The beer garden at the Chinese Tower at one of the world’s biggest inner-city parks, the Englischer Garten (larger than London’s Hyde Park and New York City’s Central Park), with a 7,000 beer drinkers at once capacity is the second largest beer garden of the city. During the summer it is probably the best place for a Brotzeit – a snack that you take in Bavaria when the breakfast already was too long ago, or it’s too long to wait for dinner. As a hungry Bavarian tends to become a grumpy one, the invitation to a Brotzeit should be accepted without protest at all times.

The beer served at the Chinese Tower beer garden is Bavarian state owned Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München (public Royal Brewery in Munich, also Hofbräu München). Hofbräu and Augustiner are the only major Munich based breweries which aren’t part of large international beer conglomerates.

The food stalls of the beer garden offer traditional Bavarian food such as Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Hendl (roasted chicken), Schweinshaxn (roasted pork knuckle), and Obatzda. A Mass(1l) of beer costs €7.70.

The beer garden at the Chinese Tower is also known for the Kocherlball which takes place in the early morning of the third Sunday in July every year. Some 15,000 people gather to dance and drink beer at 5:30 am. This is an old tradition from when valets used to meet at beer gardens in early Sunday mornings before dressing their masters for Sunday Mass.

Address: Englischer Garten 3

Opening hours: from 10am

Web:chinaturm.de