It's still business as usual here. But as early as mid-June, Leopoldstrasse will once again become the party centre of the city during the European Football Championships. This is where the tension and euphoria will be released after the games. Where can you watch the games along the party mile and where can you find a bite to eat late at night? A guide.
During major sporting events like the European Football Championships, Leopoldstrasse undergoes a transformation: Bars gear up for weeks of excitement, restaurants install screens inside and out, shops decorate in national colours, while take-aways, kiosks, and even bakeries stock up on beer. If you're a football fan looking for match coverage and atmosphere, you'll find it all over the street. But where's the best spot to watch and cheer?
A good starting point is the places where you can watch sports all year round, i.e. sports bars and football pubs. Between Giselastrasse and Münchner Freiheit you will find a whole cluster of these pubs, including the Keg Bar in Trautenwolfstrasse. In this red-painted pub with posters and dark wooden tables, you can flop down into sofas and watch games on two large screens and six TVs.
In addition to Tegernsee beer, there is craft beer and Guinness, with some beers available by the pitcher or even by the barrel. Meals offered is typical bar food like burgers. If the screening takes place on a Friday or Saturday, there is no need to worry about a follow-up programme, as the Keg Bar stays open until four o'clock. The comfortable sofas are very popular, so you should definitely reserve a seat during the European Championships.
If you can't get a place, you can simply cross the street and try the Shamrock Pub. The Irish pub has the typical Dublin pub look: Cellar atmosphere, unplastered brick walls, tiled floors, dark-wood bar stools, rock music and a large selection of whiskeys, ales, stouts and ciders. All the European Football Championship matches are also shown here on a total of seven screens. If it gets as crowded as for the rugby matches, about 350 people will gather here to cheer. Ireland may not have qualified for the European Championships, but the games against England (Ireland's arch-rivals!) are still likely to draw a crowd.
Want to watch the game and celebrate triumph or defeat late into the night? Then head to the legendary Schwasi, as Schwabinger 7 in Feilitzschstrasse is nicknamed. The legendarily notorious “Boazn“ – as traditional pubs in Munich are known– near Münchner Freiheit will set up a screen for the 2024 European Championships and invite all aspiring national team coaches to analyse the performance of the playing team in detail. The great thing about the Schwasi: Even after the outcome of the game has been decided, you can discuss it here for hours. The pub stays open until four o'clock every day (!) except Sundays.
Anyone who is not only passionate about football, but also about food will be doubly pleased about the upcoming European Championships. Following a long-standing custom, traditional restaurants and snack bars are transformed into seething public viewing stages for such events. At the Arabic restaurant Sesam Falafel Schwabing, on the corner of Leopoldstrasse and Franz-Joseph-Strasse, all European Championship matches are screened. So while the players burn off calories on the pitch, you can savour them in the form of fresh falafel, mezze and halloumi. There is even a barter deal: The neighbouring shisha bar, Masquerade Schwabing, also provides a screen, so, alternatively, you can order falafel there and follow the football action. The astonishingly high Google rating of 4.9 stars suggests that the combination of falafel and goal celebrations is probably worthwhile.
A few meters further north, Gelateria Favara's will also become a football gathering spot for one month. Although the matches won't be broadcast, you can enjoy beer and a selection of ice cream flavours inspired by the European Championships. Ice cream in the national colours? With the country's typical fruit flavours or spices? We are curious to find out.
Those who were really looking forward to go to the stadium (everyone did!) but did not manage to snag a ticket, can console themselves with a currywurst (curry sausage) at Alles Wurscht and at least get a taste of the typical stadium experience. Just before Münchner Freiheit, turn right into Leopoldstraße and you will find the charming little building with the red “Imbiss“ (snack bar) sign on Nikolaiplatz. During the European Championships, football matches will also be shown here – those of the German national team, some quarter-final matches, the semi-final and the final. Large TVs and projectors will be set up on the terrace, in the garden, and in the sun room, and the restaurant will be decorated. In addition to currywurst (which is also available in a vegan version, by the way), other sausages such as Nürnberger, Bratwurst, and Käsekrainer (cheese sausage) will be on offer.
Wirtshaus zur Brezn, just before you reach Münchner Freiheit, may not be showing the games, but it's still a culinary hit. And that's not all: To the delight of night owls, there's a midnight menu that offers delicacies like spare ribs or Kasspatzn (traditional cheese pasta) until midnight. If you want to recover after a night of partying, you can return the next day for a Weisswurst (veal sausage) breakfast. In combination with beer, it works wonders.
The Türkitch, right on Münchner Freiheit, may not be showing the European Championships, but you can enjoy something else: Döner kebabs, köfte, and falafel – treats that are popular all over the city. In addition, you can soak in the cosy atmosphere of the nearby Wedekindplatz. The square is adorned with a few trees, a fountain, an ice cream parlour and numerous pubs. If you're looking for fellow celebrants, this is the spot to be.
Finally, a place to remember if you want to keep the excitement going all night long: the 24h Kiosk, which is located directly at Münchner Freiheit underground station and, as the name suggests, is open 24 hours a day. In the early morning hours, the kiosk turns into a neon-green illuminated oasis where everyone gathers after the last bar has closed. Here, the never-tiring can stock up on snacks and beer, and those who stay up until the wee hours, you can also grab a newspaper and recap on the football match from a few hours ago.
When the German national team won the World Cup in 2014, 200,000 fans flocked to Leopoldstrasse. But even when the Germans aren't playing, Leopoldstrasse is the place to be for celebrating fans, whether Italian, Croatian, English... And while it's still unclear who will have the most reason to celebrate at Euro 2024, the Munich police are keeping a close eye on the situation on Leopoldstrasse. There is a possibility of spontaneous victory celebrations. “In such cases, temporary road closures [for cars] will be set up as needed. The decision will be made by the officer in charge on site, who will assess the situation accordingly,“ explains Lukas Schauer, press officer for sport and major sporting events in the City of Munich.
