed here — always ask.
Sleeping near the Train Station
Budget hotels (€60–90 doubles, no elevator, shower down the hall) cluster in the area immediately south of the station. It feels seedy after dark (erotic cinemas, barnacles with lingerie tongues, men with moustaches in the shadows), but it's dangerous only for those in search of trouble. Still, I've listed places in more polite neighborhoods, generally a 5- or 10-minute walk from the station and handy to the center. They usually include a buffet breakfast.
$$$ King's Hotel First Class, a fancy 90-room business-class hotel, is a good, elegant splurge on weekends. You'll get a lobby with carved wooden ceilings and chandeliers, rooms with canopy beds, a sauna, and a well-polished staff (Sb-€140, Db-€170, Tb-€230, Fri-Sun special: Db-€105 except during fairs, 25 percent more during conventions and Oktoberfest, non-smoking rooms, air-con, elevator, cheap Internet access, parking-€13/day, 500 yards north of station at Dachauer Strasse 13, tel. 089/551-870, fax 089/5518-7300, www.kingshotels.com, 1stclass@kingshotels.com).
$$$ King's Center Hotel, a little less plush than its sister hotel (above), still has great rooms. It sits a half block closer to the station, with 90 canopy-bed rooms, elegant public spaces, modern bathrooms, and professional service (Sb-€93, Db-€115, Tb-€145, these special prices promised through 2004 for readers of this book, ask about Fri-Sun special: Sb/Db-€75, 30 percent more during conventions and Oktoberfest, breakfast-€12 extra but readers of this book get free breakfasts for 2-night stays, non-smoking rooms, elevator, cheap Internet access, from station walk north on Dachauer Strasse, take second left onto Marsstrasse, walk 200 yards to Marsstrasse 15, tel. 089/515-530, fax 089/5155-3300, www.kingshotels.com, center@kingshotels.com).
$$$ Hotel Uhland, a stately mansion in a safe-feeling residential neighborhood near the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest grounds, is a worthwhile splurge. Each one of its 31 rooms is different (normal non-convention rates: Sb-€68-72, Db-€80-95, Tb-€115; big discounts for booking online: Sb-€56-66, Db-€70-87, Tb-€107; non-smoking floor, elevator, cheap Internet access, free loaner bikes, free parking, bus #58 from station to Georg-Hirth Platz or 15-min walk from station, walk up Goethestrasse and turn right on Pettenkoferstrasse, cross Georg-Hirth Platz to Uhlandstrasse and find #1, tel. 089/543-350, fax 089/5433-5250, www.hotel-uhland.de, info@hotel-uhland.de).
$$$ Hotel Europäischer Hof is a huge, impersonal business hotel with 158 fine rooms. They have four categories of rooms, ranging from moderately expensive to outrageous: tourist (WC and shower down the hall), standard, comfort, and business class (sky-high official rates, but actual rates are usually closer to S-€40, Sb-€80, D-€50, Db-€92, 10 percent discount on prevailing rate if you reserve ahead and mention this book, further discount if you pay cash, no discounts during conventions and Oktoberfest weekends, non-smoking rooms, family rooms, elevator, free Internet access, Bayerstrasse 31, tel. 089/551-510, fax 089/5515-1222, www.heh.de, info@heh.de).
$$ Hotel Deutsches Theater is a brass-and-marble-filled place with 28 tight, mod, three-star rooms. Hardworking manager Johannas promises these special cash-only rates for readers of this book (Sb-€59, Db-€79, Tb-€89, more during fairs, non-smoking floor, pricier suites, elevator, Landwehrstrasse 18, tel. 089/545-8525, fax 089/5458-5261, www.hoteldeutschestheater.de, info@hoteldeutschestheater.de).
$$ Hotel Bristol has 57 similarly comfortable rooms and is also managed by Johannas, who offers the same special cash-only rates with this book (Sb-€59, Db-€79, Tb-€89, non-smoking rooms, elevator, hearty buffet breakfast on terrace, 1 metro stop from station, U-1 or U-2: Sendlinger Tor, Pettenkoferstrasse 2, tel. 089/595-151, fax 089/5482-2299, www.bristol-muc.com).
