If you go hungry in Munich, you only have yourself to blame. The culinary diversity of the city is reflected not only in its award-winning kitchens, but also in the host of new snack bars in individual neighbourhoods. Here is a selection of the options on offer:
Fräulein Müller - the deluxe kiosk
Old Schwabing resident meets air-kissing floozy meets student – and they all get served. In the small kiosk at the Englischer Garten (English Garden) you sometimes only drinks a soda or a quick beer, but also gets high class breakfast like avocado bread served with fried egg. Really nice: the sun loungers in the sand.
Fräulein Müller, Gunezrainerstraße 6
Curry sausage and beer garden at Alles Wurscht
In the illustrious Schwabing district, even the fast food restaurants eschew cardboard – here, chips, sauerkraut and the self-proclaimed “best currywurst south of the weisswurst equator” are served on porcelain. In summer, sit on colourful chairs under blossoming magnolia trees in the little beer garden, as you sip one of the house cocktails, such as a Schwabing Mule with gin.
Alles Wurscht, Nicolaiplatz 3
Georgian-Greek delicacies at Royal Healthy Slices
Owner Herakles and his mom sell Georgian-Greek delicacies right on Hohenzollernplatz out a little window. In addition to changing lunch dishes are also a few classics on the menu: Lasagna, Cretan oven vegetables with feta or khajapuri, a baked cheese sandwich from Georgia. Everything is homemade, freshly cooked and delicious - just like the vegan cake selection for afterwards.
Royal Healthy Slices, Hohenzollernplatz 4
Colourful sandwiches and salads from the Orangebox
On Netflix, “Orange is the New Black” – and in Munich’s Maxvorstadt district, Orange is a place where mixed salads, roasted pitta breads and toasted sandwiches are packed into boxes. For those who cannot live without the matcha chocolate and banana cake – boxes can be piled pretty high.
Orangebox, Türkenstraße 61
Pommes Boutique
The Belgians cook their “fat friends” twice, and so you needn’t think twice before choosing the dip to the Belgian fries – from the classic “rot-weiß” (“red-white”, meaning ketchup and mayonnaise) to the extra-spicy Samurai dip. However, if you do still find yourself thinking twice: you could always go for Rohkoststicks – raw vegetarian sticks, which are not deep fried and also there is a tempting offer of burgers recently.
Pommes Boutique, Amalienstraße 46
Insane falafel at Sim Sim
Where you can get the best falafel in the city? There is always a lot of hot talk, but Sim Sim's comes very close. The dough is shaped after pouring into small balls and thrown into the hot fat, on the delicious sandwich are also fresh vegetables, the homemade sauce and mint.
Sim Sim, Augustenstraße 74
Horse-crackers at the horse butchery Wörle
Kaspar Wörle’s door is emblazoned with the motto: “Genier dich nicht, tritt ruhig ein; das Pferd ist reiner als das Schwein” (“Do not fret – come on in now; the horse is cleaner than the sow”). Of course, horse meat is not for everyone, and yet: the hot horse meat knackwurst tastes so great, you’re sure to make a pig of yourself! Even Munich’s VIPs agree!
Pferdemetzgerei Wörle, Viktualienmarkt 3
Organic snacks in the English Garden at the Milchhäus
After the Second World War, milk and bread were distributed here to starving Schwabing residents – and now, empty bellies are filled with 100 percent organic fast food: sweet “Zuzler” (Weisswurst), rich “Resi” (organic meatloaf rolls), red “Wolpi” (organic sausages) and WinterÄxel (poppy seed punch). Patrons can order organic gummy bears, and the bell is rung for anyone who tips the staff.
Milchhäusl, Königinstraße 6
From muesli to lunch at Fräulein Grüneis
The green and white snack bar near the Eisbachwelle has absolutely nothing in common with the former ladies’ toilets that once stood on its site. Nowadays, nothing gets flushed away here – instead, everything is savoured: rice pudding and muesli for breakfast, homemade cakes, organic lemonade, mouthwatering brownies and sandwiches.
Fräulein Grüneis, Lerchenfeldstraße 1a
The best of the Middle East at Make Falafel Not War
Falafel for peace – wouldn’t it be great? Back in Syria, Salah Nchasi’s falafel stand was destroyed by the police. But fortunately, he saved his family recipe for chickpea batter with cumin, cloves, chillies, coriander, caraway seed and allspice and brought it with him to Munich's Ludwigsvorstadt. He also serves classic Middle Eastern foods such as hummus, tabbouleh and baba ganoush.
