Munich Pub Guide
the best pubs, brewpubs, beergardens and beerhalls
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The latest version of this site is at my new domain http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/munipubs.htm.

Introduction
Wahl macht Qual

Munich beer is justly famous well beyond both the city's and Germany's borders. Many of the technological innovations which gave rise to modern industrial lager brewing took place here.

That might be a statement to deter rather than attract beer lovers, but don't be put off. The large Munich breweries produce drinkable beer, especially when compared to industrial lager from elsewhere. Add the more idiosynchratic beers produced on a small scale in and around the city and you're left with a pretty good selection, ranging in quality from OK to downright excellent.
Index
Pub Map
City Centre Pub Listings
Munich Suburbs Pub Listings
Freising Pub Listings
Munich breweries

Münchener Bürgerbräu TriumphatorMunich Beer
The most popular beer style in Munich is Helles, a very pale, malty lager, that you could liken to a light mild (though of a greater strength). Pils is around, but does not dominate as it does in most of Germany.

The traditional Munich beer style, Dunkles, is losing ground, but remains widely available.

Some Munich breweries brew a confusingly large number of pale lagers of slightly varying strengths.

You'll find about a dozen different beers in the product range of the large Munich breweries. Though, given the falling demand for beer in Germany, it's quite likely that some will be discontinued in the near future. Paulaner has already announced its intention to dramatically pare down its range.
Löwenbräu Bockbier Munich Pubs, Beerhalls and Beer Gardens
There's no lack of places to drink - some of them magnificent. Massive, shady (in the no direct sunlight sense of the word) beer gardens for the summer months, huge vaulted beerhalls for the rest of the year. There are even some normal-sized pubs (most things connected with beer are on a very grand scale in Munich) and, of course, trendy bars for the many students and yuppies. Munich has pubs for every conceivable taste.

If you can choose the time of your trip, I would definitely recommend visiting in the Summer. Munich's beer gardens are not to be missed. It can seem that half of the city centre is occupied by one Biergarten or another. The only slight downside is their insistence on serving draught beer in nothing smaller than a full litre measure.

For real beer enthusiasts, the fame of Munich beer has its disadvantages. It's one of the few locations where the paths of mainstream mass tourism and serious beer-drinking cross. Fortunately, a few of the more obvious beerhalls (the Hofbräuhaus in particular) attract the bulk of the coach parties. With a little care, it's not difficult to drink your beer in a genuine Bavarian atmosphere, even in the city centre.

In this guide I've limited myself deliberately to pubs and bars in the city centre. Munich is a large, sprawling city and, though it possesses an excellent network of trams and local trains, I expect the casual visitor will have neither the time nor the inclination to stray too far. Most pubs described below are within a 20 minute walk of the main station. That's my walking pace which, as my wife frequently points out, quickens considerably as my planned source of refreshment nears.
More info
Europe for Visitors: Munich fooed and drimk.


Pub Map
Munich city centre map
Index
  1. Augustiner Keller
  2. Augustiner Bräustuben
  3. Löwenbräu Keller
  4. Spaten Hof
  5. Augustiner Grossgaststätte
  6. Nürnberger Bratwurstglöckl
  7. Bayerischer Donisl
  8. Weisses Bräuhaus
  9. Hofbräuhaus
  10. Ayingers Speis und Trank
  11. Hackerhaus



Munich Pub Guide
Munich City Pub Listings

Augustiner-Bräustuben
Landsbergerstr.19,
80339 München (Munich).

Tel. 089 - 507047
Fax: 089 - 5022569
http://www.augustiner-restaurant.com/home/augustiner_braestuben.html

Augustiner Bräustuben
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10:00 - 24:00
Number of draught beers: 3
Number of bottled beers: 1
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Located on one corner of the Augustiner site, you would have to call this the brewery tap. Now, this industrial part of the city is probably exactly where you wouldn't head on leaving München Hbf. To be honest, apart from Augustiner and the Hacker-Pschorr brewery 50 metres closer to the station, there isn't a great deal to see. Despite fairly heavy war damage, the Augustiner brewery is still an impressive brick edifice for those of us with a taste for industrial chic.

