Must-see nightlife in Munich, Bavaria & the Black Forest

  • Hofbräuhaus

    Munich

    Even if you don't like beer, every visitor to Munich should make a pilgrimage to the mothership of all beer halls, if only once. Within this major tourist…

  • Four friends with a fresh beer in a Beer garden; close-up on beer stein; Shutterstock ID 94653856; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: LP.com Destination Galleries

    Augustiner Bräustuben

    Munich

    Depending on the wind direction, the bitter-sweet aroma of hops envelops you as you approach this traditional beer hall inside the Augustiner brewery. The…

  • Kraftpaule

    Stuttgart

    Competition is stiff but for our money this might just be Stuttgart's coolest new-wave craft microbrewery and bar. The bartenders really know their stuff,…

  • Schwarz Weiss Bar

    Stuttgart

    Jazz creates a mellow mood at this slinky little cocktail bar, with barrel-vaulted ceilings, stone walls and dim lighting. The mixologists seem to put a…

  • Kaffeesack

    Baden-Baden

    You can sure smell the coffee as you approach Kaffeesack, tucked away in Baden-Baden's backstreets. Born in Germany to Italian parents, Maurizio is the…

  • Alter Simpl

    Munich

    Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse used to knock 'em back at this well-scuffed and wood-panelled thirst parlour. A bookish ambience still pervades, making this…

  • Chinesischer Turm

    Munich

    This one's hard to ignore because of its English Garden location and pedigree as Munich's oldest beer garden (open since 1791). Camera-toting tourists and…

  • Harry Klein

    Munich

    Follow the gold-lined passageway off Sonnenstrasse to what some regard as one of the best Elektro-clubs in the world. Nights here are an amazing alchemy…

  • Cafebar

    Regensburg

    This time-warped, tightly squeezed blast from the past in Jugendstil tile, cast iron and stained glass has been filling with newspaper-reading caffeine…

  • Schumann's Bar

    Munich

    Urbane and sophisticated, Schumann's shakes up Munich's nightlife with libational flights of fancy and an impressive range of concoctions. It's also good…

  • Pacha

    Munich

    One of a gaggle of clubs at Maximiliansplatz 5, this nightspot with its cherry logo is one of Munich's hottest nights out, with the DJs spinning their…

  • Oberstdorfer Dampfbierbrauerei

    Bavarian Alps

    Knock back a few 'steamy ales' at Germany's southernmost brewery, right next to the train station. The brewery runs free tours in German at 11am every…

  • MilchundBar

    Munich

    One of the hottest addresses in the city centre for those who like to spend the hours between supper and breakfast boogieing to an eclectic mix of…

  • Rosebottel

    Ulm

    Ranked in the Mixology Bar Guide as one of Germany's best bars, Rosebottel time-warps you back to a more decadent age with its dark wood panelling,…

  • Misch Misch

    Stuttgart

    If you're serious about your beans, this new retro-flavoured cafe just south of the centre is surely a little slice of heaven. As tiny and well loved as…

  • Wagenhallen

    Stuttgart

    Swim away from the mainstream at this postindustrial space 2km north of the centre, where club nights, gigs and workshops skip from Balkan-beat parties to…

  • Waldwirtschaft Grosshesselohe

    Munich

    One of Munich's nicest beer-garden oases, this one pumps Spaten beer to 2500 drinkers under shady chestnuts. There are idyllic views of the Isar valley…

  • Juri's

    Freiburg

    What a find this mulberry-hued wine and cocktail bar is, with its cushion-strewn nooks and candlelit tables. It does a head-spinning range of wines and…

  • Palast der Republik

    Stuttgart

    Once a public toilet, this not-so-very-palatial kiosk-bar now offers a very different kind of piss-up. Everyone from students to bankers has a soft spot…

  • Augustiner-Grossgaststätte

    Munich

    This sprawling place has a less raucous atmosphere and superior food to the usual offerings. Altogether it’s a much more authentic example of an old-style…

  • Weinhaus Beck

    Swabian Alps Region

    There’s rarely an empty table at this wine shop and tavern beside the Rathaus. It's a convivial place to enjoy regional and international wines (choose…

  • Kneitinger

    Regensburg

    Kneitinger is Regensburg's local beer and there's no better place to head in the city for some hearty home cooking, delicious house suds and outrageous…

  • Sky Beach

    Stuttgart

    When the sun comes out, Stuttgarters live it up at this urban beach, complete with sand, cabana beds, DJs spinning mellow lounge beats and grandstand city…

  • Biergarten im Schlossgarten

    Stuttgart

    Toast to summer with beer and pretzels at Stuttgart’s best-loved, 2000-seat beer garden in the green heart of the Schlossgarten. Regular live music on…

  • Kuchlbauer

    Regensburg & the Danube

    This unmissable brewpub is half museum, half tavern with oodles of brewing knick-knacks lining the walls. The house beer comes in wheat, dark and Helles…

  • Bräustüberl

    Bavaria

    There are seven varieties of beer on offer at the monks’ beer hall and garden, from the rich and velvety Doppelbock Dunkel to the fruity unfiltered…

  • Torschuster

    Bamberg

    Amid the palaces and ecclesiastic institutions of the Domberg stands this small pub serving beers from all of Bamberg's breweries and a good selection of…

  • Cafe Pini

    Munich

    Bibite, panini, giornali (drinks, sandwiches, newspapers) is the holy trinity served up at this Italian cafe, which takes you back to the days of the…

  • Cafe Katz

    Nuremberg

    From the outside this place looks like a secondhand furniture shop, the vitrines packed with 1970s coffee tables, old school desks and 1980s high-back…

  • Augustiner Keller

    Munich

    Every year this leafy 5000-seat beer garden, about 500m west of the Hauptbahnhof, buzzes with fairy-lit thirst-quenching activity from the first sign that…

  • Barfüsser Brauhaus

    Nuremberg

    This cellar beer hall deep below street level is a popular spot to hug a mug of site-brewed ale, bubbling frothily in the copper kettles that occupy the…

  • Hirschgarten

    Munich

    The Everest of Munich beer gardens can seat up to 8000 Augustiner lovers, making it Bavaria's biggest – an accolade indeed. It's in a lovely spot in a…

  • Räuber Kaffee

    The Black Forest

    In a town that's pretty swamped with touristy cafes, the Räuber ('Thief') is like a breath of fresh air, with a retro-cool interior full of mismatched…

  • Trachtenvogl

    Munich

    At night you'll have to shoehorn your way into this buzzy lair favoured by a chatty, boozy crowd of scenesters, artists and students. Daytimes are…

  • Paul & George

    Stuttgart

    Housed in a building dating to 1889 and exuding its very own brand of old-school glamour and boho flair, Paul & George is named after the architects of…

  • P1

    Munich

    If you make it past the notorious face control at Munich's premier late spot, you'll encounter a crowd of Bundesliga reserve players, Q-list celebs and…

  • Treibhaus

    Nuremberg

    Off the path of most visitors, this bustling cafe is a Nuremberg institution and one of the most happening places in town. Set yourself down in the sun on…

  • Andorfer Weissbräu

    Passau

    High on a hill 1.5km north of the Altstadt, this rural beer garden attached to the Andorfer brewery serves filling Bavarian favourites, but the star of…

  • Zum Flaucher

    Munich

    This congenial restaurant-cum-beer garden in the Isar River meadows feels a like a microvacation from the city bustle. The spare ribs are fall-off-the…

  • Kettensteg

    Nuremberg

    At the end of the chain bridge and in the shadow of the Halletor you'll find this classic Bavarian beer garden complete with its gravel floor, folding…