Augustiner Keller Beer Garden

Augustiner is the beer most Muenchner would choose if they could drink only one, and the Augustiner Keller on the Arnulfstrasse is where the city's beer-garden culture is at its purest. The Keller, the cellar, takes its name from the cool storage cellars dug here in the nineteenth century, when breweries planted chestnut trees over their cellars to shade them, and drinkers began to gather under the trees; this is the origin of the Munich beer garden. The Augustiner Keller appears on the Munich city map of 1812 and calls itself the city's oldest beer garden, and its outward appearance has hardly changed since 1895. Today the garden has around 5,000 seats under more than a hundred towering chestnut trees, making it one of the largest and most beautiful in Munich. It follows the classic beer-garden rule: in the self-service section, with plain wooden tables, you can bring your own picnic and buy only your drinks, while the service area with tablecloths has waiter service. The highlight for beer lovers is Augustiner Edelstoff, a pale, aromatic lager, tapped fresh from wooden barrels, a rare tradition that many swear makes it taste softer. The food counters serve the beer-garden classics: roast chicken, spare ribs, grilled fish on a stick, pork knuckle, Obatzda cheese spread, radish and pretzels. Inside, the Keller has large traditional dining halls and cellar rooms that serve Bavarian food all year. The beer garden itself opens in good weather, typically from spring to early autumn, and closes on cold or wet days, when the restaurant stays open. It is around ten minutes' walk from the main station or a short tram ride, and its location makes it an easy first-evening introduction to Munich for visitors staying around the Hauptbahnhof.

How to plan your visit: in the self-service garden, take a tray, collect your food at the stalls and your beer at the tap, pay at the till, and find a space at a shared table; returning your mug and tray is expected. If you bring your own food, use the self-service tables only, not those with tablecloths. Beer comes by the Mass, a one-litre mug, though half-litres are available for some beers. Arrive early on sunny evenings and weekends, as the best tables fill by late afternoon, and in summer the garden is busy until closing time.

When to go: the beer garden is a warm-weather pleasure, best from May to September, and it opens only when the weather allows, so on cold or rainy days, including much of the period from autumn to spring, head inside to the dining halls instead, which are cosy in winter and serve the same beer. Weekday evenings are relaxed and local; Sundays bring families.

How it compares: the Chinese Tower in the English Garden is bigger and more touristy, with a brass band, while the Hirschgarten and smaller gardens like the Seehaus offer different atmospheres. The Hofbraeuhaus is the famous indoor beer hall, and Andechs is the monastery pilgrimage. The Augustiner Keller is the one that best combines size, beauty and authenticity, and it is the beer garden to choose if you can only visit one. Book a table inside for groups in winter; the garden itself does not take reservations in the self-service section.