Inside they like to remind you, in case you have managed to forget, of the brewery's presence nearby with numerous photos of its interior. The décor is bog standard beerhall heritage, though the presence of tablecloths make it more upmarket than some. There's also a long thin taproom in a more basic style, with highly appropriate barrel tables. It's worth noting for the more financially challenged amongst us, that the prices are very reasonable by Munich standards.

My notes mention the presence of lots of other pubs in the area, offering a wide choice to different beers. Perhaps this part of Munich isn't quite as desolate as it first appears.
Rating: **** Public transport: S-Bahn 1-8 Hackerbrücke.


Augustiner Großgaststätte
Neuhausenerstr 27,
80331 München

Tel. 089 - 231 83257
Fax: 089 - 260 5379
Website: http://www.augustiner-restaurant.com/

Augustiner Grossgaststätte
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 09:00-24:00
Number of draught beers: 3
Number of bottled beers: 2
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices: Beer €3.00 . Food €8 - 14

This pub has always reminded me of a Prague beerhall. Maybe it's because on my first visit, the waiter who served me was Czech. More likely, it's because it really looks like a Czech beerhall.

There are two entrances to this sizeable establishment, restaurant on the right, beerhall on the left. Though, of course, the beerhall serves full cooked meals, too. On the pub side, you've got an extremely long corridor leading to a bar counter Augustiner Grossgaststätte interior that sits right at the back of the building. In the corridor itself, there is simple seating, in the rooms to the right, proper tables and chairs.

Everything is kept nice and simple: tiled floors, panelled walls, whitewashed vaulted ceilings. For variety, there are a few black and white prints of Munich sparingly placed. And this wouldn't be the south, if there weren't quite a few heads of dead animals staring mournfully down at you. Just the thing to cheer you up. Personally, contemplating my own mortality mixes very poorly with beer-drinking.

This being one of the Augustiner's showcases, it's got the full range of Augustiner beer, They're not served too badly, either, the draught beer being tapped at a correct lager temperature (what I mean is NOT TOO BLOODY COLD).

Overall, a pleasant, traditional beerhall. It has the huge advantage of being located on the main shopping street, on the way from town to the station.

Rating: **** Public transport: U/S-Bahn Karlplatz.


Augustinerkeller
Arnulfstr.52, Ecke Zirkus-Krone-Str.
80335 München-Neuhausen.

Tel. 089 - 594393
Fax 089 - 5504415
Email: arnulfstrasse@augustinerkeller.de
http://www.augustinerkeller.de/

Augustiner Keller Biergarten
Opening hours:Mon-Sun 11:30 - 01:00
Number of draught beers:1
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
The Augustinerkeller is really two pubs in one. In the Summer, you can sit in the beautiful beer garden under the Linden trees. In Winter (or Summer too if you're the unromantic type) you can use the beerhall. Augustiner being a pretty traditional sort of brewery, their beer garden is one of very few in central Munich to still serve beer from the wood.

Inside the beerhall, there are few surprises for devotees of such places: big pine tables and benches, a very big timber theme and lots of partial animal corpses as ornaments. It's been done with a degree of taste and the overall effect is pleasant and relaxing. In a process similar to that observed in Amsterdam's brown cafés, the pictures on the wall have been so stained as to be almost monochrome. Hooray for passive smoking - I just hope that the same hasn't happened to the inside of my lungs.
Rating: **** Public transport: S-Bahn 1-8, Tram 17 Hackerbrücke


Ayingers Speis und Trank
Am Platzl 1A,
80331 München.
Tel. 089 - 23 703 666
Fax: 089 - 23 703 800

Ayingers Speis und Trank
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00-01:00
Number of draught beers: 7
Number of bottled beers: 2
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices:
Beer €2.70 - 3.50, food €7 -17

This pub has at least two great things going for it. It provides useful variety in a central Munich pub crawl, supplying an extensive range of Ayinger beers. And for anyone wanting to avoid the Hofbräuhaus (drinking in Hitler's local does have a distinctly creepy feel to it) for whatever reason, it gives you the chance to observe the place without having to set foot inside.

