Enjoying yourself Bavaria
Timetable Bavaria
Gourmet restaurants are open evenings and sometimes for lunch. Traditional restaurants rarely had an afternoon closing time, so you can eat at any time of day. In the countryside, it's best to find a table before 8pm.
Budget & Tips Bavaria
The average price for a main course starts at €10. A pint of beer is often around €4 or €5. In city bakeries, you'll often find bread rolls with cheese and/or cold meats, a handy way to eat on the run and for less.
What costs extra Bavaria
Water is always extra. It's frowned upon in restaurants to ask for a jug of water, and you may even be refused. In Germany, it's customary to buy a bottle of mineral water (still or sparkling).
Remember that restaurants sometimes refuse credit cards. Carry some cash with you, and remember that it's customary to leave a tip of around 10% of the price, rounded up. Not tipping can be interpreted as dissatisfaction with the service. When the waiter comes to bring you the bill, you can round up the amount and announce a higher price. For example, if the bill comes to €11.80, you'll say "auf 13" when you pay, meaning that the waiter should give you change for €13 and keep the difference for himself. If you have €13, you can announce "stimmt so".
The local way Bavaria
Breakfast (Frühstück) in hotels is almost always served as a buffet, often with a wide variety of breads, cheeses, cold meats, jams, spreads, cereals, juices and more.
Lunch (Mittagessen) is usually the main meal for Bavarians. For this occasion, restaurants offer menus that change daily, but are only available at lunchtime until around 2pm.
The afternoon coffee break(Kaffee und Kuchen), around 4pm, is often time for a drink and a slice of cake. In everyday life, especially at weekends, this break is considered a good opportunity to invite family and friends. The host usually offers at least one cake, either homemade or from a trusted baker. For the older generation, no coffee break is complete without black forest (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte).
The German evening meal is traditionally simple, light and cold. Many families sit down to dinner at around 6.30-7 p.m. and eat bread with slices of cheese and cold meats, with a salad for example. In Germany, this meal is called " Abendbrot " (evening bread). In Bavaria, it's called "Brotzeit" (bread time), and you'll find that some Gaststätten offer it.
In small tourist towns, hotels and guesthouses often have their own restaurant serving simple, hearty food. You don't have to be a hotel guest to eat there.
Smokers Bavaria
Bavarian restaurants are non-smoking. You will have to go outside to light your cigarette, cigar or pipe.
Take a break Bavaria
Timetable Bavaria
Unless they're also restaurants, cafés close fairly early, around 6pm. Biergärten ( singular:Biergarten ), or beer gardens, are only open on sunny days.
Budget & Tips Bavaria
A coffee costs an average of €2.50. A slice of cake costs around €4. Bear in mind that in cafés, as in restaurants, people often pay in cash and thank the service by tipping around 10% of the price. For a pint of beer, expect to pay around €4.
Age restrictions Bavaria
The sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited to minors. You may be asked for identification to verify your date of birth.
What's very local Bavaria
In Germany, there's a tradition that's quite similar to the British tea-time. It's called " Kaffee und Kuchen ", literally "coffee and cake". It's the mid-afternoon gourmet break. Admittedly, Kaffee und K uchen is more reminiscent of the bourgeoisie of the 1950s than the hip, international youth of the 2020s, but the practice is still very much alive. The more nostalgic will enjoy a cup of coffee with a black forest while reading the newspaper. Younger people are more inclined towards cheesecake or carrotcake. In traditional cafés, you'll always find a window displaying the cakes of the day.
When it comes to beverages, your stay will be divided between beer and wine. Bavaria has many breweries and microbreweries, and you'll be able to try all kinds. In the north of Bavaria, particularly in Lower Franconia, there are vineyards and thus many local wines. In Würzburg, for example, locals enjoy drinking their glass of wine on the old stone bridge, an idyllic setting for a tasting session.
Munich also boasts a local cocktail, the Munich Mule: a bit like the Moscow Mule, but with gin instead of vodka.
Kids Bavaria
There are no age restrictions for cafés. Some cafés even have high chairs for toddlers. In bars, on the other hand, you won't come across any children.
