Still one of my favorite bars in Munich. I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my fond memories, but…read moreit is still as quirky and wonderful as I remembered.
For some reason, I thought it was very difficult to find, but it was so easy to take the 19 tram through the heart of town to Maxmonument. Then it is just a couple blocks down Thierschstrasse and right on Mariannenstrasse. Look for the blue sign.
No reservations.
Cash only.
Communal seating. Expect to share a table.
It is a funky place primarily filled with 20 and 30-somethings crowded around the bar and small tables. Many are pushed together for larger groups, having lively conversations in the dark space lit by white candles. I think the room is painted gold, but it is hard to tell. The artwork painted on the walls throughout the space is... interesting. A severed finger writing "help" and an ear that is a mouth. It could keep you scratching your head for days.
They don't have an English menu, although in another funny twist, many food and beverage items have English names and German descriptions. My remedial German was aided by the waitress, who was the best I've had in Munich this trip. My "Inferno" salad (grilled turkey, roasted potatoes, zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, peanuts and olives) was excellen,t and despite the name, only mild + on my personal spice scale. I also enjoyed a non-traditional "Old Fashioned."
For visitors looking for an alternative to the hundreds of sausage and beer focused restaurants in town, this is a great place to try. For me, it is all about the salads and cocktails here.
Do yourself a favor and skip the tram on your way back to town. Stroll along Maximillianstrasse (Munich's version of Rodeo Drive) and be blown away by the oppulence and extravagance of the retail elite. Even the streetlights are dripping in crystals.