Now, the combination of folksy and trendy might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it was pleasant enough to my cynical eye. There's a fair bit of seating at the long bar, while the rest of the place is filled with long pine tables and benches. If you need to have a really long, close look at the Hofbräuhaus, there are also some tables on the square outside.

I was very favourably impressed by both the friendliness of the staff and the excellent quality of the beer.

Rating: *** Public transport: U/S-Bahn Marienplatz.


Bayerischer Donisl
Weinstraße 1,
80333 München (Munich).

Tel. 089 - 2908410
Fax 089 - 2285884
Email: Donisl.Muenchen@t-online.de
www.bayerischer-donisl.de

Bayerischer Donisl
Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 09:00 - 24:00
Number of draught beers:
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices:
Food nothing more than €6.95
Taking a brief stroll through central Munich, only the most unobservant visitor could fail to notice Donisl, located just opposite the gothic town hall. It would be nice to say that Donisl is gothic, too. Sadly, though the history of the pub stretches back to 1315, the current structure doesn't date from before 1945.

I'm sure that the intentions of those in charge of the rebuilding were good. In theory, everything is right: panelled walls, red tile floor, etc. Unfortunately, like many postwar constructions, it's all a bit too new and a bit too posh to score very highly in the authenticity or atmospheric stakes. The service is friendly and the food is very reasonable in price, so it's not all doom and gloom.

Be warned that from 18:00 Bavarian music is performed. I recommend a lunchtime visit.
Rating: *** Public transport: U/S-Bahn Marienplatz.


Hackerhaus
Sendlinger Str. 14,
80331 München (Munich).

Tel. 089 - 2605026
Fax 089 - 2605027
Email: hackerhaus@AOL.com
Home: www.hackerhaus.de

 
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 09:00 - 23:00
Number of draught beers: 5
Number of bottled beers:3
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices:
Snacks €6-10, meals €6-30, beer €3.10 a half litre
The Hacker family started their pub brewery here in 1738. Brewing moved elsewhere after a fire destroyed the brewery part of the building in 1825. The pub was rebuilt and enlarged at this time and the current structure dates from this period.

There are 6 rooms in the traditional beerhall style, plus a beergarden in a courtyard at the rear.
Rating: *** Public transport: U-Bahn 1,2 Sendlnger Tor.


Hofbräuhaus
Am Platzl 9,
80331 München.
Tel. 089 - 290 1360
Fax: 089 - 227 586
E-mail: webmaster@hofbraeuhaus.de
http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/

Hofbräuhaus exterior
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 09:00-24:00
Number of draught beers: 2
Number of bottled beers: 2
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices:
Food €8 - 15

Don't try and pretend that you've never heard of the Hofbräuhaus. Anyone who has even heard the word Munich once in their lives has heard of this pub. Though quite possibly for all the wrong reasons. At least they've removed the Hitler plaque.

Obviously, it's massive with rooms of varying degrees of hugeness. We see the wood, tiles and lasses in dirndls laden with litre glasses that is standard in Munich beerhalls. There's nothing wrong with that. It's the busloads of Japanese tourists gazing bemusedly at the half pigs lying on their plates that make the experience bizarre and slightly disturbing. A lot less interesting than it sounds, but a lot less dreadful than you might expect, as long as you avoid the umpah music. This said, if you find youself on Platzl, I still recommend drinking in Ayingers Speis und Trank.

Be warned that, unless you drink the bottled Weizen, the smallest measure is a litre.

Rating: *** (for weirdness) Public transport: U/S-Bahn Marienplatz.


Hofbräukeller
Innere Wiener Str. 19,
81667 München-Haidhausen.

