0
0
Before travelling to Munich, I had barely dabbled with German cuisine. My only real experience was a very hungover pork knuckle in Cologne. That and bratwurst in Nuremberg because at the time, I could afford little else. This visit to Munich was with the intention of remedying that, to make up for last time and see exactly what German food was all about. I had my suspicions (which were later confirmed) that pork was king there and most meals centred around that fact. Apart from that, I was there to be educated and discover a cuisine that, up until this point, had evaded me. After much research deciding what to eat in Munich, I arrived ready to eat and eat I did!
Steinheil 16
It was almost inconceivable to me that I could travel to Germany and not try one of their famed Schnitzels. A schnitzel is pork meat pounded until very thin, coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried until crispy on the outside, yet tender on the inside. I chose the highly recommended Steinheil 16 as the perfect place to first try one and I was not left disappointed. The meat was perfectly seasoned without a hint of any fat. I was slightly taken aback by just how much eating was in one plate. It was a very heavy lunch, especially considering it was my third meal of the day. I did enjoy every bite though and with only a slight struggle, I managed to finish it. The schnitzel represented fantastic value for money considering how stuffed I was leaving the restaurant and I can’t recommend Steinheil enough to taste this local favourite.
Opening Hours = 10:00 – 01:00
Price = €10.90
Address = Steinheilstraße 16
Café Frischhut
Breakfast can often be a tricky one. Do you do the right thing and opt for some fresh fruit and cereal, perfect for kickstarting your day? Do you take the savoury option and eat as much fried food as you can or do you take the sweet yet unhealthy with no nutritional value option? On my first morning in Munich, I chose the latter. Schmalznudel was a delicious, freshly deep-fried dough, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and topped with as much sugar as you desire. It kind of reminded me of a flat doughnut, just with less soft dough on the inside. Maybe, there are better ways to begin your day, but very few tastier.
Ask any local in Munich where to find the best Schmalznudel and they are sure to point you in the direction of Café Frischhut, a small bakery selling just four varieties of deep-fried delights. They are widely considered to be the best. Pull up a seat outside, get yourself a cup of coffee and one or even two Schmalznudel’s should you be feeling a little piggish, and start your day off, for those few minutes at least, the best way imaginable.
Opening Hours = 08:00 – 18:00. Closed on Sunday
Price = €2.20
Address = Prälat-Zistl-Straße 8
Kleiner Ochs’nbratr
As you stroll through Viktalienmarkt, you may feel like you have entered into something of a food paradise. The delightful smell of fruit wafts through the air with many stalls offering freshly squeezed juice. Others are cooking up some, often pork related, local specialities. It can be a tough decision choosing what to eat. I implore you to look no further than Kleiner Ochs’nbratr and more specifically, their Weisswurst. Often overlooked due to the white/grey colour that makes it seem uncooked, Weisswurst is a delicious sausage made from veal and pork. It is heated in water but never boiled leading to a lack of colour on its outer casing. Known as a breakfast or a brunch sausage, locals will tell you to never eat one past midday. As an early treat though, you cannot go wrong. They are packed full of flavour and perfectly accompanied by a salty pretzel and a helping of a sweet mustard sauce.
Opening Hours = Tuesday to Saturday – 10:00 – 18:00
Price = €6.20
Address = Viktualienmarkt 16
Wirsthaus Zum Straubinger
This was something of a redemption meal for me. As I mentioned earlier, during my time in Cologne I tried and failed to eat one of the famous knuckles of pork due to a very serious hangover. This meant that when I got the chance to try one in Munich, I had to take it. This coincided with being one of the cheapest options in what was not the most budget-friendly restaurant. A win-win situation for me. It was as good as I always thought it would be. The tender and juicy pork buried beneath the crispy crackling was heavenly. The dumplings it came with were not fantastic, one was better than the other but neither great. However, at the time, I didn’t care one bit. It was all about that beautiful pork. Even though this meal left me with further regret about the wasted food in Cologne, I was delighted I got the chance to try and, thankfully, enjoy this delicious German speciality once more.
