Hometown Love: Munich
As Munich is one of the most dazzling cities in the world, we consider ourselves blessed being located at the heart of it. Quality is one colossal focal point of the Lilly Ingenhoven label. We therefore decided to introduce you to some of our favorite places in Munich. Living a jubilant life implies dining well, in our first section we would like to recommend our great 5. Restaurants with food so exquisite, you can loose yourself in the taste. With its elegance and charm Munich offers a variety of cafés and bars. We recommend our favorites in section 2 of this blog. Category 3 will focus on leisure activities to engage in, on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Category 1: Food
Restaurant 1: Kaisergarten
Sitting under the old chest nut trees embellished with illuminations on a mellow summer night, especially after a long day of work, is one of the best feelings a „Münchner“ can have. The Kaisergarten offers all of this, thereby serving fine Bavarian food with culinary influences from around the world. It is located close to the „Münchner Freiheit“ and therefore easily reachable. Our dish of choice would undoubtedly be the „Schnitzel“. Particularly in the summer we can recommend this restaurant for an intimate dinner with friends and family.
VRestaurant 2: Shami
Shami is a small restaurant located in the center of Munich, near the Englischer Garten. The ambient is rather cozy and murky. The restaurant offers an asian fusion thereby focusing on Vietnamese and Japanese elements. The urban and innovative cuisine convinces with every meal. Especially combining the variety of dishes is a culinary explosion. We recommend the tofu summer rolls, which are being offered in a „do-it-yourself“ style. The restaurant is very authentic and we are confident it will convince you with its atmosphere and most importantly its cuisine.
Restaurant 3: Voglbauer Neufarn
Located in the south of Munich, the 25 minute car ride to the restaurant will be unquestionably worth it. Once you have arrived in the „outbacks of Munich“, cows standing in the middle of the street are not an infrequent sighting. As soon as you step outside the car the smell of fresh meadows and the view of the wide farmland will overwhelm you. With interior being rather rustic, the restaurant itself offers a contemporary interpretation of Bavarian food. The traditional duck will practically melt on your tongue and combined with red cabbage the taste is a unique experience by itself. Our favorite desert is the „Kaiserschmarrn“, which is being served with a freshly made plump compote. Der Voglbauer offers a great experience of the more traditional however still elegant variant of Munich.
Restaurant 4: Jin
The Jin restaurant offers an authentic Chinese cuisine expanded by the creative culinary ideas of the cook and restaurant owner Hao Jin himself. An evening in this restaurant will be an event one might only have a few of in their lifetime. The composition of ingredients Jin offers is truly unique and luscious. Our favorite dish is the Spicy Wild Black Tiger Prawns with Thai Asparagus, Baby Cucumber, Chili and Chinese Plum. The combination of dark wood, red fabrics and Chinese elements will cause you to feel like you are in the south of Singapore, where Jin himself was born. The restaurant is located in the center of city and therefore easily reachable. We can definitely recommend the Jin for a lavish night out in Munich.
Restaurant 5: Occam Deli
Delis originated in Manhattan, New York and serve a multicultural cuisine with Jewish, American, Italian, French and Oriental influences. This restaurant truly rounds of our favorite five, especially due to it being distinctive to other restaurants in Munich. When visiting we prefer ordering all the starters on the menu to share. You can taste the cosmopolitan influences, and somehow every dish enhances another dishes taste. Due to the interior you can get cozy with your friends and family in the restaurant. The Design is modern rustic with woody elements suitable for a place which serves food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To round off a perfect weekend in Munich we can recommend paying this restaurant a
visit.
Category 2: Cafes and Bars
Café 1: Fräulein Grüneis
Does life get much better than a self made cake for Breakfast? In a little green-white striped fairy tale house in the „Englischer Garten“ the café will fulfill your wildest cake dreams alongside serving tasty sandwiches and snacks with everything being, of course, biologically firm. Inside Fräulein Grüneis the green fairy tale motto is being continued with staff so attentive, you will wish, never to leave this place (or Munich). If you however decide to leave we suggest watching the surfers in the „Englischer Garten“, or paying the Hofgarten a visit. It was the first cafe that came to our mind to enjoy the weekend „Munich style“ and we hope you will love it just as much as we do.
