The Bavarian capital Munich offers the best of all seasons; green summers, atmospheric winters and hedonic, beer-fuelled Oktoberfest celebrations in autumn. Munich has often been considered the strait-laced counterpart to bohemian Berlin, but the city is increasingly coming into its own. Tourists are flocking to explore the underlying youthful culture that Munich has on offer, from high-brow art galleries and impressive museums to a buzzing nightlife.
Fly
Hop on a British Airways flight from London and you’ll be in Munich within two hours. A Business Class ticket costs double the price of economy, so we recommend making do with the slightly less glamorous option to save valuable pounds. Once you arrive in Munich, take the S1 or S8 S-Bahn (Munich’s electric rail transit system), which will take you to the city centre in 45 minutes. The central stop is called Hauptbahnhof Central Station and from here you can take seven different S-Bahn trains as well as two U-Bahn’s (Munich’s equivalent to the London Underground).
Train
If you fancy squeezing in a short stay in Paris, we recommend you take the Eurostar from London St. Pancras. This will stop at the Gare du Nord where you can hop off for some quick sightseeing before heading down to Munich. The train will arrive at Hauptbahnhof Central Station in Munich, so you’ll end in convenient location to start your long weekend. If you want to take a train from London at a reasonable hour (i.e. any time after 9am), then this journey will set you back £200 so make sure you’re desperate to see the Eiffel Tower before booking.
Wear
AMI Paris classic double breasted coat
£750 via AMI
Carven roll neck
£180 via Carven
The Kooples slim fit stretch denim jeans
£125 via The Kooples
Sandro Chelsea boots
£369 via Selfridges
Stay
**Hotel Königshof **
If you like your luxe old school, book a Deluxe Double at Hotel Königshof. Here, quiet, refined tourists, wealthy German families and reserved German celebrities escape the crass glamour of flashier hotels. At Hotel Königshof, everything is elegant without being cold: from the warm yellow hue of the decor to the precise delicacy of the breakfast buffet (which is excellent and comprehensive, even featuring a whole honeycomb!). Every detail is charming and subtle; as are the staff. The Deluxe rooms are beautifully decorated with gold and yellow, prettily ornate furniture and grand satin curtains. The only quibble would be that the bathrooms are a little on the small side. The spa makes up for it however, with a jacuzzi sitting atop a little staircase and encased within a domed temple. You feel like a sultan in his private bathroom, if you're lucky enough to be the only bather, which, on a weekday, you might well be. Best of all, you're only a step away from the metro and a couple of steps away from the Christmas Markets. Munich's churches, towers and museums are all within a brisk twenty-minute walk, too.
Dine
**Restaurant Königshof **
After a cocktail or two happily dozing beside the open fire in the lobby, (unlike other hotels, the lobby of the Königshof is well worth an afternoon trip), or inside the hotel bar – quiet, old-fashioned, charming – head to Königshof restaurant for a gourmet experience. This Michelin-starred gem from esteemed chef Martin Fauster looks over Karlsplatz square, (get a window seat), and is sufficiently elaborate so as to make dinner a special occasion, without being so showy as to fall into the stuffy Michelin stereotype. We advise you to try the Martin Fauster menu with wine pairings, which requires several hours for its eight, delicious courses. Whilst the menu changes often, and can veer between meat or fish heavy, the scallops seem to be a keeper, and, upon tasting them, you'll see why.
Little London
Sit down in this bar-restaurant for a pre-dinner G&T, and, once you catch a glimpse of the perfectly cooked entrecote, you’ll soon find yourself staying for dinner. The old-school British-inspired interior is elaborate but relaxed, and makes it easy to understand why so many locals find themselves there from the early evening right through to the early hours.
The star attraction is the beef, cooked on the hottest grill in Munich. Add some red cabbage and creamy truffle polenta and you’re good to go. We preferred the starters to the puddings: the grilled prawns were delicious, the chocolate fondant not so much. In short, the food is traditional and unfussy, but by no means boring.
The wine list is extensive – and if you’re overwhelmed by the lengthy menu, leave it to the sommelier, Mario, whose pairings can’t be faulted. But if you’re really going to get the most out of Little London, stick to the gin. They make their own, and even the tonic is hand-picked to suit the infusion of your choice. Don’t be put off by the adventurous flavours – it turns out grapefruit and sage turn a good gin and tonic into a great one.
