Augustiner-Keller

Augustiner-Keller, founded in 1812 in Munich's Maxvorstadt district, is one of the city's oldest beer establishments and widely considered a locals' favourite over the more tourist-heavy Hofbräuhaus. The attached restaurant serves traditional Bavarian cooking — roast pork, dumplings, Schweinshaxe, and seasonal specials — but the main draw is the beer garden itself: roughly 5,000 seats shaded by chestnut trees over a century old, and Augustiner Bräu, generally regarded by Müncheners as the city's best brewery. Notably, the beer here is still served from wooden barrels rather than steel kegs, a rarity even in Munich and something regulars specifically seek out. The self-service beer garden section follows traditional Munich rules — visitors can bring their own food and simply buy beer at the counter — while the table-service restaurant section offers a fuller sit-down menu. The atmosphere is relaxed, communal, and unpretentious, dominated by long wooden tables under the trees in summer and a warmer indoor cellar-style room in cooler months. No dress code applies. The restaurant section takes reservations, which are worth making for dinner, while the beer garden itself operates on a walk-in, find-a-seat basis typical of Munich beer gardens.