Day 1
Morning
If you want to go all-in on Munich clichés, then start your day with veal sausages for breakfast. The best way to get them is to travel a little out of the city center to the district of Schlachthofviertel, where you will find the Grossmarkthalle market hall, the city's culinary trading center. In here, look out for the Wallner's butcher's shop and restaurant, where market traders and merchants have their breakfast of "Weißwurst" (literally "white sausage"), pretzels, and wheat beer from 7am.From here you can walk back to the city center along the Isar river or Westermühlbach stream, through small yet popular districts like Glockenbach.
Continuing across the famous Gärtnerplatz and past the Gärtnerplatztheater, you'll arrive at the picturesque Viktualienmarkt. This food market serves as the gastronomic heart of the city, opening up in front of the old town that towers behind it. Whether it's seasonal vegetables, fresh mushrooms, traditional butchered meats, fish, or tropical fruit: this place is a wonderland for true food lovers. Take a short break from wandering the market by stopping at any of a number of enticing spots: grab a delicious coffee at Sweet Spot Kaffee; enjoy freshly baked goods at Lea Zapf's pâtisserie; or indulge in a "Schmalznudel" (a bit like Germany's answer to funnel cake) from Schmalznudel – Café Frischhut, where warm pastries have been delighting customers for decades.
Next, you must make time in your schedule for a cheese tasting at Tölzer Kasladen and chocolate shopping in the cocoa emporium that is Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse. Once you've treated yourself, continue on to Marienplatz, the city center and certainly the most famous square in Munich, with its historic New Town Hall. Incidentally, the city's main market was located here at Marienplatz until the beginning of the 19th century, when it moved and became the Viktualienmarkt.
Lunch
When your stomach starts rumbling after a morning of sightseeing (albeit with the odd snack), you're spoilt for choice. Just a stone's throw from Marienplatz, in the direction of Opernplatz, you will find a famous yellow building that is home to the flagship store of Dallmayr. One of the most traditional delicatessens in Germany, it's well worth a visit to check out its vaulted hall filled with the finest delicacies.On the second floor, Chef Rosina Ostler serves her refined, modern, Nordic-inspired cuisine in Two MICHELIN Star restaurant Alois – Dallmayr Fine Dining. Fortunately for the weary shopper, it's one of the few outstanding restaurants in the city that's open for lunch. It would be our choice if you want to set a high bar for your culinary journey in Munich and experience as many Stars as possible while you're here.
If you're happy to go a little further afield, another lunch option is the beautiful Brasserie Les Deux, on the opposite side of Marienhof. Sitting below the MICHELIN-Starred Les Deux restaurant, the brasserie kitchen led by Chef Nathalie Leblond cooks up Francophile cuisine from midday onwards. Choose from a range of bistro classics like shrimp cocktail with brioche, or feel-good dishes such as roasted "loup de mer" with white bean salad, chorizo, and beurre blanc.
A final nearby, MICHELIN Guide approved spot for lunch is the colorful Italian restaurant Galleria, for those who can't get enough of traditional Italian cooking, even when they're in Germany!
Afternoon
If you want a short break after lunch, or need somewhere to lay down your shopping, now might be a good time to check into your hotel. There are some terrific ones in the city's old town, such as the modern Platzl Hotel or the exclusive BEYOND by Geisel, which boasts panoramic windows for prime views of the New Town Hall.
Spend the rest of your afternoon on more sightseeing, shopping, and culture. For the latter, your main targets should be the Frauenkirche church, the Bavarian State Opera, the palace and gardens at Residenz, and the Kunsthalle museum. If you're looking to go on a spending spree, then Maximilianstraße, Fünf Höfe, and Hofstatt are home to lots of exclusive stores, while the Jewish Museum and Stadtmuseum are nearby on Sebastianplatz. For one of the best views in Munich, climb the steps up the church tower at Alter Peter.
Dinner & Evening
If your daytime was about Munich's culinary tradition, then this evening's dinner could be described as "Munich's culinary miracle" as you make your way to Two MICHELIN Star Tantris. If you're staying at the Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor hotel, then you can have a pre-dinner drink in the M'Uniqo bar on the 12th floor, before a brief stroll to dinner. If your hotel is further away, then take a cab or the subway to Schwabing.
Visting Tantris, you can look back on over 50 years of culinary history, shaped by three great chefs: Eckart Witzigmann, Heinz Winkler, and Hans Haas. In the early 1970s, entrepreneur Fritz Eichbauer had the vision of bringing a world class, French-influenced restaurant to Munich. He had Tantris built and brought in the Austrian chef Eckart Witzigmann, who had trained in Paris under Paul Bocuse. He went on to become the first chef to be awarded Three Stars in The MICHELIN Guide Germany, and trained countless future Star chefs. Tantris held this highest distinction of Three Stars from 1982 to 1991.
Today, the flagship restaurant forms part of Tantris Maison Culinaire, along with Tantris DNA and Bar Tantris. The former is a One MICHELIN Star à la carte restaurant where Chef Benjamin Chmura and his team revive French classics and signature dishes from past Tantris chefs. If you didn't already spoil yourself with Two Stars at lunch, then you can of course stick with the main Tantris restaurant and enjoy the chef's modern French cuisine, which impresses with its minimalist aesthetics and outstanding craft.
Before heading home, make sure to visit Bar Tantris and enjoy one of their fabulous cocktails under the sparkling silver ceiling, such as the Americano with vermouth from the hotel's own Salicutti vineyard in Tuscany.
