Top 10 Cafes and Restaurants in Munich

Designed as a place for artists to gather and share helpful advice or criticism, the Künstlerhaus (“House of Artists” in English), was founded in 1893. Today, you will find on its second floor a deliciously fine restaurant, called The Grill, with a cool inside area and lovely outside patio seating for days of good weather. The Grill offers their patrons a very relaxing ambiance. The dishes are made to be shared and, according to their official website, the chef, Max Lechner, takes not only season, but also origin and sustainability into consideration when choosing which meat, shellfish or fish to offer.

Hofbräuhaus am Platzl directly translates to “court-brewery at Platzl” with the word “court” coming from the fact that the brewery was once owned by the royal family, but now is state-owned. The Hofbräuhaus building was raised in 1607 by the Bavarian Duke Maximilian I, but was not open to the general public until 221 years later, in 1828. The building has been remodeled twice since then, once in 1867 and then again after WWII when everything, except the ground floor, was ruined by bombings. While the building was used for some years by Hitler as a site for his publicity and propaganda events, today the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl has a lively atmosphere with traditional Bavarian music flooding the great hall. There is only one size of Hofbräu beer available, called a maß, which is one liter. It’s a lot of beer, but certainly provides you with a great photo opportunity! The menu is full of hearty traditional Bavarian food, such as roast pork, pork knuckle, and sausages, with salads and lighter appetizers offered as well. For dessert, particularly recommended is the Hofbräuhaus Kaiserschmarrn. It’s delicious and, perhaps, unlike anything you've ever tried before.

A tradition that has existed in Munich for over three centuries, Dallmayr earned its reputation selling coffee composed of a very high quality blend of beans. The Dallmayr legacy began as a small family-owned grocery store and is now an international name, with the main store in downtown Munich receiving about 2.5 million visitors annually. The store is most famous for its “Prodomo” coffee blend, which is so delicious due, mainly, to the fine raw beans that make it up. Coming mostly out of Ethiopia, Dallmayr’s coffee specialists visit the regions of Sidamo and Harrar to hand pick the selection. But besides coffee, inside the Dallmayr shop you will find a wide range of fine foods, from seasoned olives and light, fresh lox to creamy exotic chocolate truffles and cooled white wine; the Dallmayr café has something that impresses everyone.

The new Rathaus, or town hall in English, is the large Gothic building in the middle of Marienplatz and it has served as Munich’s town hall since 1874. Located in the basement of the Rathaus, is the Ratskeller, a very traditional Bavarian restaurant and beer cellar. The tables are covered with white table cloths and decorated with small flowers; the low ceilings are adorned with beautiful paintings. All of these things, plus a bit of dim mood-lighting, create a very warm atmosphere for the guests. The prices are a little higher than at other Bavarian restaurants, but the food is also known for being consistently top-notch.

Located in the heart of downtown Munich, directly in Marienplatz square, Woerners is a café that serves decadent cakes, bite-sized pralines, ice cream, fancy coffees, and Glühwein (mulled wine), just to name a few. Especially during the warmer months of the year, patrons fill the outside seating, which spills into Marienplatz and gives a front-row view of the famous Rathaus (town hall). During the summer, many people cool down by sipping on a refreshing Aperol Spritz, which is a bright orange cocktail made by mixing sparkling wine and Aperol.

If one of the reasons for your visiting Munich is to find delicious desserts and pastries, then this is the cafe for you. Full of gooey doughnuts, cakes, and sticky-buns, Café Rischart is a heaven for someone with a strong sweet-tooth. In addition, they also offer an array of hearty sandwiches and some of the best Bavarian soft-pretzels around.

Weisses Bräuhaus is a very Bavarian restaurant that even has “lung” and other innards on the menu. Open since 1872, guests come here to get the real Bavarian experience in food, drinks, and atmosphere. In the morning, this restaurant, known for serving some of the best weisswurst sausages in Munich, is full of locals getting their breakfast. If you can’t handle a real beer with your morning meal, there is alcohol-free beer or other drinks on the menu as well.

Do not get confused - Prinz Myshkin is a delicious vegetarian restaurant in Munich, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s “healthy eating.” The menu is full of fresh, decadent dishes that fall into several categories, such as “From the Oven,” “From Far East,” “From India,” “Classics,” “Salads,” “Pizzas,” and “Pastas.” There is definitely something for everyone here, including vegans and people who don’t normally stick to a vegetarian diet. The wide range of mouth-watering desserts is something to look forward to as well. The restaurant has gotten great reviews from top newspapers and magazines, such as The New York Times and Vogue, so you may want to call ahead or book online for a reservation.

A Kosher bar and restaurant in the heart of Munich, self-proclaimed to be the only Kosher restaurant in all of Munich, Einstein has an open, cool, modern seating area, as well as a high-top bar for its patrons to enjoy. While the fresh menu changes daily, the dishes are generally a fusion of Jewish-Israeli and Oriental foods. Everything offered here is available for take-away as well, although the ambiance is so calming, it would be a shame not to eat in.

A very cute café /restaurant/bar with a whole lot of personality and a room full of comfy sofa-chairs and couches, Trachtenvogl is a great place to hunker down inside if it's cold, or when you just need to rest your tired body. They have an array of tasty breakfasts and lunch sandwiches, as well as several rich desserts to choose from. And, especially great during the cold months, they are known for offering over 30 different types of hot chocolate, including extra bitter, salty almond, orange-cinnamon, and white-chocolate blueberry.