Tel. 089 - 459 92 521
info@hofbraeukeller.de
http://www.hofbraeukeller.de/

Hofbräukeller exterior
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10:00 - 23:00
Number of draught beers: 2
Number of bottled beers: 2
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices: Snacks €5-10, meals €8-15.
Those of you au fait with Bavarian terminology will realise the "-keller" suffix indicates that a beer garden is the main attraction. There's also a substantial beerhall with a multiplicity or rooms, including the no-smoking Kinderland. It dates back to 1892 and has survived its fair share of adversity, including wartime bomb damage and a serious fire in 1987.

The beerhall is built on that massive scale that typifies everything connected with beer in Munich. As is usual, pine is king, but the style is more upmarket than in many of its competitors. Maybe all the rebuilding work has taken its toll. The beer garden is quiet and shady, with the surrounding buildings doing a wonderful job of excluding city noise. Note that it's self-service here. Sadly, the beer is dispensed from fake barrels.

The Unions-Bräu brewpub is just around the corner and forms a nice mini-excursion in combination with the Hofbräukeller.
Rating: **** Public transport: U-Bahn 4,5 Max-Weber-Platz.


Löwenbräukeller
Nymphenburgerstr. 2,
80335 München-Neuhausen.

Tel. 089 - 526021
Fax 089 - 528933
http://www.loewenbraeukeller.com/

 
Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 09:00 - 01:00
Number of draught beers: 4
Number of bottled beers: 2
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices: Snacks €5-9, meals €7-15. Beer €3.10 a half litre.
When Löwenbräu reopened this pub adjacent to their brewery in 1883, it was a sensation. The massive edifice set new standards for Munich beerhalls, with tablecloths and serviettes making their first appearance in the city. Even today the building, in typical late 19th century mock-gothic style, is pretty impressive. Seriously damaged by bombs in December 1944, reconstruction was not completed until 1950.

The interior is like a cross between a beerhall and a rather grand old station buffet. It's plain to see that the brewery wasn't cutting any corners when they constructed what is, effectively, their brewery tap. The sum spent - 413,311.11 marks - was enormous for the period (or for the present, for that matter). There are a few folksy touches - a maypole and a kitchen range - which appear out of place in a city pub.

Customers are drawn form a wide cross-section of the Munich population, as befits a beerhall. On my last visit some serious drinking was going on, but the atmosphere was boisterous and good-natured rather than unruly or threatening. How can Bavarians consume such copious quantities of beer without turning nasty?

Outside there is a large beergarden. (I mean Munich large, so more than 1,000 seats.)
Rating: *** Public transport: U1,U7, Tram 20,21 Stiglmaierplatz.


Nürnberger Bratwurstglöckl
Frauenplatz 9,
80331 München (Munich).

Tel. 089 - 220385
Fax: 089 - 2904736
Email: info@bratwurst-gloeckl.de
http://www.bratwurst-gloeckl.de/

Nürnberger Bratwurstglöckl
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 10:00 - 24:00
Number of draught beers: 3
Number of bottled beers: 1
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices: Snacks €5-12, meals €9-18, beer €3.30 half litre.
If I were describing this pub prior to 1945, I would have called it a small 4-storey building. But money was a bit short when they rebuilt it in 1949, so they left the top storey off. That apart, it's faithful to the original.

Dark, dark wood is the theme inside. It's cosy and old-fashioned, but certainly not gloomy. Right at the back is a small bar counter, upon which sits the wooden barrel dispensing helles. Give me an oak barrel and I'm happy. Throw in grandmother-style waitresses offering friendly service of the sweetest kind and heaven is created. It's as if your mum's has obtained a full on-licence. The small-town atmosphere is so powerful that the massive Munich cathedral (just across a small square) is quite a shock when you stumble out. A complete contrast to Donisl, which is just around the corner.

As you might suspect from the name, sausages are the big thing here. As is the way with Nürnberger bratwurst, they can be bought in quantities of 6, 8, 10, 12 depending on the extent of your hunger. Pretty good they are, too. I assume that the Tucher Hefeweißbier is there on tap to continue the Nürnberg theme.
Rating: ***** Public transport: U/S-Bahn Marienplatz.


