18 Best Restaurants In Munich For Traditional German Food

German food is best described as hearty, comforting, and heavy. Heaping plates of slow-roasted meats that swim in rich gravies served with fist-sized dumplings or piles of braised sauerkraut, along with platters of shiny, smokey bratwurst with zesty mustard and perfectly crisped schnitzel with flecks of sea salt and a mound of potato salad are just a few of the things that make Germany a glutton's delight. Meanwhile iconic street foods like currywurst and doner kebab come with distinct origin stories, serving as an edible representation of Deutschland's rich history. And that's not even counting the bread — tangled pretzels, chestnut-hued pumpernickel, cute little bröchten, and fluffy milchbrötchen entice even the strictest of dieters.

Wash all that down with a beer, and you'll be hooked on German cuisine for life. And in the southeast state of Bavaria, the 500-year-old purity law of Reinheitsgebot — the regulation that protects German beer and keeps it "pure" — still reigns supreme. As you can imagine, the Bavarian capital of Munich presents the perfect lineup of restaurants to indulge in regional foods and brews. Whether you're looking for a quaint tavern or a sprawling beer hall, Munich has you covered. Get to feasting and prost-ing at any of these long-loved Munich eateries.

Some days you want a swanky spot with crystal chandeliers and a jaw-dropping wine list. Other days you want a quaint and cozy lodge that whips up homestyle delights, and for that, there's Weinbauer Inn. Tucked away on a quiet street not far from the lush grounds of the Englischer Garten, Weinbauer Inn has been serving up some of Munich's finest meals since 1861.

Get started with a few sips of any of its local brews and munch on some obazda, a traditional Bavarian snack made with cream cheese, brie, butter, and plenty of paprika. Then for the main, there's no better choice than the zwiebelrostbraten, a Weinbauer delight of beef loin smothered in a sweet and savory onion sauce with crispy German fries.

Housed near the high-reaching towers of Frauenkirche, in what used to be Munich's Augustinian monastery, whose monks began brewing nearly 700 years ago, Augustiner Klosterwirt prioritizes Bavarian food and beer traditions of both the past and present. Over the centuries, Augustiner Klosterwirt has become synonymous with the city's best ambiance, beer, and food.

Get started with a half liter of Augustiner Helles — a lager light tapped from a wooden barrel with a pleasantly malty taste —and a bowl of old school leberknödelsuppe, a brothy soup of liver dumplings. If your appetite can manage, opt for the Klosterwirt sausage platter, a beast of a meal made up of grilled Munich and Nuremberg sausages and brats with potato salad, sauerkraut, and tangy horseradish. For a lighter fare, though, there's the crispy veal schnitzel with wild cranberry sauce.

Just a couple of blocks from Marienplatz is one of Munich's most enduring traditional restaurants, Zum Dürnbräu. Not many historic buildings survived the Second World War, but Zum Dürnbräu did, and thanks to that, the location has been serving thirsty and hungry patrons as far back as 1487.

If the weather is nice, have a seat outside and choose from its barreled beers like the Franziskaner wheat beer or Spatenbräu Helles. If you're all done with beer for the day, you'll find a Riesling made just up north in Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate and dry red Domina from Bavaria's Franconia region. Zum Dürnbräu's menu stays on a steady rotation, but you can always rely on Bavarian favorites like deliciously gooey spätzle with fried onions and slow-roasted duck with a generous helping of burgundy-tinted cabbage.

Located in the heart of Old Town, Nürnberger Bratwurst-Glöckl am Dom has been grilling up some of the city's tastiest bratwurst for 130 years running. Nürnberger Bratwurst-Glöckl am Dom literally translates to Nuremberg sausages by the Cathedral bell, and as its name suggests, the restaurant specialty is Nuremberg-style sausages. These bitesize bratwursts are famous for aromatic flavors of marjoram, pepper, ginger, and cardamom and hail from the emblematic city of the same name.

