Housed near the high-reaching towers of Frauenkirche, in what used to be Munich's Augustinian monastery, whose monks began brewing nearly 700 years ago, Augustiner Klosterwirt prioritizes Bavarian food and beer traditions of both the past and present. Over the centuries, Augustiner Klosterwirt has become synonymous with the city's best ambiance, beer, and food. Get started with a half liter of Augustiner Helles — a lager light tapped from a wooden barrel with a pleasantly malty taste —and a bowl of old school leberknödelsuppe, a brothy soup of liver dumplings.

There are several Augustiner locations around the city but I loved that this one is a bit out of the way and has really great food. We sat inside in view of the bar (this was one of the cooler restaurants we visited as in the AC seemed to be turned on during the heatwave) meaning we got to see the bartenders tap the wooden casks of Helles with the easiest swing of the mallet. All of this mallet swinging felt even more German with our massive “snack plate” featuring four kinds of meat, three cheeses, a cheese spread, excellent butter, pickles, and bread.

I like the Augustiner Klosterwirt, one of several Augustiner beer places in Munchen, which is just up the street from the Hunting and Fishing Museum, and just outside the entrance to the Frauenkirche. Much better than the Hofbrauhaus. You might also try the Atzinger Wirtshaus, which is a Lowenbrau property, up by the University.

Not to be confused with Augustiner am Dom near touristy Marienplatz, this is a local's favorite for traditional Bavarian food. Located next to the Frauenkirche, this is the place to order a good hunk of meat. Their schweinsbraten is a masterpiece, and this is a place that knows what to do with its potatoes.

This is not to be confused with Augustiner am Dom, which is located near Marienplatz and serves authentic Bavarian cuisine. This is the spot to go for a delicious slab of steak, right adjacent to the Frauenkirche. Here you can sample German food.

Where to find it: Käsespätzle is served all over Bavaria, but the emmentaler- and mountain-cheese-topped spaetzle at Augustiner Klosterwirt in Munich should be your first port of call. Klosterwirt also offers a variety of local brews on tap.