Paulaner Bräuhaus
Kapuzinerplatz 5,
80337 München (Munich).
Tel. 089 - 5446110
Fax: 089 - 544611-18
Email@paulanerbraeuhaus.de
http://www.paulanerbraeuhaus.de/

Paulaner Bräuhaus
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 10:00-01:00
Sat - Sun: 09:00-23:00
Number of draught beers: 5
Number of bottled beers: 2
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.

Thomasbräu built this towering brewery and pub complex in 1892, at a time when Munich was rapidly expanding. After the First World War things weren't so rosy and there was a huge consolidation of the Munich brewing industry. Amongst the many mergers of the period was that of Paulaner and Thomasbräu in 1928. Brewing continued at Kapuzinerplatz until the war, when bomb damage made both Paulaner's breweries non-operational. Brewing resumed in 1949 at a single site (the original Paulaner brewery). Thomasbräu no longer brewed, but continued to be run as a pub by Paulaner. Until 1989, that is, when Paulaner decided to reopen it as a brewpub.

I have to say, that of all the restorations I have seen, this is one of the very, very best. All of the beautiful original details have been retained - marble pillars, chessboard floor tiling, plain vaulted ceilings - but it has a airiness and brightness that makes it some ways quite modern. A bit of common sense, respect for the existing fabric and use of top quality materials have combined to produce something stunning. I can't praise it enough; you really have to see it for yourself.

It retains a multi-room layout, including a library, and has a beer garden at the rear. The gleamy copper things that do the actual brewing are on prominent display. Of the two beers brewed on the premises, I far preferred the Weizen, which was excellent. The Helles was alright. Perhaps I found it too thin for my taste just because I'm not such a great fan of the style.

Rating: ***** Public transport: U3/U6 Goetheplatz


Spatenhof
Neuhauserstraße 39,
80331 München (Munich).

Tel. 089 - 264010
Fax: 089 - 685586

Spatenhof
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 09:00 - 24:00
Number of draught beers: 3
Number of bottled beers: 3
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Cleverly tucked away between the shops on Munich's main pedestrianised drag is the entrance to this cellar pub. At street level there is a tiny stand-up bar, with a much more extensive drinking and eating area downstairs.

The site was occupied by the Prüglbräu brewery between 1762 and 1854, before being demolished to make way for the Bamberger Hof Hotel. In the 1890's the ground floor of the hotel was converted into a beerhall, which was later acquired by Spaten and dubbed Spatenbräu Bierhalle. Like much else in the city, it fell victim to bombs in 1944. When finally rebuilt in 1953, it bore no resemblance to the original.

Why have I given such an extensive history of this pub? Because in its current incarnation it's so achingly dull. In fact, without notes, I don't think I would be able to recall anything about it at all. Wood surfaces that look like cheap veneer and an inappropriate collection of fox hunting prints. As interesting as a night out in Swindon and with all the olde worlde charm of Milton Keynes. It does have a pretty full set of Spaten beers and is in a very convenient spot.
Rating: ** Public transport: U/S-Bahn Karlplatz.


Unions-Bräu Haidhausen
Einsteinstr. 46,
81675 München (Munich).
Tel. 089 - 477 677
Fax: 089 - 470 5848
Email: info@unionsbraeu.de
Homepage: http://www.unionsbraeu.de/

Unions-Bräu Haidhausen
Opening hours (Braukeller): Mon - Sat: 16:00-01:00
Sun 10:00-24:00
Opening hours (Restaurant): Mon - Sun: 11:00-00:00
Number of bottled beers: 1
Number of draught beers: 3
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices: Beer €3.10 - 3.50 . Food €7 - 13

Unions-Bräu Haidhausen interiorThe hard times of the 1920's, when many Munich breweries closed their doors forever, also saw Löwenbräu gobble up Unions-Bräu. Like Paulaner, they came on the idea of re-opening it as a homebrew pub and its first beer was served in 1991.