$$ Hotel Herzog is worth considering if you're having trouble finding a room, even though it's a bit further from the center than my other listings (but handy to the U-Bahn). It's also run by Johannas, with 80 newly-renovated rooms and the same cash-only prices with this book (Sb-€59, Db-€79, Tb-€89, non-smoking rooms, elevator, U-3 or U-6: Goetheplatz, Häberlstrasse 9, tel. 089/5999-3901, fax 089/5999-3996, www.hotel-herzog.de, info@hotel-herzog.de).
$$ Hotel Schweiz is simple outside and decent inside, with 57 new-feeling rooms and a good breakfast (Sb-€70, Db-€90, Tb-€110, soft prices with demand, non-smoking rooms, elevator, free Internet access, from the station walk 2 blocks down Goethestrasse to #26, tel. 089/543-6960, fax 089/5436-9696, www.hotel-schweiz.de, info@hotel-schweiz.de).
$$ Hotel Mark, run by Hotel Europäischer Hof (see above) and just around the corner from it, has a large, bright lobby, dim hallways, and 95 plain, cheaper rooms (high official rates, but normal rates usually around S-€35, basic Sb-€75, D-€50, basic Db-€88, newly renovated and non-smoking "basic plus" rooms cost 10 percent more, 10 percent discount on prevailing rate if you reserve ahead and mention this book, no discounts during conventions and Oktoberfest weekends, prices are squishy soft, their website often lists the biggest discounts, request quiet rooms in back facing courtyard, elevator, free Internet access, Senefelderstrasse 12, tel. 089/559-820, fax 089/5598-2333, www.hotel-mark.de, mark@heh.de).
$$ Hotel Ibis is a big, plain, efficient chain hotel offering 202 simple but comfortable little industrial-strength staterooms for a good price to local businesspeople on a tight per diem (Sb-€72, Db-€84, convention/Oktoberfest rate: Sb-€99, Db-€111; breakfast €9 per person extra, non-smoking rooms, air-con, elevator, Dachauer Strasse 21, tel. 089/551-930, fax 089/5519-3102, www.ibishotel.com, h1450@accor-hotels.com).
$$ Hotel Pension Utzelmann feels less cozy because of its huge rooms — especially the curiously cheap room #6 — but they're lacy and richly furnished. It's in a pleasant neighborhood just a 10-minute walk from the station and a block off Sendlinger (S-€30-40, Ss-€50, Sb-€70, D-€55, Ds-€70, Db-€80, T-€85, Ts-€95, Tb-€110, more expensive during conventions and Oktoberfest, 1 metro stop from station, U-1 or U-2: Sendlinger Tor, Pettenkoferstrasse 6, enter through iron gate, tel. 089/594-889, fax 089/596-228, hotel-utzelmann@t-online.de, Frau Schlee).
$ Hotel Helvetia, with 44 rooms, is a family-run, well-maintained, on-the-ball backpacker's favorite (S-€30–39, D-€40–59, Ds-€50–69, T-€55–75, Q-€80-95, 20 percent more during Oktoberfest, ask for quiet side, free Internet access, elevator, laundry-€6/load, Schillerstrasse 6, tel. 089/590-6850, fax 089/5906-8570, www.hotel-helvetia.de, info@hotel-helvetia.de, courteous Pasha and Changiz SE).
$ Jugendhotel Marienherberge, for young women only, is clean and pleasant and has the best cheap beds in town (20 rooms, S-€30, €25/bed in D and T, €22/bed in 6-bed rooms, prices higher for those over 25, no CC, non-smoking, elevator, laundry machines, office open 8:00–24:00, harmless sex shop next door, a block from station at Goethestrasse 9, tel. 089/555-805, fax 089/5502-8260, invia-marienherberge@t-online.de).
