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Introduction
Munich’s nightlife is as disparate as everything else about this city. Any given night might involve a knees-up in a traditional beer hall, a stint on the dancefloor of an über-contemporary club, or an immersion in the works of great German composers such as Wagner.
The area around Münchener Freiheit in Schwabing is the best-known nightlife district, with innumerable bars, cafés, restaurants, jazz venues and dance clubs. Hip bars are plentiful on the streets radiating out from Gärtnerplatz, while the Glockenbachviertel, just south of Sendlinger Tor, is the main focus of the gay scene. Haidhausen offers a more alternative scene.
Munich also boasts an impressive cultural pedigree – it’s significant that the head office of the German cultural organisation, the Goethe Institut, is based here. Munich was a major centre for the arts during the 19th century, under the patronage of Ludwig I and II, and today the legacy lives on with quality live music and theatre performances.
Arts in Munich (www.artsinmunich.com) has English-language listings for cultural events, while Prinz (www.prinz.de) is a German-language alternative. The best general source for tickets is München Ticket (tel: (089) 5481 8181; www.muenchenticket.de), which has counters in the tourist information office in the Rathaus on Marienplatz, as well as in the Hauptbahnhof and in the Gasteig Cultural Centre on Rosenheimer Strasse.Bars
Hofbräukeller Not to be confused with the more famous Hofbräuhaus, although it's run by the same state-owned brewery, the Hofbräukeller occupies the cellar of a neo-Renaissance building and offers a rich atmosphere for downing a stein or two (accompanied, naturally, by all the traditional Bavarian beer snacks). It's a little out of the town centre and generally draws more locals than it does tourists, which says much about its historical, down-to-earth appeal. Over the summer, there's a beer garden shaded by chestnut trees.Haidhausen Innere Weiner Strasse 19 Munich 81667 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 4599 250. Web: http://www.hofbraeukeller.de/ Schumann’s American Bar With a reputation in Munich much akin to the legendary Harry's Bar in Venice, and equally startling prices to match, this is worth a drink just to say you've been. A now iconic institution, located in a street teaming with ultra-chic boutiques, Schumann's cocktails have been delighting the rich and famous here for over two decades. They're potent, but chances are you'll be out of cash before you're too far gone.Hofgarten Odeonsplatz 6-7 Munich 80539 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 229 060. Web: http://www.schumanns.de Beer Garden Augustiner Keller Dating back to 1812, this beer garden is the oldest in Munich and still serves the genuine traditional experience in all its delightful, clichéd glory. The big draw here originally was the famous "beer bull" yoked to cart beer barrels up from storage in the cellar. Although the bull is long gone, the beer garden looks much as it was back then. The local Augustiner beer – considered by many Bavarians to be Munich's best – is enthusiastically consumed.Hauptbahnhof Arnulfstrasse 52 Munich 80335 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 594 393. Web: http://www.augustinerkeller.de Cafe Luitpold Dating back to 1888, this Munich institution famously drew cultural heavyweights such as Kandinsky, Ibsen, Strauss and Thomas Mann, and it remains a busy meeting point for locals. Long opening hours mean that it's as likely to attract those in search of coffee and cake as those in search of a few slow beers. There's also a formal restaurant on site. The whole thing has been substantially redecorated since the days in which royalty dropped by, but it still remains an enjoyable spot.Odeonsplatz Brienner Strasse 1 Munich 80333 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 242 8750. Web: http://www.cafe-luitpold.de Clubs Gecko Club Drawing in the crowds on Friday and Saturday nights since its opening in 2013, Gecko ticks most of the boxes for an upmarket modern nightclub, courtesy of its contemporary design, on-trend dance music and great, late night atmosphere. The venue actually hosts two separate areas, the Main Club and the smaller Rose Club, meaning different tastes are catered for. Its strapline bills the club as being for "Munich's Wildest Party Animals", but it's a little more stylish than that might suggest.Maximiliansplatz Maximiliansplatz 5 Munich 80333 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 5999 8999. Web: http://www.gecko-club.com Kultfabrik A monumental nightlife venue with around 20 bars and clubs all underneath one roof, what Kultfabrik lacks in subtlety it makes up in variety. The whole venue occupies what was once an industrial area and you'll find everything here from a South American rock bar and an Irish pub to techno-filled dancefloors and beery "party bars". Close by, fellow nightlife centre, Optimolwerke, offers a similar concept with numerous beat-heavy nightspots to choose from.East Munich Grafinger Strasse 6 Munich 81671 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 4994 9170. Web: http://www.kultfabrik.de Live Music Nachtcafe Filling a comfortable gap in the market between the thumping techno clubs and the sloshing beer taverns, this late-night bar in Munich attracts an older, more sophisticated crowd, drawn in part by the classy blues, jazz and soul acts that regularly take to the stage. There's also a smart/casual door policy. Over the summer months, an outside garden area adds to the appeal.Maximiliansplatz Maximiliansplatz 5 Munich 80333 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 595 900. Web: http://www.nachtcafe.ygg.de/sub/nachtcafe/nachtcafe.php Mister B’s If you like your live music served in a cosy, intimate and friendly setting, and more to the point, you love your jazz - then look no further than Mister B's. This tiny, but ever-popular jazz bar, run by ex-New Yorker Alex Best does a fine line in cocktails, although its main appeal is as a music venue. The bar itself comprises just a few tables and a stage, but it's got a whole lot of heart, and there's live jazz every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.Ludwigsvorstadt Herzog-Heinrich-Strasse 38 Munich 80336 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 534 901. Web: http://www.misterbs.de Backstage Club Despite the intimate name, this is actually a multi-venue complex comprising of three clubs, a theatre and a cheap and pleasant beer garden. The large stages in the clubs host bands from across the globe, and if you're looking to catch the latest international indie and rock acts as they're passing through Munich, then this club will be your best bet. Recent acts to appear here include the likes of Paolo Nutini and Manic Street Preachers.Hirschgaten Reitknechtstrasse 6 Munich 80639 Munich Germany Tel: (089) 126 6100. Web: http://www.backstage.eu |