Opening Hours = 10:00 – 00:00, Tuesday to Sunday and 17:00 – 00:00 on Monday
Price = €13.50
Address = Blumenstraße 5,
Ringlers Grill
I was keen on a substantial breakfast before heading off to Dachau Concentration Camp for the day. Ringlers and their delicious looking sandwiches were already in my mind as a place I would love to try and their early opening time swung the decision for me. With a small selection of sandwiches to choose from, I went with what was called The Bavarian, pork belly (always pork!), spicy coleslaw and chilli mayonnaise. Even though a meal this heavy might have been suited to lunchtime rather than nine in the morning, I really enjoyed it. The crispy pork belly and the crunchy coleslaw were devine with the soft bun and the spice level was perfect and not too overpowering. It was not hard to see why Ringlers have a reputation as one of, if not the best sandwiches in Munich.
Opening Hours = 08:00 – 18:00 from Monday to Friday, 10:00 – 18:00 on Saturday, Closed on Sunday
Price = €5.50
Address = Sendlinger Str. 45
Bergwolf
Currywurst is the ultimate drunk food. At three in the morning after a good fill of beer, a plate of this is exactly what you want. Fried pork sausage, usually cut into bite-size chunks, is then covered with curry-flavoured ketchup. The Germans will eat currywurst at any time of day though, and for good reason, it is awesome. Currywurst is usually eaten with fries and on rare occasions, bread. Although found pretty much everywhere, Bergwolf is known throughout Munich as having the best, something I realised quite quickly after turning up ten minutes after opening to find the place packed. Instead of being deterred, I ate at the counter, standing like many others, beer in one hand and a tiny wooden fork in the other. I loved every bite!
Opening Hours = 12:00 – 15:00 and 18:00 – 02:00 from Monday to Friday, 12:00 – 04:00 on Saturday and 17:00 – 22:00 on Sunday.
Price = €5.80
Address = Fraunhoferstraße 17
Turkitch – Kofte & Kebap
After falling in love with Turkish food last year during my time in Turkey and especially Istanbul, I felt required to try some during my time in Munich. The reason being, Germany, back in the 1950s and ’60s took in a huge amount of immigrants from Turkey. I was convinced that this had to be evident in the mass amount of Turkish food on offer throughout Munich. I was eager to see whether or not they had stayed true to their origins or conformed to suit the locals, something which is all too common. Turkitch came heavily recommended as the place to go for cheap yet delicious Turkish food in Munich. Whilst there were some notable differences in what I received compared with that of its homeland, mostly I was very impressed by both the taste and quality. It might not be Turkey but it was deliciously close.
Opening Hours = 11:00 – 22:00
Price = €5
Address = Humboldtstraße 20
Andy’s Krablergarten
My one complaint throughout my time in Munich was that as delicious as the food was, I wouldn’t remember any of the meals fondly enough to crave them once home. That was until my last meal in the city. Andy’s Krablergarten offers the usual selection of local favourites and a huge list of Schnitzels, all with different flavours and sauces. The Schnitzel I ordered saw the pork covered in a spicy sauce before being breaded and was packed full of flavour. It had the perfect little kick to it and I never wanted it to end. By far the best meal I had in Munich and it is certainly my first stop should I ever return.
Opening Hours = 10:00 – 00:00
Price = €11.90
Address = Thalkirchner Str. 2
I do feel that the food in Munich, in a way, sums up the entire city. I liked the food just the way I liked Munich. Yet, I felt it lacked the wow factor of some cities. When I think back to each city I have visited I can think of three, maybe four meals that I would love to eat again. Yet when it comes to Munich I won’t be thinking like this. With the exception of the schnitzel at Andy’s Krablergarten and at a push, the Schmalznudel, I won’t have overly fond memories. That is not to say, I didn’t enjoy the food, it just failed to leave a lasting impression. This trip gave me a chance to try German food and I am thankful that I did. In my opinion, you can eat well in Munich, maybe just not great.
To read more about Munich, click here
Average Rating