A Foodie’s Tour of Munich

My journey for the past few weeks has been a road trip for two foodies traveling through France, Italy, Austria and Germany. I am back from my travels but would like to include another post or two about Munich as we spent so much time there. Munich is a real foodies’ town. I thought I would give you a tour of some of the highlights that my husband and I discovered during our stay in this beautiful town. I’ll long remember the beautiful pastries, food stalls and delicious meals.

Beautiful Pastries

Food plays a large part in the life of anyone living or visiting Munich. Starting with the wonderful whole grain breads and rolls at breakfast, typically served alongside butter, honey, homemade jams, smoked sliced meats and cheese. Later in the morning, you see people enjoying the famous weisswurst (white sausage) dipped in sweet mustard alongside a beer. Cafes line the beautiful cobbled streets and are part of the social scene. Throughout the afternoon everyone sits facing the sun, enjoying lunch or coffee and cake.

The Cafe Social Scene

Dinner might be Schweinbraten (roast pork) or Schweinshak (roasted pork knuckle) along with Brezn (soft pretzel).

In my last post, I wrote about the open air market. Pick up any guidebook about Munich and you will find the  Viktualienmarkt recommended as a place you must visit. It was established by King Maximilian I in 1807 and has been going strong since that time. It is just a three minute walk from the Marienplatz. Locals and tourists stand shoulder to shoulder at the 140 stalls of incredible products.

Fresh Vegetables

Prosciutto And More

Wine, Cheese And Bread

Fresh Fish

If you go early enough, there will be some of Munich’s famous chefs buying top ingredients for their daily specials. If you are tired or hungry, you can buy prepared food and take it to the markets’ beer garden shaded by huge chestnut trees.

Beer Garden

Every six weeks one of Munich’s six breweries will be selling their beer here.

For more upscale food shopping, you can’t miss Dallmayr, Munich’s most famous delicatessen. Also mentioned in all the guidebooks, it has some of the best gourmet delicacies that you can buy.

Hors d'oeuvre

Petit Four Nouveau

Small Portion Of Cheese Selection

Sausages And Cold Cuts

This deli is packed with well dressed locals and tourists here to buy chocolates, pastries, fancy meats, seafood, cold cuts and sausages, or their famous coffee. Upstairs is a lovely café with views of Munich and a two star Michelin restaurant.

Cafe

In the café, you can have a full meal or just enjoy a cup of coffee (lots to choose from) and a beautiful piece of their pastry. This time, we had a light lunch of salad and soup…delicious.

Roasted Pear And Mushroom Salad

Lobster Bisque

Munich is lovingly referred to as the most northerly city in Italy. It has an almost Mediterranean life style and large Italian community. There are almost 800 Italian restaurants in the city, one of which we have enjoyed on three of our visits.

Osteria Der Katzlmacher is a fine dining Italian restaurant just around the corner from the Hofbrauhaus.

Osteria Der Katzlmacher

We are always warmly greeted by Giorgio Cherubini, the owner. He and his all italian staff are all so friendly and yet give such professional service. Giorgio even remembered where we sat on our last visit and made sure to give us the same table. Our outstanding meal included freshly made tagliolini with butter and a large amount of shaved white truffle that they had purchased that day.

Tuna On Fennel Amuse Bouche

Fresh Tagliolini Pasta With Butter And White Truffle

Whole Bronzino Baked In Salt

We enjoy eating traditional meals in each town that we visit. On this trip, we visited the Pfistermuhle. It is a cozy restaurant in the vaults of a building that dates back to the 1500’s. Today it is decorated with dark wood, wrought iron chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling, and white linen topped tables with candles. It specialized  in upscale Bavarian cuisine.

Pfistermuhle

Terrine Of Goose Liver With Pear Chutney

Saddle And Sausages Of Lamb With Beans And Potato Cake

We often go to the Haxnbauer where the biggest attraction is the pork and veal knuckles that are cooked on a charcoal grill. If you stand outside one of their windows, you can watch the knuckles spinning over the fire. It is impossible to not make a reservation and try this delicious, moist meat. You can order sides such as sauerkraut and potato dumplings. Perhaps finish off the meal with apple strudel or apple fritters.

As I said in my earlier post, Munich is more than beer and sausages. It is a city of beautiful buildings, warm and friendly people, and great food for every taste. Day trips can easily be made to the Bavarian Alps, beautiful castles, historic sites and famous spa resorts.