Different cakes next to each other in a cake counter

Overview: Authentic and traditional cafés in Munich

Coffee, cake and time travel

What could be better than having a coffee break in one of the long-established cafés in Munich after a sightseeing or shopping tour? No matter whether you prefer to enjoy your coffee and cake on a roof terrace with stunning views, in rooms full of history or even in an antiquarian greenhouse – you have the choice!

Café Glockenspiel

Marienplatz 28

Guests at Café Glockenspiel are spoilt for choice when they have to decide where to sit. The café is actually split into two areas: While the restaurant offers wonderful views over Marienplatz (main square) and the Glockenspiel in the Neues Rathaus (town hall), you can also sit outside in the rear section of the café when the weather is fine.
The roof terrace provides a direct view of the Alter Peter, the tower of Munich’s oldest church.

www.cafe-glockenspiel.de

Café Luitpold

Brienner Strasse 11

Café Luitpold is an old-etablished institution in the Brienner Quartier. When it opened in 1888, Café-Restaurant Luitpold in Munich was much more than an average café. It was an architectural masterpiece and one of the largest coffee houses in Europe.
Back then, Café Luitpold was one of the most important meeting points for Munich's high society. Artists, authors and free thinkers went in and out on a regular basis. Here in 1911, Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee are said to have founded the Blue Rider (Blauer Reiter) artists’ group.
Since an extensive renovation in 2010, the traditional café has been returned to its former glory, serving guests classic specialities like home-made cakes, pastries, biscuits and pralines, as well as dishes for fine dining. The kitchen has been repeatedly rewarded by the Michelin Guide.

www.cafe-luitpold.de

Schlosscafé im Palmenhaus

Schloss Nymphenburg 43

It is worth visiting the Palmenhaus just to experience the surroundings: The café is housed in a former greenhouse and is therefore always full of light. If the sun is shining, then the terrace is a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the enchanting atmosphere of the captivating palace garden.
When it comes to the menu, the restaurant blends modern cooking with traditional cuisine: Whether you’re here for brunch, a la carte dining, cakes, pastries or speciality coffee: The selection is various!

www.palmenhaus.de

Café Frischhut / Schmalznudel

Prälat-Zistl-Strasse 8

Right at the Viktualienmarkt (food market) you can find a café, which is better known to some locals under its nickname "Schmalznudel". The Café Frischhut has been around since 1973 and serves Schmalznudeln, also known as Auszogne. The sweet consists of a yeast dough, which is baked crispy in hot lard. You get coffee in cups with old German lettering which makes you feel as if you are sitting in your granny's kitchen. Inside, cosy wooden tables invite you to take a break, but you can also sit in the sun in front of the café or in the courtyard – a perfect place for taking a breather after a walk across the Viktualienmarkt.

Café Ruffini

Orffstrasse 22-24

In the 1970s, the Café and Bar Ruffini in Neuhausen was a popular meeting place for left-wingers: A colourful group of students and activists founded the café, where everyone involved in society was allowed to have a say in matters. Today, the Ruffini is known beyond the neighbourhood for its delicious cakes, wonderful coffee and large selection of Italian wines – both to drink on site and to buy in the shop.

By the way: mobile phones are not allowed in the café. If you want to immerse yourself in Munich's time-honoured café scene, you'll probably have to live with not being able to document it on Instagram every now and then.

www.ruffini.de

Konditorei Café Wiener

Rumfordstrasse 7

This institution has been around since 1960, but recently the operators Johanna Wallner and Rainer Wiener had to move from Reichenbachplatz to Rumfordstrasse – so the new café is only a stone's throw away from the old one, which especially pleases the regulars. Delicious cakes are served with good old filter coffee, reminiscent of grandma's baking skills and nostalgic. But the confectionery doesn't only attract senior citizens, young and old meet here, which is not only due to the charm of the rooms, but also to the fact that the café is located on the hip Gärtnerplatz – all around are cool design boutiques, trendy bars and cafés that prefer flat white to filter coffee. The only thing some people still have to get used to is the owner's grumpiness, but that goes down well with a delicious piece of Bienenstich.

Café Jasmin

Steinheilstrasse 20

It's said to be Mick Jagger's favourite café when he's in town with The Rolling Stones: Café Jasmin in Maxvorstadt with its velvet green armchairs, golden chandeliers and Formica tables. The interior is listed as a historic monument; you can sit here since 1954 and forget about time, because it's simply incredibly cosy. What hasn't stuck in the 1950s is the selection of food and drinks: the breakfast and lunch menus are varied, with some vegan options and various milk alternatives. The café is best known for its great selection of cakes – Jagger's sweet tooth sends his regards – and the delicious drinks in the evening, when the lights are dimmed and you gently slip from coffee bliss into an elegant bar atmosphere.

www.cafe-jasmin.com

Text: München Tourismus; Photos: Christian Kasper, Frank Stolle
Baker at work in the Hofbräuhaus-Kunstmühle in Munich.

Bread report: Our daily bread

Back ma's

Virtually no other city has a bread tradition stretching back as far as that of Munich – or such venerated bakery products. What makes them so exceptional and desirable?

Virtually no other city has a bread tradition stretching back as far as that of Munich – or such venerated bakery products. What makes them so exceptional and desirable?