As you might expect from somewhere that was brewing 130,000 hl in 1900, it's a reasonable size establishment. The ground floor is pretty restauranty and rather too close to kitsch for comfort. The cellar is in complete contrast, simple to the extent of being positively Spartan. It's here, amid the long pine tables and benches, that the brewing kettles, fermenting vessels and all those other pretty things connected with brewing are situated.

At the rear is a small and fairly dismal beer garden, boxed in by flats, with a selection of very immature trees. It should look OK in about 20 years time. Not really worth the trouble, unless you're desperate to sit outside.

The beer is served from wooden barrels, but with top pressure applied. I found the Helles OK, but too yeasty and way too fizzy. Maybe in the meantime someone has learned how to set the CO2 cylinder correctly.

Rating: *** Public transport: U4/U5 Max-Weber Platz


Weisses Bräuhaus
Tal 7,
80331 München.
Tel. 089 - 299 875
Fax: 089 - 290 13815
http://www.weisses-brauhaus.de/

Weisses Bräuhaus
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 09:00-11:30
Number of draught beers: 5
Number of bottled beers: 2
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Prices: Beer €2.70 - 3.50, food €8 - 16

Until the Second World War this was not only Schneider's premier Munich outlet, but also the brewery. War damage put paid to the brewing side of the operation on this site, but the pub has long ago been restored and its difficult to imagine now what a state it was in in 1945. It's on the southern side of the city centre, just a little past (if you're coming from the station) the gothic townhall.

Weisses Bräuhaus interiorIt's a big, bustling cheery sort of place, without any pretensions. Bare wooden floors, long tables and benches (no sitting in a corner by yourself staring at your pint here) and not much in the way of decoration other than some lovely coloured leaded glass windows. Their motifs - foaming glasses of Aventinus and sheaves of wheat - are very much to the point.

To emphasize the homely side, most of the waitresses seemed to be grannies on my last visit. I half expected recommendations to make sure l ate all my food and to be careful to wrap up warm before leaving.

In a way, it's a shame that Schneider have started doing draught versions of their beers. There was something extraordinary about being in the brewery tap of a large company where none of the draught beers were their own. Be warned that the "Berliner Weisse" is just their own wheat beer with syrup added. Very Reinheitsgebot.

Rating: ***** Public transport: U/S-Bahn Marienplatz.


Munich Pub Guide
Munich Suburbs Pub Listings

Isar bräu
Kreuzeckstraße 23,
82049 Großhesselohe.

Tel. 089 - 79 89 61
Fax: 089 - 79 14 723
E-Mail: info@isarbraeu.de Website:
Homepage: www.isarbraeu.de

Isar Bräu
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 10:00 - 24:00
Number of draught beers: 4
Number of bottled beers: 1
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals
Isar bräu may be a little out of town, but it couldn't be simpler to find. It's located in buildings that used to be part of Großhesselohe station. Get of the S7 and there you are. It must be one of few brewpubs with its own railway station. The discarded railway building, dating from 1890, has been sensitively converted to its current use.

Wooden panelling that seems to have been around for years, battered old wooden furniture: it all makes it hard to believe that it's only been a pub for a few years. There are a few culture clashes. The entrance is post-modernist (or brightly-painted brutalist as it's also known) and industrial ducting sits next to 1890's beer bottles and glasses. It sounds an odd combination, but it works well and creates a very comfortable atmosphere. The customers, too, are a creative mixture of old and new. For train freaks, there are excellent views of the railway line.

The homebrewed beers issuing form the gleaming copper thingummies are a triumph to equal the interior design. I was particularly impressed by the Schwarzbier. Definitely worth the S-Bahn trip out of the city centre.
Rating: ***** Public transport: S7 to Großhesselohe.


Munich Pub Guide
Freising Pub Listings

Weihenstephan Bräustüberl
Weihenstephaner Berg 10,
85354 Freising.

