The capital of Bavaria and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, one would think that the culinary scene would match the eloquent ambiance of Munich. I arrived in Munich with excitement to eat the best Germany has to offer and take in a Bayern Munich football match at Allianz Arena, arguably one of the top football clubs in Europe and one of the best stadiums in Europe. 

Know before you go:

• Most places accept Credit Cards, mainly Visa or MasterCard. Acceptance of AMEX cards are few and far between. 
• There are bookie shops set up across the city if you want to place some action on the games. Tipico seems to be the most popular option. 
• I’m not much of an app person but if you are going to use that route to meet people, Hinge and Tinder had a lot of options. As always, practice safety. If something feels off, it probably is. 
• Every bar/restaurant I went to required a reservation. Didn’t matter if there were open tables or plenty of space. If you didn’t have a reservation they were going to turn you away. 
• Most Germans speak English so don’t worry about the language barrier. 
• Munich is very safe. But like anywhere else, exercise caution, don’t be an asshole, and keep your wits about you. 
• Drinking Age is 18 in Germany. They also recently passed a law to legalize marijuana starting April 1, 2024. Unfortunately, tourists will not be allowed to purchase in Germany until further notice. 

The main culinary spots that fill blogs across the internet tend to be spot on. I particularly enjoyed the “donut” from Cafe Frischhut in the Old Town area of Munich. It’s relatively close to the main tourist attractions of Marienplatz and the Viktualienmarkt. The “donut” is called a Schmalznudel which is the most German way to call a donut a “donut.” I got mine fresh out of the oven, added some sugar and devoured it quickly. It tasted similar to a high-end funnel cake without the powdered sugar bomb. I enjoyed a coffee with the donut and it was fantastic way to start off my morning before the game. 

The Viktualienmarkt is another good spot to enjoy a bevy of different German culinary options. I didn’t know what a weinerschnitzel was but I was hellbent on finding a good one. Annoyingly, the market vendors didn’t entice me with their presentation, so I walked around the Marienplatz and stumbled into Augustiner Klosterwirt, a traditional German restaurant a few steps from the Frauenkirche (the famous church with the domed towers). 

This place hit the spot. I ordered some Nuremberg sausages that were delicious to start out. Then wolfed down some authentic Weiner Schnitzel that tasted like a chicken fried steak. They also had their own Bavarian beers there as well. I had their Pilsner and it was crispy and delicious. 

Unfortunately, this is where my food recs go cold. I didn’t find the rest of the culinary options in Munich particularly interesting. I ate a few shwarmas and had a few bratwursts while in Munich but nothing that I feel strongly about recommending. 

As for the match at Allianz Arena…

Getting there:

It took me 45 minutes from Hauptbanhof Station (the main Munich station) via train to the Stadium station (Fröttmaning). The train was packed 1.5 hours before the match. Exiting the train, it was another .8 miles to the stadium—understandable but annoyingly long. There was only one food vendor that I saw on the walk over the stadium and thankfully, the bratwurst was priced appropriately at €5. 

Getting into the game was a breeze. Security was thorough but moved through it with ease. Beers at the game were €5 for a half liter and €10 for a full liter (a little over 2 pints). Food was moderately price. This completely shits all over US Pro Sports drink and food pricing where everything is priced out its ass. 

Tickets were tricky. I used StubHub and they have come through for me every time. I don’t like to use them because they mark up tickets and I’ve seen the horror stories of them screwing customers over and leaving people out to dry. But I got good seats for about $120 to a top flight Bundelisga match up between two of the traditional powers in the league, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. It seemed to me if you are a member of the Bayern club you had access to reasonably priced tickets. There were a few people outside the gate selling tickets as well. 

Atmosphere was awesome. Their supporters section was intense. Sight lines for my seat was great. The game was competitive and fun to watch two of the best teams in the league battle it out. I did get beer spilled on me (and onto other fans) by a drunk fan—it was unintentional—but annoying nonetheless. 

Bayern Munich had two team stores in town. Authentic Jerseys were going for €150 plus an additional €15 for customization (if you want your name/number on the back). They both had plenty of gear options if you wanted a souvenir.

Leaving the stadium was a shitshow.

No other way to put it. The walk back was long. The aforementioned subway line was packed. And I mean packed. The line was still building when I got to the end of it and I was still .4 miles away from it. I opted for an Uber that was surprisingly affordable. There was no surge pricing. Coordinating with the driver wasn’t hard, either. It costs me €12 for the ride back into town and saved me probably an hour or so of waiting in the line at the train station.

Lastly,

Going out in Munich was alright. There are plenty of bars and restaurants where you can find what you want. I went to a few of them and they all seemed relatively the same. Be prepared for cigarettes. EVERYWHERE. People smoke everywhere and that was a little jarring at first. Not sure if word has gotten to the Europeans that smoking gives you cancer but not my problem until I get second hand smoke issues. 

Weed was legalized in Germany in late February. Unfortuantely, tourists will not be allowed to purchase in Germany. 

Is it worth going? Short answer, Yes. Munich is a beautiful city with rich history. But after 2 days you should have gotten what you need out of it. Allianz Arena is a beautiful stadium to catch a game for sure. If you love bratwursts and linked meats, you’ll like Munich a lot more than I did. 

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