Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [268]
Café am Beethovenplatz (Map; 5529 1053; Goethestrasse 51; mains €5-11) This relaxed cafe with a musical theme has high ceilings, chandeliers and a cultivated Central European atmosphere. The breakfast selections are named after famous composers; tasty evening meals are accompanied by live jazz or classical music.
Wasserwerk (Map; 4890 0020; Wolfgangstrasse 19; mains €6-15; dinner only) This quirky bistro – strewn with ducts, pipes and wheels – plays up the waterworks theme to marvellous effect. Expect a consistently delicious range of quality international cuisine.
Schlosscafé im Palmenhaus (Map; 175 309; Schloss Nymphenburg; mains €7-12) The glass-fronted 1820 palm house, where Ludwig II used to keep his exotic house plants warm in winter, is now a high-ceilinged and pleasantly scented cafe. It’s just behind the palace.
Bobolovsky’s (Map; 297 363; Ursulastrasse 10; mains €7.50-12) The varied menu at this bustling bistro includes all the old favourites, such as fajitas, quesadillas and chilli. Portions are very generous and on weekdays this place takes the happy-hour concept to new lengths, with incredibly cheap deals on breakfast, lunch and cocktails.
Nido (Map; 2880 6103; Theresienstrasse 40; mains €7.50-13) This popular place is a trendy spot with lots of brushed aluminium and big picture windows. It serves a small menu of simple Italian-influenced dishes and a large dose of unpretentious cool.
Uni Lounge (Map; 2737 3264; Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1) Enjoy a cheap breakfast, lazy lunch or cocktails to a soundtrack of high-minded conversation beneath the whitewashed vaulting of this student hang-out. The outdoor seating is ringed by grand university buildings.
Nage & Sauge (Map; 298 803; Mariannenstrasse 2) This hip little Italo-cafe is packed every night with young, creative souls who snuggle up to the candlelit tables for the ‘Ente Elvis’ pasta, saltimbocca or a sublime cocktail. It’s tucked away in a side street in Lehel, so quiet you’ll wonder if it’s still within the city limits.
Café Zeitgeist (Map; 2865 9873; Türkenstrasse 74) Simply a perfect spot to pore over coffee and cake to watch, from a shady courtyard, the steady flow of students and trendoids pulsing along Türkenstrasse.
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Quick Eats
Throughout the city, branches of Vinzenzmurr (Map; Sendlinger Strasse 38 & Sonnenstrasse 8; 8.15am-6pm) offer the quintessential fast-food experience, with favourites like Weisswurst, Leberkäse im Semmel (spicy meatloaf in a bun) or Schweinebraten mit Knödel (roast pork with dumplings) among the best lunch deals in town.
South of the Hauptbahnhof hone in on the street window of Ristorante Ca’doro (Map; Bayerstrasse; pizza slices €2.40-3.80). To the north of the train station, Deli Star (Map; Dachauer Strasse 25; snacks €2.50-4; Mon-Fri) has soups, bagels and salads. One of the cheapest bakeries in this area is Best Back (Map; Bayerstrasse; 6.30am-midnight Mon-Fri, 7am-midnight Sat) where you can snarf a few sticky cakes and pastries, washed down with a coffee for less than €1.
Around Marienplatz the pizza window at La Pizzetta (Map; Tal 1; pizza slices €3) is mobbed at lunchtimes. Sasou (Map; Marienplatz 28; sushi €3.30-9.40) serves up imaginative sushi palettes and other Japanese food and drink just a few steps from the main tourist action. Soupmama (Map; Blumenstrasse 1; soups €2.80-6.90), looking onto the Viktualienmarkt, uses only organic ingredients in its broths. Münchner Suppenküche (Map; Schäfflerstrasse 7; dishes €3-6; closed Sun) is another good spot, just north of the Frauenkirche. This self-service soupery serves chicken casseroles, chilli con carne and other filling snacks.
Schwabing has lots of cheap places to eat, including Pommes Boutique (Map; Amalienstrasse 68; mains €2.20-5), where you can grab some cheap-as-chips fries and a hot dog before retiring to the adjacent minigolf room.
For affordable Indian takeaway near the Neue Pinakothek, try Indisches Fast Food (Map; Barer Strasse 46; mains €5-7.50), where fragrant