There are many ways to explore Munich: Visit the museums and churches, take part in guided tours, chat with the locals, browse through books about the city's history or cycle through the neighbourhoods. But no matter how ambitious or relaxed your itinerary is, there's one thing you shouldn't miss: the food.
What would Munich be without its rustic inns, where dark wood paneling radiates a coziness developed over centuries? And what would the city be without its beer gardens, where chestnut leaves cast dancing shadows and condensation from beer mugs leaves rings on the tables, embodying the Bavarian way of life? And without the bustling markets, the spectacular Michelin-starred restaurants, and the authentic Italian eateries? If you want to discover the essence of Munich, you'll find it on an emptied plate. So, it's worth swapping your city map for a menu now and then.
If you want a crash course in Munich's food culture, head straight to the culinary heart of the city: the Viktualienmarkt. Located in the centre of the old town, it is one of four permanent markets in Munich and has been a hub for food since 1807. What began as a simple farmers' market has developed into a gourmet temple, with around 100 stalls offering everything you need for big and small moments of indulgence. Many stalls offer food for direct consumption, making it the perfect spot to try Bavarian to-go classics like Leberkassemmel (meat-loaf roll) or Auszogne (fried dough pastry).
However, the Viktualienmarkt is still primarily a place to shop: fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, cheese, delicatessen – here, you can find everything your heart (or stomach) desires and all in top quality. For the stallholders, selling the city’s finest goods at this market is both a point of pride and tradition. To guarantee this quality, a network of regional suppliers has been built up over the years: for instance, Daniel Kufner, a young herb grower and popular figure at the market, even though he does not have his own stall.
If you want to discover the essence of Munich, you'll find it on an emptied plate. So, it's worth swapping your city map for a menu now and then.
His nursery in the north of Munich supplies many vegetable and delicatessen stalls with a wide variety of herbs, wild herb salads and a wide range of vegetables. Fisch Witte, a firm fixture at the Viktualienmarkt since 1985, runs its own fish ponds in northern Munich. The Münchner Käse Manufaktur stall sources its milk from 50 organically-kept cows in Grafing near Munich, while Bäckerliesl's crispy farmer's bread comes from Brotmanufaktur Schmidt, which gets its flour from the Weißmühle mill in Bruckmühl.
Anyone observing the hustle and bustle of the Viktualienmarkt will quickly notice another part of regional charm: the dynamic exchange between the vendors: Time and again, market traders leave their stalls to visit their neighbours – almost never empty-handed. This creates a lively barter system: cappuccino for a sandwich, fresh lettuce for a piece of mountain cheese, kombucha for marble cake – people know, value and support each other.
The young Caspar Plautz potato stall is a perfect example of what this gourmet microcosm is all about: The weekly changing potato dishes are inspired by the seasonal and regional produce – often sourced from the organic vegetable stall Trübenecker directly opposite. The dishes feature, for example, organic roast pork with Sriracha mayonnaise, coriander, chilli, sweet and sour pickled rhubarb and leek vegetables, served with the restaurant's own hoisin sauce. The quality of the food has earned a solid reputation and also attracts some Michelin-star chefs as regular visitors.
Starting your culinary journey at the Viktualienmarkt has another advantage: You can simultaneously experience another traditional Bavarian institution, the beer garden. A particularly charming one is located in the middle of the market, making it the most central beer garden in the city. According to an old custom, you can bring your own snacks, but drinks must be purchased from the host. Many guests opt for a freshly tapped Helles (pale lager) – the supplying brewery changes every six weeks or so.
Unlike most beer gardens, this one at Viktualienmarkt is not owned by any single brewery, and Munich's major breweries take turn serving the beer. Good taste is guaranteed, as Munich beer is world-renowned for its quality. It is produced exclusively by seven breweries; the name is strictly protected – and it must be brewed within the city limits. The Munich Purity Law of 1487 stipulates that only water, yeast, malt and hops may be used. The latter usually comes from the picturesque Hallertau, the world's largest continuous hop-growing region in the heart of Bavaria.
And what would the city be without its beer gardens, where chestnut leaves cast dancing shadows and condensation from beer mugs leaves rings on the tables, embodying the Bavarian way of life?
Speaking of breweries: They not only run most of Munich's beer gardens, but also many of the city's popular Wirtshäuser (pubs). Wirtshäuser are as integral to Munich lifestyle as dark beer sauce is to roast pork. The old town has a particularly high concentration of Wirtshäuser, so it’s no surprise that some of the oldest and most historic ones are located here.
For example, the famous Weisse Bräuhaus in Tal, not only serves classic Bavarian dishes, but also continues the art of Bavarian Kronfleisch cuisine. This culinary tradition dates back to a time when sustainable and respectful treatment of animals was the norm, ensuring that no part of a slaughtered animal was wasted, not even the offal, which, when properly prepared, becomes a delicacy. However, anyone who believes that Munich's Wirtshäuser are solely defined by centuries-old traditions, is mistaken.
