This Artsy Neighborhood in Munich Shows a Different Side of Germany’s Beer Capital

Just minutes from Munich’s Oktoberfest field, the industrial neighborhood of Schwanthalerhöhe might be best known to travelers for its breweries. It’s where many of the Bavarian capital’s iconic beer houses — including its oldest, Augustiner-Bräu, which moved from its original downtown location in 1884 — are located.

But recently the neighborhood has morphed beyond beer tents. Today it’s dotted with coffee shops and galleries, family-run groceries and chic restaurants, all anchored by a convivial atmosphere. 

“In the summer we have beer and pizza on the street and get to know the neighbors,” says Martino Hutz, an up-and-coming architect who opened his practice in Schwanthalerhöhe in 2020. 

The 280-key Roomers Munich, Autograph Collection has playful interiors — like beds raised on round platforms. The 1960s-style bar serves far-out cocktails like the Kissaten, which blends matcha sake and mint with gin, crème de cacao, and white-chocolate mousse.

A few streets over is the Space by Schoenbuch Gallery, which carries Bavarian-made objets d’art, like cast-glass bookends modeled on the open spaces within letters of the alphabet. Concept store Heißeliebe sits a block east and sells quirky-cool wares, like bomber jackets upcycled from sofa fabrics by Cologne fashion label Watt and colorful stationery from Spanish brand Octaevo. 

At clothing store Lena Schokolade, founder Anna Liedtke offers a selection of everyday basics, like pleated trousers and printed tees. Liedtke also works with Kenyan tailors, and part of the collection is sewn in Nairobi. Meanwhile, Goodbois Gallery is the place to go for sporty silhouettes, like oversize pants, ball caps, and crewneck knits.

Schwanthalerhöhe’s restaurant scene is on the upswing, too. Chef Johannes Höcherl serves pan-European dishes at Das Kulinariat, where the weekly menu may feature a salad of beans and grilled mushrooms in a kimchi-butter sauce or poached trout with wild-herb risotto. The store Wir 2 Lieben Wein stocks only natural wines from Austria’s Burgenland. Its bestsellers — and crowd favorites at the monthly tastings — are pét-nats.

A block south is the family-owned Korean restaurant M-A-T. The minimalist menu highlights traditional dishes like tteokbokki, a spicy rice cake served with fried fish. 

Two streets over, Stray Coffee Roasters specializes in single-origin beans with flavor profiles like blueberry and rose hip. The owners regularly partner with businesses in the neighborhood, like ceramist Maria Cepissakova, who makes their cups. “This area is coming into its own,” says Stray’s cofounder Ilan Bachl, “and we’re so happy to be a part of the process.”

A version of this story first appeared in the December 2024/January 2025issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Mad About Munich.”