"Restaurant Bar" in Munich
Charles Schumann actually wanted to study politics and journalism, but today he knows that he "can only do gastronomy". Understatement is as much a part of Germany's most legendary bar operator as the white coats of the Schuhmann's team. You can only love this bar! And if you don't, then it's not the bar that's the problem, it's you.
There's a lot you can do wrong. The choice of glasses, the level of friendliness, the decor. So it's all the more surprising when you pull up a chair at the Tantris bar, take a sip of the "Tantroni Americano" and admit to yourself that you're completely inspired: Everything really fits here.
Good florists are those who don't confuse you with unnecessary details, but understand what the bouquet is supposed to be about. The boys and girls here do something similar: they skilfully compose wonderfully floral, fruity or tart works of art from fine spirits that are sure to impress.
The name refers to the neighborhood's foundry past - as does the urban mural as a break in style from the gold-painted walls and art deco interior. For a sophisticated accompaniment, order classics with a twist and pickled watermelon as a bar snack - served with starched napkins and polished cutlery.
In Munich, you don't stumble into bars, you sail in. That suits a place where the wooden planks are planked and the drinks push every sailor out of their Timberlands - because they are so good, not because you're being sloppy. To avoid getting seasick, it is still advisable to keep a sense of proportion.
Here, you don't just pour yourself a drink, you gurgle straight into your soul: drinks that are designed with such attention to detail that you might think you're in the laboratory of the eponymous TV series. But you are actually in Munich, the city of good humour, which is one attraction richer thanks to this bar.
Those who tread new paths often lose their way. At Herzog, however, they walk into the future as if it were a well-paved staircase. The interior is modern in a way that is also warm, the menu dares to experiment without losing itself, and the drinks are created with a lot of love and understanding.
In Germany's first bottled cocktail bar, nothing is ever shaken. Nine bottles form the basis for 26 cocktails, which are artfully presented behind the terracotta counter. The "Fly Pink", a daiquiri refined with red fruit tea from the Viktualienmarkt, is served with dragon fruit espuma and a smoke bubble.
The Bar am Platzl is a successful homage to the humorist Karl Valentin. In the curious and tasteful setting with its gray fur wall, quirky chairs and light-flooded inner courtyard, drinks are served by experimental bartenders, such as the "Rocko Siffredi Punch" with Valentin's own Cuvée Pinot.
Usagi is actually the place to go for a remarkable izakaya menu. But if thirst is your main priority, you will also find what you are looking for here: from Japanese Asahi beer and quality sake to drinks such as the "Usagi's Whisky Sour" with yuzu sake. The ideal bar snack to go with it: Popcorn with nut butter and furikake.