What would Munich be without its rustic inns, where dark wood paneling radiates a coziness developed over centuries?
More and more of these establishments now feature a new generation of hosts at the stove or the tap, bringing fresh ideas to the table. For example Sonja Obermeier's Klinglwirt offers a vegetarian and vegan twist on Bavarian dishes, using only organic meat from Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten, or the Xaver's, founded by three young siblings, gently modernises Alpine cuisine with regional and organic ingredients. Then there's Bodhi, a fully vegan Wirtshaus that still serves schnitzel, roulades and cheese spaetzle (pasta): These examples prove that Bavarian cuisine can indeed be light, sustainable, and modern.
The renewed emphasis on seasonal and regional ingredients extends beyond Munich's traditional pub fare and is also making waves in the city's fine dining scene. To understand the scope of this change, it is important to know the origins of Munich's top gastronomy: This journey began in the 1970s, when property developer Fritz Eichbauer fulfilled his dream of opening his own gourmet restaurant, inspired by French cuisine – the Tantris.
Under chef Eckart Witzigmann, the restaurant earned two Michelin stars within three years, the highest accolade in Germany at the time. Since then, the Tantris has been regarded as the birthplace of German Michelin-starred cuisine. To guarantee the highest quality, Witzigmann had many fresh ingredients delivered daily from Paris.
Not everything that tastes Japanese has to be flown halfway around the globe.
His passion for vegetables inspired many, including his sous chef Daniel Bodamer, who became the head chef at the Brothers in 2022 and was awarded a Michelin star within just four months – partly for his inventive use of vegetables.
While the Tantris continues to use exquisite ingredients from around the world, decades of excellence have solidified its confidence and influence on style. Today's head chef Benjamin Chmura, a Canadian-born chef with a German mother, who grew up in Brussels, has rediscovered regional ingredients such as horseradish for his menus.
Every spring, when the Michelin Guide presents its awards, it becomes evident that this new green-regional cuisine is on the right track, as the number of restaurants receiving top marks year after year is increasing.
Joshua Leise from the Mural Restaurant not only received a star, but also a green star from Guide Michelin. This double honour was awarded particularly for his approach of using carefully selected regional products to create surprising flavour experiences.
Wolfgang Hingerl, chef, Munich ambassador and mastermind behind the Mural and several other high-calibre restaurants, focuses on radical regionality. Through his commitment to local sourcing, he has created a network of regional producers that is essential to the success of his restaurants.
Similarly, Tohru Nakamura, who has earned two stars for his restaurant Tohru, relies on the products of fish farmer Lea Birnbaum, who breeds 15 species of freshwater fish in 25 natural ponds in Epfenhausen near Landsberg, of which the trout, sturgeon, and huchen live three times longer than conventionally farmed fish. Nakamura uses these fish to craft dishes like lake trout marinated in sansho pepper with English cucumbers, yuzu, and nasturtium. As the chef puts it, “Not everything that tastes Japanese has to be flown halfway around the globe.“
But does this switch also extend to everyday life? To find out, it is essential to delve into the daily eating habits of Munich residents – and there are a few surprises. First, Munich proudly calls itself the “northernmost city in Italy,“ and that’s more than just a joke. Since the guest worker agreement in the 1950s, Munich has been the first arrival point for trains from Italy. Today, almost 30,000 Italians live in the city and there are an estimated 400 to 500 Italian restaurants. Whether it's Napoletana, Romana or Pinsa: The perfect pizza is debated with the same passion in Munich as it is south of the Alps, and most of the city's ice cream parlours naturally serve their own Italian gelato.
Another surprise: No other German city with over a million inhabitants has as many people with a migrant background as Munich.
Neighbourhoods like the student hub of Maxvorstadt infuse the city's culinary scene with a vibrant range of international restaurants. Here, you can savour hand-pulled Chinese noodles, Ethiopian sourdough flatbread, Israeli meze, and Korean bibimbap – bringing world wide flavours right to your plate.
The perfect pizza is debated with the same passion in Munich as it is south of the Alps, and most of the city's ice cream parlours naturally serve their own Italian gelato.
And of course, the eating preferences of today's cosmopolitan gourmets is carefully considered – menus are becoming more vegetable-focused, with conscious meat choices and a strong emphasis on regional ingredients. So you've truly eaten like a Munich local when, at the end of your day, you have enjoyed vegan miso mushroom soup, pinsa and Weisswurst (veal sausages). It may sound like a wild mix, but only until you have tried it yourself. On that note: buon appetito, afiyet olsun and an Guadn!