Day 2
Morning
If you haven't opted for one of the hotels we suggested yesterday, then you could do a lot worse than waking up surrounded by the understated luxury at the Rosewood Hotel, a relative newcomer to Munich's high-end hotel industry. Located in the former Bavarian State Bank, the hotel offers an à la carte breakfast and an excellent pâtisserie from Chef Matthias Brenner's Brasserie Cuvilliés.Those who prefer to go out for breakfast can head to Schumanns Tagesbar or the traditional Café Luitpold, both established and popular daytime eateries within walking distance of the old town and Odeonsplatz.
Lunch & Afternoon
After relaxing in the fresh air, head from Schwabing to the museum quarter of Maxvorstadt near the university. Hear, you could easily spend the rest of your day exploring the various exhibitions and museums. Alte Pinakothek, Pinakothek der Moderne, the Gylptothek on Königsplatz, the NS Documentation Center and the Lenbachhaus are all within walking distance. Directly opposite the Brandhorst Museum is one of Munich's most popular ice cream parlors, Ballabeni. The eponymous Alberto Ballabeni concentrates on largely classic flavors of supreme quality. The lemon sorbet and the dark chocolate with ginger are particularly good. If you want an idea of the quality, just take a look at the size of the queue!
At some point during all this cultural education, you're bound to get hungry. The Austrian bistro Das Tschecherl is ideal for a bite to eat, run by Jürgen Wolfsgruber as an offshoot of his MICHELIN-Starred Sparkling Bistro in the Amalienpassage. Head Chef Nico Sator is in charge of the casual dining concept at Das Tschecherl, serving unfussy, satisfying dishes such as lake trout matjes or paprika chicken in a stylish yet relaxed setting.
To round off your afternoon in the museum quarter, a coffee or a drink at the modern, stylish Coeur Tagesbar would be ideal. Alternatively, a little further towards the city center, there's the classic Schumann's Bar, or the Goldene Bar at Haus der Kunst, with its beautiful outdoor terrace facing the English Garden.
Dinner & Evening
If you really want to end your trip on a high, there's no better option than Three MICHELIN Star JAN. Chef Jan Hartwig has been running his eponymous eatery since 2022 and immediately impressed The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors, earning the maximum award of Three Stars at the first opportunity. It is, quite simply, not only one of the best restaurants in Germany, but one of the best restaurants in the world.In understatedly stylish surroundings, Jan serves a multi-course tasting menu featuring such exquisite dishes as pigeon with kohlrabi, black garlic, anchovy, vadouvan, and cherry blossom. The lettering above the kitchen door calls it a "Laboratory of Love" to give you an idea of the ambition and dedication the chefs have when crafting a truly unforgettable experience.
Before You Go
If you're looking for one last delicious lunch on your day of departure, then keep an eye out for the Bib Gourmand restaurant Zum Vaas, which is located in the east of the city near the highway ring coming from north and south. Recommended by many chefs and restaurateurs, the Bavarian dishes here are presented with a modern twist, while the hospitality and wine list are to die for.If your route takes you west out of the city instead, Fürstenfelder is the place to go. Located in a beautiful old monastery in Fürstenfeldbruck, it holds both a Bib Gourmand for great value cooking and a Green Star for a commitment to sustainability, with many of the ingredients used the result of organic farming. Both Zum Vaas and Fürstenfelder would also make ideal city escapes during your two-day stay in Munich.
Address Book
Cafés
Ballabeni Ice Cream, Theresienstraße 46Café Luitpold, Brienner Straße 11
Cœur Tagesbar, Theresienstraße 38
Lea Zapf, Viktualienmarkt Abteilung 3, Stand 20/21
Schmalznudel - Café Frischhut, Prälat-Zistl-Straße 8
Schumanns, Maffeistraße 6
Sweet Spot Kaffee, Heiliggeiststraße 1
Bars
Bar Gabányi, Beethovenplatz 2Goldene Bar, Prinzregentenstraße 1
Schumann’s Bar, Odeonsplatz 6-7
Museums
Alte Pinakothek, Barer Straße 27Glyptothek, Königsplatz 3
Kunsthalle München, Theatinerstraße 8
Museum Brandhorst, Theresienstraße 35a
Münchner Käsemanufaktur, Viktualienmarkt, Abteilung 5, Stand 1
NS-Dokumentationszentrum, Max-Mannheimer-Platz 1
Pinakothek der Moderne, Barer Straße 40
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Luisenstraße 33
Shopping
Dallmayr, Dienerstraße 14-15Fünf Höfe, Theatinerstraße 15
Hofstatt, Sendlinger Straße 10
Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, Rosental 7
Tölzer Kasladen, Viktualienmarkt Abteilung 1, Stand 4
Viktualienmarkt
Traditional Food
Augustiner Klosterwirt, Augustinerstraße 1Beer Garden at the Chinese Tower, Englischer Garten 3
Haxengrill, Sparkassenstraße 6
Special Interest
Eisbach Wavee, Eisbachbrücke PrinzregentenstraßeAlter Peter, Petersplatz 1
Hero Image: Collage of sunset behind the Frauenkirche (© München Tourismus), Weisswurst breakfast (© München Tourismus), dessert from the Two Star restaurant Alois: Strawberry, lemon verbena, sancho (© Annette Sandner)