Many London restaurants could learn a lot from the attention to detail of this German outpost of British cuisine.
Matsuhisa
Star chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa had big shoes to fill when he replaced Michelin starred Mark’s in the Munich Mandarin Oriental Hotel in 2015. With Nobu’s signature Peruvian/Japanese cuisine, the restaurant follows the already successful format of the chef’s original Matsuhisa Beverly Hills and his five other outposts around the world. The Munich version leans heavily towards seafood dishes (the black cod is a speciality), but there are dishes on the menu for everyone. If you are a fish lover, you won’t be disappointed by the tasting menu – as fresh as can be, and at €95 for seven courses, less excruciatingly expensive than some of Nobu’s other offerings.
The round tables and minimalist décor make Matsuhisa a very easy place to while away the hours. It feels trendy but far from intimidating, and the room has just the right level of buzz, no shouting required. Old and young alike will enjoy the sleek setting of this unique fusion fare.
The food is excellent and the wine list interesting and extensive, but where this restaurant really stands apart from the others is in the exceptional service. The staff are unimposing but ever-present, and, most of them being in their twenties, brighten the room with their earnest smiles and playful attitudes. Their impressive knowledge of the menu is imparted with a smile, and we were just as well looked after in the fun bar downstairs where the cocktails flow after dinner.
If you’ve been to the Nobu Matsuhisa’s other restaurants, you might be tempted to give the German one a miss, but you’d be a fool to forgo such a well thought out formula – it really is hard to find fault with Matsuhisa Munich.
Drink
Pussers bar
The hull of a wooden boat sways precariously above your head; live piano music tinkles beneath your feet; old rum bottles line the walls. Pusser’s New York Bar does exactly what it says on the tin: since 1974, this buzzing drinking hole in the heart of Munich’s theatre district has been a cradle of American bar culture. It may be located at the centre of the Bavarian Beer capital, but the décor gives a firm nod to the nautical history of Pusser’s rum, the tipple which earned the bar its name. The clientele is a friendly mix of Munich locals and visitors from abroad – a testament to the bar’s institutional reputation – all no doubt drawn to Pusser’s by the cosy furnishings and prohibition-style blacked out windows. It's charmingly refreshing to block out the gaggle of smokers and drunks who loiter outside any bar come midnight, ogling and joking. At the stern hand of David Beck, who owns the bar with his father Bill, only the best-behaved will cross the threshold of his pride and joy. The entire drinks list could keep you happy for hours, but don't forget to try their signature cocktail, the legendary Painkiller™.
Dance
Crux nightclub
If you like your bass loud and your club dark and grimey, Crux is for you. German and American hip-hop unite under this sweat-dripping roof, undermined every hour by a rogue Justin Bieber hit. Entry is ten euros, and expect to queue for at least half an hour on the weekend.
viaCrux
Do
The Pinakothek der Moderne
The Pinakothek der Moderne is one of the world’s largest collections of modern and contemporary art. The open plan, glass-roofed building is home to a range of art, graphics, architecture and design pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries. There are four different museums within the Pinakothek der Moderne; the Collection of Modern Art, Collection of Design, Collection of Works on Paper, and Museum for Architecture. So, for a €10 ticket, there is plenty to explore.
Christmas Markets
Munich’s Christmas markets are picturesque. There are several markets dotted around the city during the festive period, but the main one is in St. Mary’s Square, where a huge Christmas tree is assembled at the end of November. Neuhauser Square is a stone’s throw from St. Mary’s, and here you’ll find Germany’s largest manger market. Manger art is a century-old tradition in Germany and creating the perfect nativity scene is taken very seriously. Neuhauser Square’s market offers everything from ornate alpine cribs to fodder for the oxen.
Dachau Concentration Camp
Dachau Concentration Camp lies 20km north of Munich. The easiest way to reach the memorial is to take the S2 S-Bahn train, which takes 25 minutes from central Munich. The history of the camp is harrowing. Over its twelve years of use, the Dachau administration recorded the intake of 206,206 prisoners, with a death toll of 31,951. It is worth seeing the permanent exhibition which focuses on the fate of the prisoners from their arrival at the camp to their eventual liberation or death. There is also a temporary exhibition which is open until 28th February 2017. This showcases the works of Dachau survivor Georg Tauber who produced over 60 drawings of the violent everyday life within the camp.
Via Dachau
