We had a blast in Munich recently. After the first day, we got the hang of deciphering menus and quickly learned what we really liked. As we tried new things though, our list of “likes” kept growing. Here are some of our favorite places that we hope to try again very soon.

Spatenhaus an der Opera — This restaurant is a bit on the fancier side, but great food, nice lighting and outdoor seating. At lunch, make sure to make a reservation and try for outside if you can with the view of the Opera. For those sensitive to smoke though, and there sadly is a lot of smoking still in Munich, book a seat inside where there is no smoking. Remember to start out with some brezel and obatzda for a typical Munich flavor.

Ella — We had seen several art museums on this certain day. We had already missed the usual lunch hours. We stopped by the Lenbachhaus art museum, home to this wonderful restaurant. If you are in the mood for a break from German food, this is the place to go, as it is the place for great Italian food. Almost immediately after we stepped foot in the restaurant, we were seated. A server came over to tell us the specials of the day. We ended up having an amazing meal, complete with After Eight panna cotta for dessert. The restaurant has a cozy feel, a great staff, and amazing food.

Bratwurstherzl — My husband and I went here about 15 years ago. It took some time to find it on this trip, but we finally did. Even our younger daughter ate the bratwurst here. Go early because it gets filled up. We recommend the sausage sampler that comes out on cast-iron plates. It’s incredibly affordable too. Abundant outside seating here too.

Münchner Stubn — We stayed at the most excellent Aloft hotel. Although you might be put off by it because it is right by the train station, we never felt unsafe. It was instead really convenient for some day trips outside of the city. The other benefit of staying there was being right next to this restaurant. We went here every night for a nightcap of apfelshorle and a helles and always had some great bites to eat.

Chinesischer Turm — This is just plain heaven for parents. A HUGE beer garden with great food and beer choices right next to a playground. Take a stroll through the English Garden during the day and end at the beer garden. There is also a fancy restaurant here, but why go there when you can eat in the garden? You’ll get a token per beer stein that you’ll exchange for a Euro once you return your glass. These are also some of the best park bathrooms we’ve seen.

Augustiner Keller — We’ve been told this is more of a local kind of beer garden. Food was good here, but we did the self-service. We liked the look of the terrace area better where it is menu service. We’ll try that next time. Beer was exceptional, as expected!