$ CVJM (YMCA), open to all ages and sexes, has 85 beds in modern rooms (S-€32-37, D-€54, T-€75, €25/bed in a shared triple, those over 26 pay about 10 percent more, cheaper for 3 nights or more and in winter, €10/night more during Oktoberfest, free showers, includes breakfast, elevator, 24:30 curfew, Landwehrstrasse 13, tel. 089/552-1410, fax 089/550-4282, www.cvjm-muenchen.org).
Sleeping in the Old Center
$$ Pension Seibel, two blocks off Marienplatz in a fun neighborhood, is central and cozy, run by friendly Kirstin and her trusty assistant, Ludwig, who both speak excellent English. This place is a great value given the location, but some readers have complained about cleanliness and street noise; request a quiet room in the back (S-€35–49, Sb-€45–65, D-€59–69, Db-€66–87, Tb-€77–99, these prices are promised through 2004 during non-fair periods if you show this book and pay cash, family apartment for up to 5 people-€36 each, tries to be non-smoking, good breakfast in small breakfast room, Reichenbachstrasse 8, tel. 089/231-9180, fax 089/267-803, www.seibel-hotels-munich.de, pension.seibel@t-online.de). Tram #17 takes you directly to the station and to Nymphenburg Palace. Kirstin's family runs the fine but inconveniently located Hotel Seibel (same prices, tel. 089/540-1420), a 15-minute walk behind the station overlooking the Oktoberfest fairgrounds.
$$ Pension Lindner is clean, quiet, and modern, with 10 pastel-bouquet rooms, mediocre plumbing, and — at times — indifferent service (S-€39, D-€64, Ds-€75, Db-€85, more during conventions and Oktoberfest, reception and breakfast in café below, elevator, Dultstrasse 1; from the train station, take U-2 one stop to Sendlinger Tor, then walk along Sendlinger Strasse toward the center and turn right on Dultstrasse; tel. 089/263-413, fax 089/268-760, www.pension-lindner.com, info@pension-lindner.com, Marion and Arzu SE).
$$ Hotel Münchner Kindl is a jolly place with 16 decent but overpriced rooms above a friendly local bar (S-€52, Ss-€66, Sb-€77, D-€72, Ds-€82, Db-€92, Tb-€107, Qb-€120, these prices through 2004 with this book, same rates 365 days a year, non-smoking rooms, night noises travel up central courtyard, a 15-min walk from station, or take the S-Bahn 1 stop to Karlstor, walk along main pedestrian street toward Marienplatz, turn right onto Eisenmann Strasse, go 2 blocks to Damenstiftstrasse 16, tel. 089/264-349, fax 089/264-526, www.hotel-muenchner-kindl.de, reservierung@hotel-muenchner-kindl.de, Renate Dittert SE).
$ The quirky Pension Stadt Munich (1 floor below Pension Lindner, above), isn't as homey, but it's OK if the Lindner is full (4 Ds-€60, no CC, a tad smoky, Dultstrasse 1, tel. 089/263-417, fax 089/267-548, Frau Meiler is there in the morning, otherwise you must call and she'll come). From the station, take U-2 one stop to Sendlinger Tor. Walk along Sendlinger Strasse toward the center and turn right on Dultstrasse.
$ Munich's youth hostels charge €16 in 4- to 8-bed dorms and €21 in doubles (including breakfast and sheets) and strictly limit admission to YH members who are under 27. Burg Schwaneck Hostel is a renovated castle (23:30 curfew, 30 min from city center — take the S-7 to Pullach and then follow signs to Burgweg 4, tel. 089/7448-6670, fax 089/7448-6680, www.jugendherberge-burgschwaneck.de).
$ Munich's International Youth Camp Kapuzinerhölzl (a.k.a. "The Tent") offers 400 places on the wooden floor of a huge circus tent. You'll get a mattress (€8.50) or bed (€11), blankets, showers, lockers, washing machines, bike rental, Internet access, and breakfast. It can be a fun (but noisy) experience — kind of a cross between a slumber party and Woodstock. There's a cool table-tennis-and-Frisbee atmosphere throughout the day and no curfew at night (June–Aug only, no check-in 10:30–16:30, confirm first at TI that it's open, then catch tram #17 from train station to Botanischer Garten, direction: Amalienburgstrasse, and follow the crowd down Franz-Schrankstrasse, tel. 089/175-090, fax 089/141-4300 www.the-tent.com, see-you@the-tent.de).
