Zum Dürnbräu, Munich, Germany

Dürnbräugasse 2
80331 München
Tel. +49-89-222195

If paradise has a bavarian section, this is it. During our last stay in Munich, we found ourselves spending all lunches and dinners here - just 10 minutes from the Marienplatz and 5 minutes from the (in)famous Hofbräuhaus. No place for fine dining, this brewery restaurant from the 15^th century serves the gourmand with excellent, sometimes almost-forgotten traditional Bavarian dishes. The ambiance is traditionally Bavarian, but the place misses the hellishly touristic “Hofbräuhaus” – atmosphere. During lunchtime you’ll find a mixture of students and businessmen enjoying their “Spanferkel” (pork from the skewer - one of the best I have ever had) and beer, the evenings fill this place with a mixture of locals, businesspeople and a few tourists.

During the winter season, Dürnbräu has a special beef menu including a map to determine the location of your pick in the anatomy of the cow. My own favourites here are Leberknödelsuppe (a bouillon with a giant liver meatball), Spanferkel, and the heavenly Kasierschmarrn (a sort of pancake with almonds and raisins, torn into pieces and pan-fried again so that the pieces almost caramelise), which itself makes for a good main course or shared dessert. The pretzels on the table are charged by piece consumed, and the service is straightforward and down-to-earth.

Dürnbräu deserves a medal of honor for preserving almost-forgotten meals such as “saures Lüngerl” (lung in a vinegary marinade) or spleen sausage. But even if these are not your cup of tea, the place has a variety of excellent, more mainstream dishes and a couple of salads, as well. If you don’t feel like drinking (min.) half a litre of beer, try the “Russ’n”, a mixture of wheat beer and lemonade – ideal for hot days.

The restaurant also provides a terrace in the back garden, as well as a few tables in front of the house (mainly for drinking and light snacks). The evenings tend to be full, so either make a reservation the day before, or be prepared to take your place at the shared 7-meter-table in the middle.

Visited: November 2003, December 2005, July 2007, April 2008