Café 2: Café Conte
Even though this café might not be one of the most typical Munich ones, it is definitely worth paying a visit. Particularly if you are looking for a place after a night out; or a dinner that lasted longer than expected, with more to drink than initially expected, this café with revitalize you with their freshly squeezed juices. Alongside the juices they serve everything that you dream of for a perfect hangover- breakfast such as different muesli variations, bread, eggs, soups, salads and sandwiches. The interior will make you feel welcome, particularly due to the big windows and the oversized illuminations. The team will make you feel equally welcome, making it a five star recommendation for every visitor.
Bar 1: Flushing Meadows
Robin Bruderhofer and his crew will welcome you with classic aperitifs and cocktail creations on a rooftop bar that is beyond all comparison. You can enjoy a delightful sundowner in this bar and on a good day you might even be able to see the alps from there. After the outside area closes at around 9 pm, you can get comfortable inside the bar due its cozy atmosphere. On brown leather couches it is easy to forget your everyday trouble over a whiskey sour. The flattering dark light might even make it the perfect bar for a first date. The Flushing Meadows offers something for everyone and will surely lead to an unforgettable night.
Bar 2: Goldene Bar
Inside the „Haus der deutschen Kunst“ welcomes you this antique bar which seems to be covered in gold. The „golden“ walls are actually maps showing the origins of the spirits which are being served. Examples include the German and other European wine regions, Great Britain for the Whiskey and Gin and the Caribbean displaying the origin of some of the bars rum. We can recommend drinking a Petit Punch (Lemon-sugary drink with rum) or a Banksy (Light version of a Pina Colada) .The bar also offers a beautiful terrace and its great location offers the possibility to pay one of the exhibitions in the „Haus der deutschen Kunst“ a visit.
Category 3: Leisure
In the Leisure section we decided against including obvious things such as paying the Hofgarten, Viktualienmarkt and the Königsplatz a visit or petting the Lions in front of the Feldherrnhalle at the Odeonsplatz. Even though these might be great excursions when visiting Munich, in this Blog we wanted to focus on restaurants, bars and other attractions which are often not the obvious choice.
Elisabethmarkt
Despite the fact that the Elisabeth market is currently being renovated, it is a beautiful location always worth visiting. Named after the Empress Sissi, is does pays tribute to her pulchritude. We always found it a good alternative to the rather touristic Viktualienmarkt. You can buy everything necessary to get through the week here as well as having a little snack or beer with your friends. We are excited for the reopening and hope we might see you there some time.
„Neue Pinakothek“ and a Gallery Stroll
How about a gallery stroll through one of the nicest neighborhoods in Munich. After visiting one of Munich's most famous museums you can easily do that. The „Neue Pinakothek“ exhibits outstanding works of European art and sculptures from the late 18th to the beginning of the 20th century. One focus is on the German art of the 19th century - this collection, which goes back to the private collection of King Ludwig I, is one of the most comprehensive of all. After visiting this outstanding museums you can simply continue to walk around in this area and find numerous beautiful galleries worth visiting.
Museum of urban contemporary art
The museum recently opened its doors to further educate Germany’s population on the allure of contemporary art. The MUCA is situated in the heart of Munich, within a walking distance between
Marienplatz, Stachus and Sendlinger Tor and therefore easily reachable by public transport. Regardless of the fact, that the museum only displays modern artists and preferably street art, there might be something interesting for everyone. Even though we were a bit sceptical at first, we found ourselves loving, not necessarily the art itself, but the museum and the experience as a whole. We can therefore recommend it to everyone.
Monopteros
Lilly has one ritual she absolutely adores. On a mellow summer night she enjoys going for a run through the „Englischer Garten“ after work. Around the time when the sun is slowly disappearing beyond the horizon, she stops at the monoptorus and simply takes a breath and enjoys the moment. During the day, the monopteros is a rather crowded and touristic place, but at night you might find yourself being on your own at this beautiful location. Early birds could also try watching the sunset from there.
Kabinettsgarten
This place is truly a „hidden gem“. If you are in looking for a tranquil corner during the busy hours in Munich, this will be the perfect place for you. It is a small garden located close to the more famous Hofgarten. One big advantage is, that the architecture allows the afternoon sun to reach the garden. We recommend taking some ice tea and snacks with you, sitting on a bench there and simply letting the sunlight warm your skin.
We hope you will enjoy our favorite spots in Munich just as much as we do!