Eating in Munich
Munich cuisine is best seasoned with beer. You have two basic choices: beer halls like the Hofbräuhaus, where you'll find music and tourists, or the mellower beer gardens, where you'll find the Germans. While Munich has more Michelin-star restaurants than any other German city, I'm here for the beer-garden fun. But when the Wurst and kraut get to be too much for you, consider one of the trendy spots south of Marienplatz.
In beer halls, beer gardens, or at the Viktualien Markt, try the most typical meal in town: Weisswurst (white sausage) with süss (sweet) mustard (Senf), a salty pretzel (Brezel), and Weissbier. Also unique and memorable is a Stecherlfisch — local fish on a stick (great with a pretzel and a big beer).
Beer Halls (Bräuhäuser) and Beer Gardens (Biergarten)
In Munich's beer halls and beer gardens, meals are inexpensive, white radishes are salted and cut in delicate spirals, and surly beer maids pull mustard packets from their cleavage.
Beer gardens go back to the days when monks brewed their beer and were allowed to sell it directly to the thirsty public. They stored their beer in cellars under courtyards kept cool by the shade of bushy chestnut trees. Eventually, tables were set up, and these convivial eateries evolved. The tradition (complete with chestnut trees) survives, and any real beer garden will keep a few tables (identified by not having a tablecloth) available for customers who only buy beer and bring in their own food.
Huge liter beers (called ein Mass in German or "ein pitcher" in English) cost about €6. You can order your beer helles (light but not "lite," which is what you'll get if you say "ein beer"), dunkles (dark), or Radler (half lemon-lime soda, half beer). Beer gardens have a deposit system for their big glass steins: pay €1 extra and take the mug to the return man for your refund, or leave it on the table and lose your money. When you visit the WC, look for the vomitoriums.
Many beer halls have a cafeteria system. Eating outside is favored by the Föhn (warm winds that come over the Alps from Italy), which gives this part of Germany 30 more days of sunshine than the north — and sometimes even an Italian ambience. (Many locals attribute their ever-more-common outdoor dining to global warming.)
Beer halls take care of their regular customers. You'll notice many Stammtische (tables reserved for regulars and small groups such as the Happy Saturday club). They have a long tradition of being places of grassroots action — where the community activates. The Hofbräuhaus was the first place Hitler talked to a big crowd.
The Hofbräuhaus is the world's most famous — and grotesquely touristy — beer hall (read beer hall primer above, daily 9:00–24:00, music during lunch and dinner, Platzl 6, 5-min walk from Marienplatz, tel. 089/290-1360, www.hofbraeuhaus.de). Even if you don't eat here, check it out; it's fun to see 200 Japanese people drinking beer in a German beer hall...across from a Hard Rock Café. Germans go for the entertainment — to sing "Country Roads," see how Texas girls party, and watch salaried professionals from Tokyo chug beer. The music-every-night atmosphere is thick, and the fat, shiny-leather bands even get church mice to stand up and conduct three-quarter time with breadsticks. My favorite light meal: €6.10 for a paar Schweinswurst mit Kraut. The Hofbräuhaus hosts a gimmicky folk evening upstairs in the Festsaal nightly from 19:00 to 22:30. You can drop by anytime and eat their €20 buffet, or pay €5 and just order a drink. Walk up the stairs to the left of the entry just to see the historic old Hofbräuhaus photos and prints.
Weisses Bräuhaus is more local and features good food and the region's fizzy wheat beer (€5–14, daily 9:00–24:00, Tal 7, between Marienplatz and Isartor, 2 blocks from Hofbräuhaus, tel. 089/290-1380). Hitler met with fellow fascists here in 1920, when his Nazi party had yet to ferment.
