It’s a longstanding tradition at Munich Found to provide our readers with some alternative addresses for Bavarian cooking during the Oktoberfest, when the rest of Munich is consuming megaliters of beer, mountains of roasted sausage and wagonloads full of crispy chicken, in smoky, noise-filled, endless beer halls. Your friends may have come to visit you because of the Oktoberfest, but why not show them another side of the city, such as the Glockenspiel and the Viktualienmarkt, and, afterwards, an authentic Bavarian Gast-haus. Hopefully, you’re too embarrassed to take them to the Hofbräuhaus, where yodeling Japanese and Bavarians playing “Oh Susanna” are supposed to represent “local culture.” Instead, head for Sedlmayr, located on the north side of Viktualienmarkt. It’s perfect for a breakfast of Weisswurst (a Munich specialty) until 11 am. Later in the day, you will have some difficulty finding seats available at the long wooden tables because the locals are partial to this place, which has really good, authentic Bavarian food. Don’t let the golden letters on the facade or the address deter you—it’s not a tourist trap! Sedlmayr offers some of the best schnitzel in town, though the Surhaxl (pickled pork feet), Kalbskopfbackerl (cheeks of veal) and Kalbszüngerl (tongue of veal) are also high on the list of delectable dishes on offer there. Prices range from € 10 to € 12. Save some room for the caramelized Kaiserschmarrn. This delicious sweet treat is normally a main course, so ask for some more forks and share a plate with your friends.
Another very pleasant Bavarian inn is the Wirtshaus in der Au. There are other reasons for visiting it beside the fact that it is just down the street from Munich Found. It offers light Bavarian fare with lots of fresh vegetables and an impressive selection of Knödl (dumplings). The tastefully appointed interior is traditional and hip at the same time. The wait staff in dirndls and lederhosen is a pleasure to behold and their friendliness makes you feel right at home. A beer garden with chestnut trees rounds out this little jewel in the Au. What’s more, from October until March every Sunday from 12 to 3 pm, Jazzfrühschoppen is offered, which translates into live jazz with a mug of beer for early birds. See the program at www.wirtshausinderau.de
We also recommend a restaurant that is a kind of “brewery outlet”: the Augustiner Bräustuben—not far from the Oktoberfest grounds—is located in the brewery’s original, listed brick buildings, which still serve as the company’s headquarters. During Wies’n time, you can even watch the majestic brewery horses in their stables through a big glass window, where they are waiting to pull Munich’s best beer to the Augustiner tent. The horses spend the rest of the year pulling lumber out of the Bavarian Forest. The menu features carefully prepared, hearty Bavarian fare: the Schlachtschüssel, for example, which consists of sausages and boiled meat prepared from freshly slaughtered animals. It is not to everyone’s taste to mash blood- and liver sausages with mealy potatoes and sauerkraut into a spicy paste on their plate, but—aside from my addiction to Italian and French cuisine—this hearty specialty is one of my personal favorites. The sign “eigene Metzgerei” outside is a good indication of the excellent food served inside. Indeed, the Augustiner Bräustuben proves the unspoken rule that Bavarian restaurants that have their own butchery are bound to be good.
If you are looking for a restaurant where Bavarian food fuses with the contemporary zeitgeist, the Au is the part of town where you should set your sights. Sau Guad is Bavarian dialect for something really good. Given its literal translation, “pig good,” it is unlikely that Munich’s English-speaking population will quite understand what the restaurant management wants to put across. A better translation would be “good pickings,” which captures the idea behind the name without anyone losing their appetite! Here, you will find a good selection of regional dishes, from Weissbierrahmsuppe (soup made from wheat beer and cream) and Bavarian fresh-water fish—such as trout and pike—to the inevitable crispy pork roast. And, as Munich regards itself as Italy’s northernmost town, the Italian offerings could almost be considered local. Some decently priced wines, such as the fresh Grüner Veltliner from Austria or a pleasant red Dornfelder from the Palatinate, which was part of Bavaria until after World War II, could complement your meal. Lunch ranges from € 6.80 to € 7.90; in the evening prices are a little higher.
Gasthaus beim Sedlmayr, Westenrieder-str. 14, Mon.–Fri. 9 am–11 pm, Sat. 8 am– 4 pm, Sun. closed. No smoke-free area.
Wirtshaus in der Au , Lilienstr. 51, Mon.–Fri. 5 pm–1 am, Sat., Sun. and holidays 10 am–1 am. Smoke-free area.
Augustiner Bräustuben, Landsberger-str. 19, daily 10 am-Midnight.
Sau Guad , Schornstr. 2, Mon.–Fri. 11– 1 am, Sat. 5 pm–1 am, Sun. 10 am–1 pm, www.sauguad.de. Smoke-free area.
