München (Munich), Bayern (Bavaria):
Bratwurstherzl am Viktualienmarkt

Thursday 30th July 2015

Bob Thompson

The translation of this pub’s name causes difficulties. Herz in German is a heart but the context it is used here is as central thing, such as “the heart of the district”.

The end of the title has an l so is a diminutive. So this dialectic word loosely translates as Little Centre of the Bratwurst (fried pork sausage).

These are on the menu but with many other things. Yet it is the beer that leads us to this cosy hostelry, please forget the pedantic translation!

Pride of place on the bar is a wooden barrel. Sure, there other pubs in Munich that sell beer this way, but they are nearly always Augustiner.

This beer is Hacker-Pshorr Edelhell, a common enough beer but normally sold from a fount, thus making this friendly pub a destination in its own right.

Please note the sign on the right which means Edelhell from a wooden barrel. The only other house in the city that sells this beer direct from the cask is der Pshorr on the other side of the market, not very far away. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to visit it on this occasion.

This is a very old pub as it was first mentioned as a restaurant in 1633. We don’t know too much about its subsequent history but are aware that it acquired its current name in 1901 presumably because of the food it sold.

The main room is decorated traditionally with the almost ubiquitous wooden panelling.

The furniture is wood of course, with the chairs being darkly stained and the table are scrubbed light pine.

There is a smaller room to the right with exposed brickwork. This is 350 years old, the most ancient part of the pub.

Strangely the furniture here and decoration is more modern in design although still made of wood.

The pub has been extended many times over the years. There is a small biergarten on the street at the front in the warmer months.

Apart from the Edelhell (5.5%) (an export-style beer) from the cask, they also sell the following beers on draught: Münchner Hell (4.9%) (a different light beer); Anno 1417 Kellerbier (5.5%) (an unfiltered beer); Münchner Dunkel (5.0%) (a dark beer); Weisse (5.5%) (wheat beer) and Dunkel-Weisse (5.3%) (a dark wheat beer). All these are brewed by Hacker-Pshorr in the city.

This is a welcoming pub and shouldn’t be missed if you are in the city.

Important Information:

Bratwurstherzl am Viktualienmarkt, Dreifaltigkeitsplatz 1, 80331 Munich. Tel: 089 295113

Open: Monday-Saturday 10.00-23.00. Sunday/Holidays: Closed.
Kitchen closes at 21.30.

From Marienplatz station, exit from the S-Bahn platform (S-Bahn) if coming from Hauptbahnhof (Main station) at the south easterly end.

Walk through the arch into Tal. You will see the Weisses Bräuhause on the second corner on the left with the Heilig-Geist (Holy Ghost) church on your right. Almost opposite the Weisses Bräuhause and at the end of the church there is an alleyway on the right. This is Heiliggeist Strasse. Walk along here until you can see the market in front of you. Turn left at the first opportunity and you will be outside the pub.

Marienplatz station is served by S1-S4, S6 and S8.
It is also served by U-Bahn lines U3 and U6.