Augustiner Beer Garden is a sprawling haven for well-established local beer-lovers on a balmy evening (daily 10:00–1:00, food until 22:00, across from train tracks, 3 loooong blocks from station away from the center at Arnulfstrasse 52, tram #17, taxis always waiting at the gate). For a true under-the-leaves beer garden packed with locals, this is very good.
The tiny Jodlerwirt is a woodsy, smart-alecky, yodeling kind of pub. The food is great, and the ambience is as Bavarian as you'll find. Avoid the basic ground-floor bar and climb the stairs into the action (Mon–Sat 19:00–3:00, closed Sun, food until 23:00, accordion act nightly from 20:30, Altenhofstrasse 4, between Hofbräuhaus and Marienplatz, tel. 089/221-249). Good food, lots of belly laughs...completely incomprehensible to the average tourist.
For a classier, fiercely Bavarian evening stewed in antlers, eat under a tree or inside at the Nürnberger Bratwurst Glöckl am Dom (famous with tourists, dark, medieval, cozy-feeling, with wenches or under the trees, €5–15 dinners, daily 9:30–1:00, Frauenplatz 9, at the rear of the twin-domed Frauenkirche, tel. 089/291-9450).
The trendier Andechser am Dom, on the same breezy square, serves Andechs beer and great food to appreciative locals. Locals say their dark beer is the best in town (ask for dunkles), but I love the light (helles). The Gourmetteller is a great sampler of their specialties (€5–15, daily 10:00–24:00, Weinstrasse 7, reserve during peak times, tel. 089/298-481).
Locals enjoy the Altes Hackerhaus for traditional Bayerischer fare with a dressier feel. It offers a small courtyard and a fun forest of characteristic nooks festooned with old-time paintings and posters (daily 9:00-24:00, €15–25 meals, Wurst dishes €5-10, Sendlinger Strasse 14, tel. 089/260-5026).
Spatenhaus is the opera-goers' beer garden, serving more elegant Bavarian fare in a classier but still woodsy, traditional setting since 1896. Or eat outside, on the square facing the opera and palace (€20, daily 9:30–24:00, on Max-Joseph Platz opposite opera, Residenzstrasse 12, tel. 089/290-7060).
For outdoor atmosphere and a cheap meal, spend an evening at the Englischer Garten's Chinesischer Turm (Chinese pagoda) Biergarten. You're welcome to B.Y.O. food and grab a table or buy from the picnic stall (Brotzeit) right there. Don't bother to phone ahead — they have 6,000 seats. This is a fine place for a Stecherlfisch (fish on a stick), sold for €9 at a separate kiosk (daily, long hours in good weather, usually live music, tel. 089/3838-7327, www.chinaturm.de).
Seehaus im Englishchen Garten is famous among Müncheners for its idyllic lakeside setting and excellent Mediterranean and traditional cooking. It's dressy and a bit snobbish, and understandably filled with locals who fit the same description. Choose from classy indoor or lakeside seating (daily 10:00-24:00, €20 meals, a fine 15-min hike into Englischer Garten — located on all the city maps, or tram #44 or taxi to the doorstep, Kleinhesselohe 3, tel. 089/3816-130).
Seehaus Beer Garden, adjacent to the fancy Seehaus restaurant, is a cheaper, more casual beer garden with all the normal Wurst, kraut, pretzels, and fine beer at typical prices. What makes this place special: You're buried in Englischer Garten, enjoying the fine lakeside setting (daily, long hours from 11:00 when the weather's fine).
Heilig Geist Stuberl is a smoky, Fasching-all-year pub filled with all-day-alcoholics aggressively inviting you in. Walk by and see what I mean (spirits listed on the door, Heiliggeiststrasse, just off the Viktualien Markt — see below).
Nontouristy Beer Halls Away from the Center
Wirthaus in der Au, near the Deutsches Museum, is a delightful place with friendly staff serving extremely traditional Bavarian cuisine to a young, local crowd (Mon–Fri 17:00–1:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–1:00, not very smoky, reservations a must, tram #18 or walk 10 min from Isartor S-Bahn, near Munich's English-language cinema, 2 blocks south of Deutsches Museum at Lilienstrasse 51, tel. 089/448-1400).
