Munich Restaurants

Munich has a huge number of restaurants, bars and pubs, where you’re bound to find something appealing and in your price range. Some eateries are open until as late as 04:00. Prices vary according to the type of restaurant and its location, but overall, you’ll be able to eat well but inexpensively in Munich. Italian food is usually the cheapest, while Indian cuisine is a bit pricier, about the same as Bavarian cuisine. Japanese is the most expensive. Tipping is customary, at five to 10 per cent of the total bill.

Local cuisine

Munich (and Bavarian) food is largely meat-based, with pork being the most common ingredient, and features few vegetables. There is a huge variety of sausages (wurst) available, as in the rest of the country. Vegetables that are offered are normally boiled and served with butter and salt. Weisswurst, a white veal sausage, eaten on its own or with a pretzel or roll and sweet mustard, is a local staple, enjoyed best of all at a beer cellar or beer garden. The traditional beverage to accompany this is a local beer called Weissbier.

Leberkäse is another local favourite. Its name translates literally as ‘liver cheese’, but it is actually a type of smooth, spicy pork meatloaf, served in thick slices. You'll find it simmering in snack bars (Imbiss) around the city, kept warm under hot lamps. Other notable local fare includes roast pork with dumplings (schweinebraten mit knödel), pork knuckles (schweinshax'n) and roasted chicken (hendl), sold whole or in halves. Common side dishes are boiled potatoes (kartoffeln) and sour cabbage (sauerkraut). 

For dessert, there’s a Bavarian specialty that’s worth a try, called dampfnudlen. This translates as ‘steamed noodles’, which is a bit misleading, as it isn’t made of noodles. These are dumplings sprinkled with cinnamon or poppy seeds and covered with a vanilla sauce.

Beer is important in Bavaria, and much of it is produced locally. There are two main types: a wheat beer (Weissbier) and a lager (Helles bier); and different types of each, such as dark wheat beer, yeasty wheat beer and so on. If you like beer, you should sample some of the local brews, as beer really doesn't come any better than this.

Where to eat

When you’re dining out, remember that only a small percentage of restaurants accept credit cards. A few of the restaurants that are recommended follow here. Both the Ratskeller, underneath the Rathaus on Marienplatz, and the nearby Augustiner Keller are traditional Bavarian restaurants, offering excellent food and ambience. The centrally located Hofbrauhaus is also very traditional, but be aware that as the most famous beer hall in the world, it is also very touristy. Another good choice for a traditional beer hall serving good food is the Löwenbräukeller on Nymphenburger strasse.