Tel. 08161 - 13004
Homepage: http://www.brauerei-weihenstephan.de/

Weihenstephan Bräustuberl
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 09:00 - 23:00
Number of draught beers: 8
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Hear the phrases "former monastery" and "beer garden" strung together and a tranquil, rural idyll springs to mind. Weihenstephan Bräustüberl is such a restaurant and beer garden. But its setting is a real disappointment.

Weihenstephan is a fair sized brewery. You expect its structure to be a bit on the functional side of beautiful. It's fallen right off the f-scale. Looking away from the brewery (which is easier than is natural), the view isn't much better. You're in the middle of a light industrial estate. Though, if you ignore odd low mechanical hum, it's quiet enough. If only they could get those bloody birds to shut up. Their twittering totally destroys the Swindon atmosphere.

The beer garden is self-service, the bar being housed in a prefab outbuilding, where there's also part of the restaurant. I would tell you about the inside. But I was there in the summer. I only went inside to use the bogs. These pages contain a surpising number of words describing toilet facilities, but on this occasion I'll be silent.

It does itself justice as a brewery tap. They have the complete range on draught. You would be amazed at how many taps don't.

Once you're past the shock of finding yourself in an industrial estate and not a medieval monastery, the place does grow on you. Being at the site of the oldest brewery in the world does have some sort of magic. Though I bet they weren't bottom fermenting back then.
Rating: ***** Public transport: S1 to Freising. It's then a mile walk (all uphill). I recommend talking a taxi.


Zur Gred
Bahnhofstr. 8,
Freising.

Tel. 08161 - 3097
Fax: 08161 - 3098
Email: Webmaster@HotelzurGred.de
Homepage: http://www.hotelzurgred.de/

Zur Gred
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 06:00 - 24:00
Number of draught beers: 2
Number of bottled beers:
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
From the outside Zur Gred looks a pretty decent pub. Sadly, once inside you're in for a disappointment.

There's a single L-shaped room that is brimful of blandness. They nearest I could come to in a single phrase is German mock-Tudor, but that doesn't do justice to sheer awfulness of the design. There are far too many tablecloths and carpets for my taste. The opening times are probably its best feature. When I see pubs like this, I realise Bass weren't as bad as I thought.

Zur Gred is also a hotel with 33 rooms.
Rating: * Public transport: S1 to Freising.


Zum Häcklbräu
General van Nagelstr. 4,
Freising.

Tel.
 
Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 09:45 - 01:00
Number of draught beers: 3
Number of bottled beers: 3
Regular draught beers:
Food: Snacks, meals.
Freising seems to specialise in bland pubs. Here, despite a beamed ceiling, it's much like a crap modern kneipe anywhere in Germany.

It's nice to see that the UK doesn't have a monopoly on low-quality pub refurbishments I really can find anything else to tell you about Häcklbräu. Oh yes, the name. They used to brew here until an unfortunate bombing incident during the war.
Rating: * Public transport: S1 to Freising.



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Augsburg Pub Guide The breweries of Bamberg
Bamberg Pub Guide The breweries of Berlin
Berlin Pub Guide The breweries of Baden-Württemberg
Duisburg Pub Guide The breweries of the Former DDR
Düsseldorf Pub Guide The breweries of Düsseldorf
Eisenach Pub Guide The breweries of Munich
Goslar Pub Guide
The breweries of Cologne
Hamburg Pub Guide  
Hannover Pub Guide  
Cologne (Köln) Pub Guide German Beer Articles
Leipzig Pub Guide The Trouble with German Beer
Munich Pub Guide Old German Beer Styles
Nürnberg (Nuremberg) Pub Guide German Beer Statistics
Ratingen Pub Guide Why the Reinheitsgebot is old bollocks
Stuttgart Pub Guide Buying German Beer in the USA
 
More Beer Pages
Main index page



© Ron Pattinson 2002 - 2006

All articles and photos on these pages (unless otherwise stated) are property of Ron Pattinson. If you would like permission to reproduce either on your own site or in a book, please contact me first.