Unions-Bräu Haidhausen is a straightforward beer hall serving straightforward locals quality food with excellent Löwenbräu beer. Their coasters are decorated with a Jackie Onassis lookalike riding a keg — great souvenirs (Mon-Sat 10:00–24:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, immediately at Max-Weber-Platz U-Bahn station, Einsteinstrasse 42, tel. 089/477-677).
Eating on or near Marienplatz
The Viktualien Markt beer garden taps you into about the best budget eating in town (closed Sun, see also "Sights — Central Munich," above). Countless stalls surround the beer garden and sell Wurst, sandwiches, produce, and so on. This B.Y.O.F. tradition goes back to the days when monks served beer, but not food. To picnic, choose a table without a tablecloth. This is a good place to grab a typical Munich Weisswurst (white sausage) and some beer. Suppenküche (soup kitchen) is fine for a small, cozy, sit-down lunch (€4 soup meals, go straight into market 50 yards from the intersection of Frauenstrasse and Reichenbachstrasse, green shop with black-and-white awning).
Glockenspiel Café is a good place for a coffee or a meal with a view down on the Marienplatz action (Mon-Sat 10:00-1:00, Sun 10:00-19:00, ride elevator from Rosenstrasse entrance, opposite Glockenspiel at Marienplatz 28, tel. 089/264-256).
The crown in Alois Dallmayr's emblem indicates that the royal family assembled its picnics at this historic and expensive delicatessen (described in "Sights — Central Munich," above, Mon–Wed 9:30–19:00, Thu–Fri until 20:00, Sat 9:00–16:00, closed Sun, Dienerstrasse 14, behind New Town Hall). An elegant but pricey café serves light meals on the ground floor. Explore this dieter's purgatory and put together a royal picnic to munch in the nearby Hofgarten.
To save money, browse at Dallmayr's but buy in the basement supermarkets of the Kaufhof stores across Marienplatz or at Karlsplatz (Mon–Fri 9:30–20:00, Sat 9:30–16:00, closed Sun).
Trendy Non–Beer Hall Eateries South of Marienplatz
The area south of Marienplatz is becoming a kind of Soho, with lots of trendy shops, wine bars, and classy bistros. Tucked in here are some handy, healthy, and quick places for lunch, as well as some fine old traditional restaurants.
Buxs Self-Service Vegetarian Restaurant is a fast, healthy, handy cafeteria. You'll find exactly what you want — as long as it's vegetarian. Fill a plate with your choice of soups, salads, and hot dishes, then pay by weight (€10 per typical plate, non-smoking, Mon–Fri 11:00–18:45, Sat 11:00–15:00, closed Sun, at bottom end of Viktualien Markt at Frauenstrasse 9, tel. 089/291-9550).
Forum Speisecafé, a young and dressy place without a hint of tourism, features international cuisine. It's famous for its creative breakfasts, served all day long, and for its weekly theme specials posted outside on the chalkboard (Sun–Thu 8:00–1:00, Fri–Sat 8:00–3:00, €6 lunches 11:30–14:30, €10 plates, smoky interior or breezy outdoor seating, corner of Corneliusstrasse and Müllerstrasse, tel. 089/268-818).
Prinz Myshkin is everybody's favorite dressy vegetarian place in the old center. You'll find an appetizing and creative selection of €10 plates. The decor is mod and the clientele is entirely local (daily 11:30–23:30, non-smoking section doesn't quite work, Hackenstrasse 2, tel. 089/265-596).
Riva Pizzeria has a wood-burning oven and lots of good-looking Italian cooks and waiters. This is the best place for an Italian alternative to all the pork and kraut (fresh, homemade-quality pizza, pasta, and salads, crowded indoor or pleasant streetside dining, Mon-Sat 8:00-24:00, Sun 11:00-1:00, a block toward Marienplatz from Isartor at Tal 44, tel. 089/220-240).
Excerpted from the 2004 edition of "Rick Steves' Germany, Austria & Switzerland" guidebook, available from our Travel Store.