Street Eats, Munich, Germany: Leberkäse or Obatzda mit Bretzen?

Street Eats, Munich, Germany: Leberkäse or Obatzda mit Bretzen?

Welcome back to Street Eats, the series where we roam the world, discovering the best and the worst street snacks from coast to coast. Today, we head to one of my all-time favourite destinations, the city of Munich! Tucked in the heart of Bavaria, Munich has everything a traveler could ask for. Rich in history with cultural fests like Oktoberfest and Tollwood (summer and winter festival) taking place all year round, visitors to Munich can enjoy beautiful architecture in the form of Schlosses (palaces), inviting parks and gardens, museums, and (drum roll please)… beer gardens!

Prost! Shout out to the beer gardens of Munich

This city holds such a special place in my heart that I actually wrote an entire series on the “Best of Munich”, starting with #10 Schloss Nymphenburg and working down to my favourite place to visit in Munich, the Englischer Garten. One of my favourite things to do in the Englischer Garten (the English Garden) is share a Mass with friends at the Chinese Tower, the Chinesischer Turm, one of the city’s most happening beer gardens. As a newbie on the beer scene, I always order a Radler – a combination of lemon-lime soda and Helles (light beer) or Weissbier (wheat beer) meant to sustain cyclists (Radler = cyclist) in the mountains of Germany and Austria without getting them drunk – and a most refreshing way to welcome in a summer’s day.

Stirring up a thirst like no other, it’s very important to choose the right food to accompany your drink! For most, the easiest snack to grab on-the-go is are big soft Bretzen (pretzels), garnished with a dash of salt to make you go back for another sip. My preferred way to enjoy Bretzen however, includes a big helping of Obatzda, my go-to snack when frequenting any beer garden in Munich. Obatzda is basically a heavenly, albeit creamy, mixture of Camembert, butter, herbs and onions: check out this recipe recently posted by muenchen.de and try making your own!

image credit: Monele58
image credit: Monele58

While obatzda may be my favourite thing to enjoy in Munich, it doesn’t really constitute as street food. For that reason, my vote goes to… Continue reading “Street Eats, Munich, Germany: Leberkäse or Obatzda mit Bretzen?”

Eat, Drink and Dance at the Hofbräuhaus – No 3 of Top Ten Things to See and Do – The Best of Munich

We’ve skipped around from castles to night clubs to markets and more. You must be thirsty! What a perfect time to…

#3. Eat, Drink and Dance at the Hofbräuhaus

The Hofbräuhaus is Munich’s oldest beer hall (literally the brewery of the royals) and is still the best way to experience the best and worst of Munich, all under one roof.

While you are guaranteed to run into a hoard of screaming tourists half in the bag after downing one too many Weissbier, you will also experience the gemütlichkeit (coziness) of sharing benches with strangers and raising a glass to old friends, new friends and other things you can’t understand but are glad to cheers to anyway.

Beer drinkers can choose from Hofbräu original, dark beer, wheat beer, Radler (beer and lemonade), or Russ’n (wheat beer and lemonade).

If you’re hungry enough at the Hofbräuhaus, try a traditional dish like Weisswurst; white sausages stuffed with veal/pork, served with sweet mustard and generally eaten before 12:00pm. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, try Schweinshaxe, fried pork knuckle or a seasonal favourite among tourists and locals alike, Spargel, white asparagus drenched in hollandaise sauce, butter or served with speck. Most dishes come withSauerkrautKnudeln (dumplings), or Kartoffeln (potatoes).

Don’t expect a pretty little salad with veggies and calorie free dressing. I made the mistake of ordering salad during my first visit to Munich and all I got was the most confused  look followed by a field of lettuce the size of my place mat. Never again.

Read more about what to order and more importantly, what to wear at this legendary beer hall via my newest blog, featured on Travel Dudes!