A glass of beer in a restaurant in Munich.

Beer typology

What are you drinking?

Starkbier, Festbier, Hell, Dunkel, Pils: a typology of Munich's beers – and the people who drink them.

Starkbier, Festbier, Hell, Dunkel, Pils: a typology of the most important Munich beers – and the people who drink them.

A fisherman takes a fish from a net on a lake.

Burbot, Bullhead, Whitefish

Native Exoticness

A lot of bones, difficult to eat: Freshwater fish is a culinary niche. But young chefs in Munich are turning char, wels catfish and pike into a true taste adventure.

A lot of bones, difficult to eat: Freshwater fish is a culinary niche. But young chefs in Munich are turning char, wels catfish and pike into a true taste adventure.

Bread with Gelbwurst and chives in Munich.

Sausage guide

Munich and it's sausages

The universe of Munich's sausages is almost infinite. An orientation guide.

The universe of Munich's sausages is not infinite. Its full extent may, however, appear unfathomable to many visitors to the city. A guide.

The chef of the restaurant Schneider Bräuhauses München is cutting a knuckle of pork with a big knife.

Bavarian gastronomy

Nose to tail

Heart, kidney, cheeks, tail: Nose to tail eating is a worldwide trend. Always has been in Munich.

Heart and kidneys, cheeks and tail: While serving up the more unusual parts of an animal may currently be one of the hottest trends, the people of Munich have been doing it for centuries.

Panoramic view of the Munich Christmas market at Marienplatz.
Christmas Market Tour

Get in the mood for Christmas on this tour through the old town in the wonderful atmosphere of fragrant almonds and glittering lights.

Book now for 30 €!

Get in the mood for Christmas on this tour through the old town in the wonderful atmosphere of fragrant almonds and glittering lights.

Get in the mood for Christmas on this tour through the old town in the wonderful atmosphere of fragrant almonds and glittering lights.

A woman with varnished fingernails holds a gift with the inscription "simply Munich".
Vouchers

Buy now vouchers for your visit in Munich. The ideal gift! Guided tours, guest cards and more...

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Buy now vouchers for your visit in Munich. The ideal gift! Guided tours, guest cards and more...

Merchant with dried fruit on the Viktualienmarkt in Munich.
Viktualienmarkt Tasting Tour

Discover the most delicious delicacies of the city and learn all kinds of interesting facts about Munich's most famous food market.

Book now for 40 €!

Discover the most delicious delicacies of the city and learn all kinds of interesting historical facts about Munich's most famous food market.

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Official Munich City Guide

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With our new city guide, you can take a relaxed stroll through the most beautiful neighbourhoods and discover insider tips from our guides.

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View of a residence serenade with candles in the court chapel.
Residenz Serenades

This Munich experience promises high culture for newcomers and enthusiasts: enjoy the popular Mozart concerts in the Residenz.

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This Munich experience promises high culture for newcomers and enthusiasts: enjoy the popular Mozart concerts in the Residenz.

Exterior view of the Munich Palace of Justice on Prielmayerstraße in Maxvorstadt.
Justizpalast Tour

During the guided tour of the present-day seat of the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, you will learn everything about the history and significance of the neo-baroque court and administrative building.

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During the guided tour of the present-day seat of the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, you will learn everything about the history and significance of the neo-baroque court and administrative building.

Small meeting room of the Neues Rathaus in Munich
New Town Hall Tour

Explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official City of Munich tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

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Explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

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Exterior view of the Hofbräuhaus Munich at dusk.
Hofbräuhaus Tour

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Book for 28€, Mass beer included!

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Towers at Marienplatz in Munich
Old Town Tour

The city walk for everyone who wants to become acquainted with the most beautiful parts of Munich's city centre.

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The city walk for everyone who wants to become acquainted with the most beautiful parts of Munich's city centre.

Wort kettle at the Spaten brewery in Munich.
Spaten Brewery Tour

Experience a brewery tour at Spaten with a look behind the scenes, interesting facts about the company history and beer tasting in the brewery tower.

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Street Art-Tour

Did you know that Munich was a pioneer of the European graffiti scene? Discover different art up close in the city with our street art tour today!

Experience the city's diverse art & exciting graffiti on our street art tour!

Did you know that Munich was a pioneer of the European graffiti scene? Discover different art up close in the city with our street art tour today!

View of the Salzach river and the castle in Salzburg.
Salzburg and the Lake District

Visit the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and relax on the journey to beautiful Lake Wolfgang.

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Oktoberfest Shop

Bring a piece of Oktoberfest home: Purchase official souvenirs such as the Wiesn poster or the Oktoberfest beer stein in the official Oktoberfest shop.

Bring a piece of Oktoberfest home: Purchase official souvenirs such as the Wiesn poster or the Oktoberfest beer stein in the official Oktoberfest shop.

A woman in the exhibition "Der Blaue Reiter" in the Lenbachhaus in Munich
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Vouchers

Give the gift of a special Munich voucher: we also offer vouchers for all our guided tours. Here you can book unique Munich experiences directly online, print them out and give them as a gift voucher to friends or family.

Buy vouchers from 6,50 €

Give the gift of a special Munich voucher: we also offer vouchers for all our guided tours. Here you can book unique Munich experiences directly online, print them out and give them as a gift voucher to friends or family.