Munich's bar scene is more layered than the lederhosen-and-litre-steins image suggests. The best bars in Munich include world-class craft beer taprooms, excellent cocktail lounges in Schwabing and Glockenbach, and a clutch of neighbourhood Kneipes that have been doing honest drinking since the 1950s. We covered 21 venues across three days. Here are the 10 that matter.
01
Crew Republic Brewery Tap
Giesing
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Brewery Taproom / Industrial
Munich's most celebrated craft brewery runs a taproom in Giesing with 12 taps of house beers and a rotating guest tap section. The Drunken Sailor DIPA is a Munich craft beer landmark. The space feels genuinely neighbourhood-facing rather than tourist-oriented. Weekday evenings bring out the regulars.
Order: Drunken Sailor DIPA or whichever seasonal just launched
02
Tegernseer Tal
Altstadt
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Traditional / Quality
Not a craft bar in the modern sense, but a venue that serves Tegernseer Hell — one of Bavaria's finest traditional lagers — with a commitment to freshness that most bars cannot match. The food is excellent, the setting is traditional Munich. Order the half-litre, not the full Mass, and you will taste it properly.
Order: Tegernseer Hell in a half-litre glass, always
03
Giesinger Brau
Giesing
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Neighbourhood Brewery / Authentic
A neighbourhood brewery in Giesing that started in a garage in 2010 and has grown into a Munich institution without losing its local character. The Dunkles is exceptional and the seasonal programme is ambitious. The biergarten fills on summer evenings with residents who treat this as their local.
Order: Giesinger Dunkles or the current seasonal release
The complete Munich bar guideEvery category across Munich — craft beer, cocktail bars, hidden gems, and the best traditional venues.
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Munich's Best Cocktail Bars and Evening Venues
Munich's cocktail scene is concentrated in Glockenbach and Schwabing, where a new generation of bartenders is working with Bavarian ingredients and challenging the assumption that Munich is only a beer city.
04
Bar Muenchen
Glockenbach
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Classic Cocktail / Intimate
A small, serious cocktail bar in Glockenbach that does one thing well: classic cocktails made with exceptional technique and premium spirits. No smoke, no theatre, no music above a comfortable conversation level. The Martini and the Manhattan are both among the best in Munich. Reserve for weekends.
Order: The house Martini or a Perfect Manhattan
05
Zephyr Bar
Glockenbach
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Creative Cocktails / Neighbourhood
A Glockenbach cocktail bar with a creative menu that changes monthly and focuses on seasonal Bavarian ingredients — elderflower, wild strawberry, schnapps base spirits — reworked into contemporary drink formats. The results are consistently impressive without becoming precious.
Order: The seasonal Bavarian smash or the house sour
06
Niederlassung
Glockenbach
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Neighbourhood / Multi-Use
A Glockenbach neighbourhood bar that functions as a daytime cafe, evening cocktail venue, and occasional event space. The drinks programme is more serious than the relaxed atmosphere suggests, and the natural wine selection is one of the better lists in Munich.
Order: The house natural wine selection or a gin-based house cocktail
Munich craft beer barsThe complete guide to craft beer in Munich — taprooms, neighbourhood breweries, and the best traditional venues.
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Munich's Hidden Gems: Beyond the Beerhalls
Munich's best-kept drinking secrets sit in residential neighbourhoods far from the Marienplatz crowds. These venues reward the visitor willing to take the U-Bahn a few stops from the centre.
07
Trambahn
Maxvorstadt
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Wine Bar / Tram Themed
A wine bar built inside a converted tram carriage in Maxvorstadt that serves the neighbourhood's art-world crowd. The list covers 120 references from small European producers and changes frequently. One of Munich's most characterful drinking experiences and completely under the tourist radar.
Order: A Bavarian Riesling or something orange from the skin-contact section
08
Zum Durnbrau
Altstadt
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Historic Kneipe / Traditional
Munich's oldest surviving Kneipe, operating in the same spot since 1487. The space retains the atmosphere of a genuine working-class Munich pub. The food is honest Bavarian, the beer list focuses on local breweries, and the clientele ranges from local tradespeople to university academics.
Order: Augustiner Hell on draft or the house Weissbier
09
Lost Weekend
Schwabing
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Bookshop Bar / Literary
A bar operating inside a bookshop in Schwabing, open until midnight and drawing a crowd of writers and academics from the nearby Ludwig-Maximilian University. The drinks are simple and well-priced, the atmosphere is genuinely literary. One of Munich's most original venues.
Order: Whatever German craft beer is on tap or a simple wine by the glass
10
Augustiner Stammhaus
Altstadt
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Traditional Brewery / Historic
The flagship Augustiner brewery pub in the heart of the old town, serving Munich's most beloved lager directly from the wood in the best traditional Munich drinking environment you will find. Loud, warm, and completely authentic — this is the beerhall experience worth having.
Order: Augustiner Hell vom Fass, the only correct order
Our Verdict on Munich's Bar Scene
Munich rewards the visitor who resists spending every evening in the same three beer halls. The craft beer scene here is excellent, the Glockenbach cocktail bars are as good as anything in Germany, and the hidden gems in Schwabing and Maxvorstadt show a city with more range than its reputation suggests. Give Munich three evenings and allocate one of them entirely to Glockenbach.
Munich hidden gem barsThe best off-the-beaten-track bars in Munich — neighbourhood venues most visitors never find.
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