Make Falafel Not War, Kapuzinerstraße 2
Sandwiches of the finest at Herzblut
This sandwich bar near Munich’s Hauptbahnhof (main train station) does not open for long, but that just means you can be even more sure everything is perfectly fresh: market salads, rice pudding, gazpacho, and sandwiches spread with an ever-changing procession of new combinations: pulled pork and cabbage, bresaola (dried, salted beef) antipasti, peppadew cream cheese. Or if you prefer, you can simply opt for the bog standard sausage and cheese roll!
Herzblut – Die Sandwichmacherei, Goethestraße 36
Legendary sausage rolls at the sausage king
A legend in Munich: Since 1988, the Würstelkönig at Goetheplatz sells its grilled sandwiches and Salzburg's Bosna – both with the mysterious century sauce whose recipe is only known to the owner. The store has very sporadic opening hours, but as soon as the door is open, you should go in – whether you are hungry or not.
Zum Würstlkönig, Lindwurmstraße 77
Turkish dumplings at Lezizel Manti
Four steps to the “Dish of the Sultans”: first, choose your manti (Turkish dough pockets with a beef or vegan filling), then crown it with sauce (tomato, yoghurt), add toppings (spinach, mango chutney, truffle cream, walnuts, etc.) and finally, select a suitable accompaniment (carrot salad, mint tea, baklava). Majestic.
Lezizel Manti, Corneliusstraße 6
Curry sausage with spiciness at Gute Nacht Wurst
The later the sausage, the better the party – or something like that. The Gute Nacht currywurst is excellent food for comfort eating. You can even decide how spicy the sauce should be, depending on the extent of your digestive powers. If you really want to know how spicy you can take it, you can pay 10 euros to enter a competition and abuse your poor stomach for a chance to win 100 euros. Once you reach “Exitus” level (2 million Scoville units), you will certainly be feeling the burn!
Gute Nacht Wurst, Klenzestraße 32
Bavarian fast food at Bazi's Schlemmerkuchl
It doesn’t matter that it’s not true-blue Bavarians packing the Bazi boxes with roast pork and crackling, red cabbage and mini-dumplings at Bazi’s, but rather a Persian and an Iranian: no cantankerous Urbayer (typical Bavarian) has ever dared to produce Bavarian fast food, such as Entengröstl (duck hash, a bubble and squeak-style dish made of leftover meat, potatoes and onion, sautéed in a pan with bacon) with corn flatbread.
Bazi’s Schlemmerkucherl, Müllerstraße 43
Sushi on the hand at Little Daruma
The Temaki roll is, like a classic sushi roll, made out of rice and nori leaves, but it's shaped like a bag, making it perfect for on the go. In the Little Daruma these roles are filled with crab, wasabi cream, truffle pepper or yellowfin mackerel.
Little Daruma, Rumfordstraße 7
Herring roll and white wine at Fisch Häusl
A little more seaweed in your fish soup? Absolutely! The bar tables belonging to this small market stall in Wiener Platz are packed with people at midday. If you manage to bag a spot, a glass of Pinot Blanc is the perfect accompaniment to grilled squid, octopus salad, soused herring (Matjes) and herring.
Fisch Häusl, Markt am Wiener Platz
(Healthy) pizza corners at the Pizzesco
At this little Italian, rectangles of pizza are made by the metre so as not to hold up the lively street trade. Here, customers can munch classics such as Prosciutto e Funghi, Salami, but also potato truffles as they sit outside at tables decorated in green, white and red. Gluten- and lactose-free pizzas are also available.
Pizzesco, Rosenheimer Straße 12
Lunch dishes and coffee in the cozy Henry hat Hunger
There are precious few snack bars in the Au district of Munich – lucky, then, that Henry and his empty belly have stumbled into the place. Where, between Mariahilfplatz and Isar, can we discover Tramezzini, Panini and thickly spread sandwiches? Hunger!
Henry hat Hunger, Zeppelinstraße 27
Köfte and Kebap at Türkitch
Here, even confirmed carnivores enjoy eating vegetarian for a change – the antipasti burger, halloumi dürüm and falafel sandwiches really are that good. Though the term “special sauce” creates rather a disreputable image, the classic kebab is spread with fresh mint rather than the foreign red cabbage. Just don’t call it a kebab shop!
Türkitch, Humboldtstraße 20
The phrase “to go” takes on a completely new meaning here – before you can savour the delicacies of Munich’s food trucks, you will first need to chase after these kitchens on wheels. But it’s worth it!
7 Pot – Chili, Chilibowls & Saladbowls
Grillin’ me softly – authentic American burgers cruising through Munich
Isardogs – Gourmet hot dogs instead of “not a sausage”
Die intolerante Isi – one for all food intolerances (wheat-free, gluten-free, milk-free, low fructose, vegan)
Curry O City – spicy curries from the hot clay oven
