Food · Munich · Germany
What to eat in Munich
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Munich, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with White sausage, Pretzel and Roast pork knuckle. Find a seat under the chestnut trees at the Augustiner-Keller, Hirschgarten or Chinesischer Turm, order a Mass at the self-service counter and bring your own picnic if you like; tables with tablecloths are for table service only. In self-service beer gardens, you may bring your own food, but drinks must be bought there.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- White sausage
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 6
- Tipping
- Round up or add about 5–10% in restaurants, telling the server the total you want to pay…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Breakfast
1.White sausage (Weißwurst)
Mild veal and pork sausages flavoured with parsley and lemon, simmered and eaten with sweet mustard and a pretzel. By tradition they are eaten before noon, and locals suck the meat out of the skin.
Where: Traditional taverns and beer halls in the Altstadt, usually only in the morning.
Bakery · Vegetarian
2.Pretzel (Brezn)
Soft, chewy, lye-glazed pretzels with coarse salt and a crisp, thin crust. They come with every Bavarian meal and as a snack in bakeries.
Where: Bakeries across the city, beer gardens and beer halls.
Dish
3.Roast pork knuckle (Schweinshaxe)
A whole pork knuckle roasted until the skin crackles, served with a potato dumpling and gravy. It is a hearty beer-hall classic.
Where: Beer halls such as the Hofbräuhaus and Augustiner taverns.
Dish
4.Roast pork with dumplings (Schweinebraten mit Knödel)
Slices of slow-roasted pork shoulder in dark beer gravy, served with potato or bread dumplings and sometimes cabbage salad. It is Sunday lunch in Bavaria.
Where: Traditional Wirtshäuser (taverns) throughout the city.
Snack · Vegetarian
5.Obatzda
A Bavarian cheese spread of ripe Camembert, butter, paprika, onion and sometimes beer, eaten with pretzels and radish.
Where: Every beer garden and beer hall.
Street food
6.Leberkäse roll (Leberkässemmel)
A thick slice of warm Leberkäse, a baked meatloaf of finely ground pork and beef, in a crusty roll with mustard; a quick, cheap lunch.
Where: Butchers' shops and snack counters across the city.
Street food
7.Grilled fish on a stick (Steckerlfisch)
Whole mackerel or whitefish grilled on a stick over an open fire, sold in beer gardens and at Oktoberfest.
Where: Larger beer gardens such as the Chinesischer Turm and Hirschgarten, and festival stalls.
Dish · Vegetarian
8.Cheese noodles (Kässpatzen)
Soft egg noodles layered with melted mountain cheese and topped with crispy fried onions, a filling Alpine dish.
Where: Bavarian and Alpine-style restaurants; a reliable vegetarian main.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Shredded pancake (Kaiserschmarrn)
A fluffy, caramelised pancake torn into pieces and dusted with icing sugar, served with plum compote or apple sauce.
Where: Beer gardens, taverns and cafés, especially in the cooler months.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Apple strudel (Apfelstrudel)
Thin pastry rolled around spiced apples and raisins, served warm with vanilla sauce or cream.
Where: Cafés and traditional restaurants throughout Munich.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Munich beer (Helles and Weißbier)
Munich's six big breweries — Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten — brew pale Helles lager and cloudy wheat beer (Weißbier). A Radler mixes beer with lemonade.
Where: Beer gardens, beer halls and Wirtshäuser; beer comes by the litre (Mass) in many beer gardens.
Food experiences
Beer garden afternoon
Find a seat under the chestnut trees at the Augustiner-Keller, Hirschgarten or Chinesischer Turm, order a Mass at the self-service counter and bring your own picnic if you like; tables with tablecloths are for table service only.
Weisswurst breakfast
Order white sausages, sweet mustard, a pretzel and a wheat beer late in the morning in a traditional tavern — the classic Bavarian second breakfast.
Viktualienmarkt grazing
Snack your way around the market's stalls of cheese, sausages and fish sandwiches, then sit in the market beer garden.
Beer hall evening
Share long tables with strangers in a historic beer hall to the sound of a brass band.
Quick bites and street food
- White sausage — Traditional taverns and beer halls in the Altstadt, usually only in the morning.
- Pretzel — Bakeries across the city, beer gardens and beer halls.
- Obatzda — Every beer garden and beer hall.
- Leberkäse roll — Butchers' shops and snack counters across the city.
- Grilled fish on a stick — Larger beer gardens such as the Chinesischer Turm and Hirschgarten, and festival stalls.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 6 are usually vegetarian: Pretzel, Obatzda, Cheese noodles, Shredded pancake, Apple strudel and Munich beer. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- In self-service beer gardens, you may bring your own food, but drinks must be bought there.
- Don't sit at a table marked 'Stammtisch'; it is reserved for regulars.
- Restaurant kitchens in traditional taverns often close earlier than in southern Europe; plan dinner from about 6:30pm to 9pm.
- Cash is still preferred in some traditional taverns and markets, though card acceptance is widespread.
- Tap water is not always offered automatically; ask for 'Leitungswasser'.
Tipping
Round up or add about 5–10% in restaurants, telling the server the total you want to pay when they take payment rather than leaving money on the table.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Grüß Gott | Hello (Bavarian greeting) |
| Servus | Hi / Bye (informal) |
| Danke schön | Thank you very much |
| Eine Mass, bitte | A litre of beer, please |
| Prost! | Cheers! |
| Zahlen, bitte | The bill, please |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Munich famous for?
White sausage, Pretzel, Roast pork knuckle and Roast pork with dumplings. Mild veal and pork sausages flavoured with parsley and lemon, simmered and eaten with sweet mustard and a pretzel.
+Is Munich good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Pretzel, Obatzda and Cheese noodles.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Munich?
Round up or add about 5–10% in restaurants, telling the server the total you want to pay when they take payment rather than leaving money on the table.