Howzit!
In 2015 I visited Germany for the second time (the first time being only Berlin), and I visited a few cities starting from Munich where I spent 5 days. Throughout these five days, I had the chance to grab a bite and a beer at various places from famous beerhouses to more local places that students like to hang out. Here are tips from a Turkish in Munich (there won't be any mention of doner&kebap, I promise).
POPULAR
Hofbrauhaus
Hofbrauhaus was founded by Wilhelm V- the Duke of Bavaria - in 1589 and is one of the oldest beer houses in the country. Wilhelm V emphasized the use of organic ingredients in the making of beer. On a side note; all the beer houses in Bavaria had to follow Reinheitsgebot (En: Purity Law) established in the 16th century to make the use of organic materials compulsory for beer production. Source
It is believed that The King of Sweden ordered six hunded thousand barrels of Hofbrauhaus beer after occupying Bavaria during the Thirty Years War! Source
Apart from being one of the most popular dining areas in the city, Hofbrauhaus also owns the biggest tent in Oktoberfest.
Hofbrauhaus is not a place where you can just walk in and grab a quick bite before rushing to a movie or a meeting. You are strongly recommended to make a reservation. This place is the Black Friday of restaurants in Munich.
Here is a full description of what happens if you go without booking a table: 30 minutes of hunger games for finding a table, 30 minutes for the waitress to see you and bring the menu, 30 minutes for them to come back to take your order, 30 minutes for the drinks to arrive and another 30 minutes for the food to arrive!
As intimidating as it sounds, it is worth every second of the long wait. I especially liked the potato salad with the sweet-sour sauce as a side dish. This was also the first time I had beer in the giant 1L glasses.
Hofbrau is recommended if you want a beer with a bitter taste. Radler is a soft beer with lemon flavor (it was my favorite beer in Germany).
A combination of main dish + big sized beer costs 15-20 euros. Given that this is the most popular restaurant in the city, this shouldn't be too surprising.
Wirsthaus in der Au
Opened in 1901, the restaurant is very close to the Deutches Museum. Its initial name was Wagner Brau until 1993. We didn't have the chance to eat ear but we tried their home-made beers. They also make home made wine, juice, lemonade and cocktails. You can also purchase them in bottles.
Click here for more information about their home-made products.
Augustiner Brau
Founded in 1328, Augustiner Brau is the oldest beer producer in Munich Source. The beers produced by this brand were also distributed to other major cities like Berlin. We didn't eat here because the food was expensive, but we got to try the most recommended beer called Augustiner Keller. It had a very sour and acidic feeling in my mouth afterwards, and it was a bit strong (to make me tipsy lol)
LOCAL
The Atzinger:
The lesser-known local restaurants cluster near university campuses such as that of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. The Atzinger is one of them.
I especially love the burgers here. They were quite big, filling and delicious. A cheeseburger with fries and salad costed 9 euros.
The place has a big backyard as a plus, although I had to sit inside because of my bee phobia (they were everywhere!!)
Cadu:
Cadu is another local tip that I tried. This place is right across the University subway stop. Even though it is reasonably crowded with students, it doesn't overwhelm you. This place also has a backyard.
You can try to pasta and steaks that appeal to every taste. They have their unique recipes. The menu is just as inventive as the food itself. The breakfast option Tarkan Bussi Bussi (Kiss Kiss) was just one of them!
Fedora:
If you want to explore the affordable options near Marienplatz, you can try Fedora which is an Italian restaurant as the name suggests.
Combine super crunchy thin pizza dough with generously topped ingredients and super friendly- talkative waiters, you will not be disappointed. The prices ranged from 7 to 12 euros per pizza depending on the size.
Pepenero:
This place was recommended by my Couchsurfing host even though I didn't have time to try it. This place is right next to te subway station called Müncher Freiheit nearby Englischer Garten. This was his favorite place and he told me that one can find pizza as cheap as 5 euro. Let me know what you think if you try it out.
Any other recommendations from Munich? Drop me a comment below.
Cheers!
Haritakurdu