Fifteen real Munich beer gardens, from the world’s largest under a former royal deer park to a Jazzbiergarten in the forest south of the city, each with what to expect, what’s on tap, and whether dogs are welcome. For our full guide to touring the city, see Best Beer Tours in Munich.
Chinesischer Turm (Englischer Garten (southern section))
Munich’s most-visited beer garden, wrapped around a 25-metre Chinese-style pagoda first built in 1789. A brass band plays from the tower’s upper platform on summer afternoons, and self-service stalls sell half-chickens, pork knuckles and Steckerlfisch alongside the Hofbrau on tap.
- 7,000 seats, second-largest in Munich
- Beer: Hofbrau (about EUR 11.50 per Mass)
- Brass band plays from the tower platform
- Bring-your-own-food allowed
Augustiner-Keller (Arnulfstrasse 52, near Hauptbahnhof)
Munich’s oldest continuous beer garden, running on this site since 1812, under 100 mature chestnut trees three minutes’ walk from the main station. The Augustiner Edelstoff is poured straight from wooden barrels rather than pressurised, which is why many locals rank it above the bigger tourist gardens.
- 5,000 seats under 100 chestnut trees
- Beer served from wooden barrels, not pressurized
- Known for roast pork (Schweinsbraten) and sourdough Brez’n
- Three minutes from Hauptbahnhof
Koeniglicher Hirschgarten (Hirschgarten 1, west Munich)
Officially the largest beer garden in the world at 8,000 seats, set in a former royal hunting park with a small enclosed deer park and wide lawns. Dogs are welcome throughout, both in the beer garden and the surrounding meadows.
- 8,000 seats, largest beer garden in the world
- Former royal hunting park with a deer enclosure
- Dog friendly, dogs of any size welcome
- Large lawns good for kids
Minihofbraeuhaus (Gysslingstrasse 59, northern Englischer Garten)
Known officially by Munich tourism as the city’s dog beer garden, in the quieter northern section of the English Garden. It gets crowded in summer, but it is the one address in Munich where nobody blinks at a table full of dogs.
- Munich’s most dog-friendly beer garden
- Leash required in the beer garden area
- Northern (quieter) section of the English Garden
- Serves oven-fresh pork roast with dumpling and salad
Viktualienmarkt Beer Garden (Viktualienmarkt, Altstadt)
The most central beer garden in Munich, right in the middle of the food market and shaded by chestnut trees. Unusually, no single brewery supplies the beer here; six of Munich’s major breweries rotate every five to six weeks.
- About 600 self-service seats plus 200 served
- Open daily 9am-10pm, April to October plus warm winter days
- Six Munich breweries rotate every 5-6 weeks
- Bring your own food, buy drinks on site
Seehaus im Englischen Garten (Kleinhesselohe 3, Schwabing)
A lakeside beer garden directly on the Kleinhesseloher See, with wooden terraces bridging the restaurant and the more casual outdoor tables. There is a fenced playground for kids, and the grilled Steckerlfisch is a local favourite.
- Open daily 11:30am-11pm/midnight
- Right on the Kleinhesseloher See
- Fenced-in playground for kids
- Known for grilled chicken and Steckerlfisch
Waldwirtschaft Grosshesselohe (Georg-Kalb-Strasse 3, Pullach)
Known locally as the Jazzbiergarten, a forested beer garden south of the city in Pullach where live jazz plays regularly through the summer months among the trees.
- Open daily in good weather, roughly 10am-10:30pm/11pm
- Known for regular live jazz
- Self-service beer garden in a forest setting
- Just south of Munich in Pullach
Biergarten Zum Flaucher (Isar riverside, south Munich)
A dog-friendly beer garden along one of Munich’s most popular stretches of the Isar river, with around 1,700 seats among the greenery and river walking paths.
- About 1,700 seats
- Directly on the Isar river
- Dog friendly, popular with walkers
- Quieter than the city-centre gardens
Hofbraeuhaus am Platzl (Wirtsgarten) (Platzl 9, Altstadt)
The sheltered Wirtsgarten at the world-famous Hofbrauhaus, tucked under old chestnut trees around a fountain in the heart of the city, seating up to 450 without any reservation needed.
- Open daily 11am-midnight (10:30am Sat/Sun)
- Wirtsgarten holds up to 450 guests, no reservations
- Under chestnut trees beside a fountain
- Brewing moved to Riem in 1988, this is the historic tavern
Taxisgarten (Taxisstrasse, Neuhausen)
A neighbourhood favourite in Neuhausen with a more local, less touristy crowd than the big-name gardens, serving Hacker-Pschorr beer under shade trees.
- Neighbourhood beer garden in Neuhausen
- Hacker-Pschorr on tap
- Popular with locals over tourists
Loewenbraeukeller (Nymphenburger Strasse 2)
A historic Lowenbrau beer hall and garden near Stiglmaierplatz, with a large outdoor terrace that fills up fast on warm evenings close to the Oktoberfest grounds.
- Lowenbrau beer garden and beer hall
- Near Stiglmaierplatz, close to the Theresienwiese
- Large outdoor terrace
Paulaner am Nockherberg (Hochstrasse 77, Au-Haidhausen)
A hillside Paulaner beer garden with sweeping views over the city, historically the site of the annual Starkbierfest strong-beer festival, with plenty of shaded terrace seating.
- Hillside terrace with city views
- Home of the annual Starkbierfest
- Paulaner beers on tap
Hirschau (Gysslingstrasse 15, Englischer Garten (north))
A large, family-friendly beer garden in the northern English Garden with room for around 2,500 guests, popular with cyclists passing through the park.
- Around 2,500 seats
- Northern English Garden, popular with cyclists
- Family-friendly with a large children’s play area
Menterschwaige (Menterschwaigstrasse 4, Harlaching)
A leafy beer garden along the Isar in Harlaching, quieter and more residential in feel than the central gardens, popular for a riverside stroll and a Mass.
- Quiet, residential riverside location
- Along the Isar in Harlaching
- Popular with local families
Hofbraukeller am Wiener Platz (Innere Wiener Strasse 19, Haidhausen)
A traditional Hofbrau beer garden in the Haidhausen district, next to the lively Wiener Platz market square, with a shaded courtyard away from the busiest tourist routes.
- Traditional Hofbrau beer garden
- Next to the Wiener Platz market
- Shaded courtyard, quieter than the Altstadt gardens
Try a Classic Munich Beer
Most of these gardens pour Hofbrau, Augustiner or Lowenbrau. If you want to try a Munich classic before you go, we tasted Weihenstephaner Original Helles, one of the world’s oldest brewery’s flagship lagers.
More Beer Travel
See also our Best Beer Tours in Munich guide, Best Beer Gardens in Europe, and the Beer Cities hub for 100 more cities to drink your way through.
FAQ
Which Munich beer garden is best for dogs?
Minihofbraeuhaus in the northern English Garden is officially known as Munich’s dog beer garden, and Koeniglicher Hirschgarten also explicitly welcomes dogs of any size.
Which is the biggest?
Koeniglicher Hirschgarten holds around 8,000 seats and is officially the largest beer garden in the world; Chinesischer Turm is the second-largest at 7,000.
Can you bring your own food?
At most traditional Munich beer gardens, including Chinesischer Turm, Augustiner-Keller and Viktualienmarkt, bringing your own food is allowed as long as you buy your drinks on site.
