Munich Beer Gardens

In 2002, while wandering in Munich I stumbled on the Hofbräuhaus, went in for a couple of beers and a meal. I enjoyed it so much I have been back 2 more times and will go again. It's kind of like a little bit of Oktoberfest all year long.

It's a beer hall, not a beer garden, but anyway... Even if every single person in the Hofbrauhaus is a tourist, it's still worth going for the unique and rowdy atmosphere. Other beer halls have better food, but food is not the main reason for visiting the Hofbrauhaus.

Last month I had dinner and a couple of biers at Weihenstephen, in Freising. The bier was good, but at Hofbräuhaus, the food is better, and the prices are reasonable for Munich. And Hofbräuhaus has entertainment, Weihenstephen didn't. And, yes, where I ate at Weihenstephen is a true Biergarten.

You need a copy of "The Beer Drinkers Guide to Munich"!

I would recommend the Augustiner Beer Garden near the train station. It is mentioned in Rick's book. I was there 4 years ago and unless it has changed dramatically, my friends and I were pretty much the only tourists there when we went. And we went back many times.

If I had a choice between Hofbrau Haus and any other beer hall, I'd choose the other. Hofbrau haus isn't horrible but it's horribly touristy. The good side is there's always an oompah band playing. If it's nice weather, I'd opt for a trip to Englischer Gardens and visit a Beer Garden there.

the chinese tower beer garden behind the english garden is pretty good after a long walk through the park to kill a night during summer time.

I second the recommendation for the Augustiner Beer Garden just past the train station. It is very nice sitting under the trees with the locals and relaxing without the huge number of tourists you see at the Hofbrau. It is still amazing to me that many people can sit and drink beer and its quiet and relaxed. One note on our experience at Augustiner: Because they don't neccessarily cater to tourists I had a little trouble getting food during the evening "rush". It is a cafeteria type of setup where you walk up and tell them what you want from the choices and they plate it for you. The locals are moving fast and coming and going. The beers are being filled as fast as they can, just grab two turn around to pay (say danke) and go find a seat. I don't speak much German so I had to read the signs slowly and even pull out my RS phrase book. But that did not detract from how relaxing an evening it was, take it slow and point at what looks good. LOL
And Enjoy!

Also, nobody says you have to go to only one! :) We went several times to all the ones mentioned above and several more besides. There is a very convienent one right in old town near the Marienplatz called the Viktulienmarkt (sp) that is nice to stop at for lunch (beer) while walking around. Plenty of food shops and food stands surround it. Go into a nearby butcher shop and ask for a Leberkäs Semel with mustard. Kind of a meatloaf sandwich. The average tourist doesn't know about and its very cheap. (I think less then 2 E) Mmmmm~! Holy Moly! Now I have to go back to Munich!

Augustiner Keller is a great beer garden. You could combine it with the Hirschgarten and experience two of the best. Both are on the Tram #17 line that you can catch in front of the main train station. Both serve the Augustiner beer, which in my opinion is some of the best in the world. I also recommend the book, Beer Drinker's Guide to Munich.

Hi David, Have a great time in Munich! It's a lovely city. I highly recommend the beer gardens in the Englisch Garten. On a nice sunny day, there's really nothing better than a stroll through the park and relaxing at one of the three beer gardens there. I would skip the Chinescher Turm beer garden and head north to the Seehaus. With luck, you'll find a seat overlooking the scenic lake. If you're looking for a nice atmosphere in the evenings, I also like the Augustiner Keller near the train station. Although AK is a bit far of a walk from everything else, it's easily accessible via the street trolleys from the main tourist area. Enjoy! - Lauren

HB is worth a trip for a beer...its touristy but a lot of fun. The food is great just across the street at Augustiner. The only outdoor beer garden I went to was in Englisher Park, the Chinese Tower that someone mentioned previously. The atmosphere was great and so was the food. Please eat som Obatzda (cheese spread) for me!