Start off with a stein of some chocolate-hued dunkel and the Obatzter plate of specialty cheeses, or if you love symmetry, go for the Augustiner dunkelbiersuppe, a warm soup made up of Augustiner dunkel beer and rye bread. While the Nuremberg sausages are certainly a crowd favorite, the house pork sausages are also a real treat. Both go wonderfully with a heaping plate of potato salad.

Just a couple of steps from Fraunhoferstraße, Gaststätte Burg Pappenheim has a 145-year-long rep for hearty comfort foods and frothy steins of Bavarian brews. Like the tangy wurst-salat (sausage salad), Gaststätte Burg Pappenheim gets Bavarian food just right.

A big draw is the restaurant's cheese and cabbage spätzle made with peppery mountain cheese straight from Tegernsee. The cabbage adds a unique vegetal touch to an otherwise neutral plate. Order a few of the rost bratwurst with any of the Augustiner barrel-tapped brews, but be sure to save room for the mighty schäufele. It is a specialty popular in Bavaria's Franconia region, comprised of a massive slab of pork shoulder drenched in dark beer sauce and served with potato dumplings. Think of schäufele as an unofficial rite of passage to really understanding how much Germans love pork.

Head to the heart of Schwanthalerhöhe, and you'll find Servus Heidi, a quaint German wirtshaus that weaves both modernity and tradition into all of its dishes. Their philosophy is rooted in sustainability and an organic-first approach to dining; all of its ingredients are sourced from local farmers and small regional producers.

Grab a table in its sunny beer garden or slide into one of its cozy booths inside; either way, you'll want to start with a bowl of its Wurzelsupperl, a root vegetable soup slow-cooked in veal broth. Then move on to a hearty plate of zwiebelrostbraten; literally translated as "roast beef with onions," this Swabian classic is sure to hit the spot. Unlike many other places on this list, Servus Heidi also has a number of vegan options to choose from, such as the Bayrischer hot dog and portobello schnitzel.

Part charming inn, part rustic tavern, and a 100% Bavarian, Görreshof Wirtshaus is one of the best places to experience true Bavarian cuisine in Munich. With its candle-lit tables, wooden beer barrels ready for tapping, and steady scent of roasted duck throughout, Görreshof Wirtshaus wows in atmosphere and food alike.

Go ahead and grab a glass of the Kaltenberg weissbier leicht or the Augustiner pils and a plate of the Munich sausage salad as a starter. You're spolit for choices when it comes to the main, but we recommend the fleischpflanzerl, a dish of German-style meatballs smothered in a beer gravy and a big ol' hunk of mashed potatoes, or the weiner schnitzel with fried potatoes and cranberry sauce. Save room for dessert and dig into some old school apfelstrudel.

Located on the same street and number as its name, Steinheil 16 is a Maxvorstadt favorite hailed for its casual atmosphere, solid schnitzel, and fried sides perfect for washing down with a cold Bayerische biere. In addition to classic Viennese-style schnitzel, you'll also find a soy schnitzel option and other vegan menu items.

Order a plate of the cheese spätzle with crispy onions for a starter and an Augustiner hell vom fass beer to match. For something a little lighter, start off with the salad of baked schnitzel, cranberries, and tartar sauce. The best option would be to order the Viennese pork schnitzel that comes with the usual suspects — crispy, salty french fries, and fiery mustard — though the turkey schnitzel and meat-free schnitzel also make great choices.

Milk chocolate wood-paneled interior with warm lighting, stained glass details, and woodsy, old-world accents bring Wirsthaus Rechthaler Hof to life. Just a few steps from Hauptbahnhof and Karlsplatz, this über cute tavern is well worth a stop while in Munich.

For a fun starter, go for an Ayinger kellerbier and the currywurst with house fries, Swiss sausage, and Bavarian pretzel, or the tiroler gröstl plate of beef roast bites. Be sure to save room for the jägerschnitzel loaded up with bacon and mushrooms and served with a generous side of creamy and buttery flour noodles. If your appetite isn't up for this, the classic sausage plate comes with six adorable bitesize brats loaded with deep, peppery flavors and the tangy bite of a sauerkraut sidekick.