Breakfast in Munich: Cafés, Brunch and Tips from Lehel

By Daniel Schulz, residir GmbH · Last updated: 13 October 2026

For breakfast in Munich, the best neighbourhoods are the Old Town, Lehel, Haidhausen, the Glockenbachviertel and Schwabing. For a Bavarian breakfast, order Weißwurst (veal sausage) and a Brezn (pretzel) in a traditional inn before noon; brunch is mainly a weekend affair and usually needs a booking. We checked the cafés below against the City of Munich’s business directory and local city magazines (as of October 2026).

At Ländstraße 6 in Lehel we run a boarding house with 54 apartments, opening in autumn 2027. To be honest, we do not serve breakfast there. That is why our guests often ask where to get a good breakfast nearby – and that is exactly what this article is for. If you are still looking for accommodation in Munich, it also gives you a feel for what is open around Lehel in the morning.

In this article:

• Breakfast in Munich: the neighbourhoods at a glance
• Breakfast in Lehel: our neighbourhood
• Weißwurst breakfast in Munich: a tradition until noon
• Breakfast in Munich city centre
• Brunch in Munich: buffets, Sundays and roof terraces
• Breakfast in Haidhausen
• Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz
• Breakfast in Schwabing
• Vegan and gluten-free breakfast in Munich
• Breakfast with children in Munich
• Turkish breakfast in Munich
• No breakfast in-house: why your own kitchen helps
• Tips: booking, breakfast on a budget, with a dog
• Conclusion
• Frequently asked questions

Breakfast in Munich: the neighbourhoods at a glance

Where you have breakfast in Munich depends very much on the neighbourhood. The Old Town is dominated by traditional inns, long-established cafés and plenty of tourists, while in Haidhausen and Glockenbach you are more likely to sit next to locals with a newspaper or laptop. The table shows what you will find where, and how far it is from our address in Lehel.

Neighbourhood	Where exactly	Good for	From Lehel approx.
Lehel	St.-Anna-Platz, St.-Anna-Straße	quiet café breakfast	approx. 10 min on foot
Old Town / Tal	Tal, Viktualienmarkt, Marienplatz	Weißwurst, Schmalznudel, views	4–12 min on foot
Maxvorstadt (Odeonsplatz)	Brienner Straße	coffee-house breakfast	approx. 17 min on foot
Haidhausen	Wörthstraße, Wiener Platz	relaxed brunch	1 S-Bahn stop or approx. 20 min on foot
Glockenbach / Gärtnerplatz	Gärtnerplatz, Fraunhoferstraße	brunch, vegan	approx. 20 min on foot
Schwabing	Münchner Freiheit, Königinstraße	breakfast and brunch, vegan	U-Bahn, approx. 15 min

We deliberately do not give exact opening hours or prices. Munich cafés change their menus and hours often, and some close for a few weeks in summer. Everything we mention is listed as a breakfast venue in the city’s business directory or in Munich city magazines.

Breakfast in Lehel: our neighbourhood

Lehel is a quiet neighbourhood in the morning. Many families live between the Isar, Maximilianstraße and the English Garden; the streets are narrow and the cafés small. If you have breakfast here, you will rarely be sitting next to a tour group.

The City of Munich’s business directory lists these breakfast spots in Lehel, among others (as of October 2026):

• Gandl at St.-Anna-Platz 1, directly opposite St. Anna’s church
• Dukatz at St.-Anna-Straße 11
• Leib & Seele at Oettingenstraße 36, in northern Lehel
• Stemerowitz, a patisserie and café at Emil-Riedel-Straße 2

St.-Anna-Platz is about a ten-minute walk from Ländstraße. You can read more about the neighbourhood itself, its history and how to get around in our guide to Lehel, Munich. For your first morning, all you need to know is that in Lehel you will usually get a table without a reservation – perhaps with a short wait on Sundays.

Weißwurst breakfast in Munich: a tradition until noon

The classic Bavarian breakfast is not really breakfast in the strict sense, but a Bavarian food tradition known as the mid-morning Brotzeit (snack). Weißwürste are brought to the table in a tureen of hot water, served with pretzels and sweet mustard. According to the old rule, the sausages should never hear the noon bells, so you eat them before 12 o’clock.

The rule dates back to the days before refrigeration, when the sausage had to be eaten on the morning it was made. Today it is a tradition that many inns still observe. You do not eat the skin: either you suck the meat out – the locals call it “zuzeln” – or you slice the sausage lengthways and peel the skin off.

Where to get a Weißwurst breakfast in Munich

The closest option for us is the Tal. The Weisse Bräuhaus at Tal 7 is a Bavarian inn with a long tradition, about a ten-minute walk from Lehel. At the Isartor, just four minutes from Ländstraße, the Turmstüberl in the Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum serves Weißwürste from one minute past eleven, according to a city magazine.

If you prefer a sweet start to the day, try Café Frischhut at Prälat-Zistl-Straße 8 by the Viktualienmarkt. For decades it has been frying fresh Schmalznudeln, a yeast pastry cooked in fat. Several reports say the café only takes cash, so it is worth checking beforehand.

Breakfast in Munich city centre: Old Town and Marienplatz

First-time visitors to Munich usually have breakfast in the city centre. That has its advantages: afterwards you are right by the sights. The downsides are the prices and crowded cafés from about 10 am. For breakfast in Munich city centre, it pays to arrive early.

• Café Glockenspiel, Marienplatz 28: breakfast with a view of the Glockenspiel in the town hall tower and the Alter Peter, vegan options too
• Café Fräulein, Frauenstraße 11: a small café between the Viktualienmarkt and the Isartor, about ten minutes from Lehel
• The Victorian House, Frauenstraße 14: English breakfast, served into the early afternoon according to a city magazine
• Woerner’s, Marienplatz 1: breakfast and brunch, with a terrace on the square
• Café Luitpold, Brienner Straße 11: a traditional café near Odeonsplatz with a terrace

The easiest place to get breakfast in Munich with a view is Marienplatz. Window seats are in demand, so ask for one specifically or book if the café allows it. For the view from above over the rooftops, you will have to climb the Alter Peter afterwards anyway.

A quick detour to the Viktualienmarkt

Around the Viktualienmarkt there are bakeries, coffee stalls and cafés serving breakfast, such as Rischart Café am Markt or Karnoll’s Kaffeestandl. What the stalls offer in the morning and when the market opens is covered in detail in our guide to the Viktualienmarkt in Munich. It is a nine-minute walk from Ländstraße.

Brunch in Munich: buffets, Sundays and roof terraces

Brunch in Munich is above all a weekend affair. During the week most locals grab a quick breakfast, but on Saturdays and Sundays they linger well into the afternoon. According to Munich city magazines, venues in the Old Town offering brunch include the Stadtcafé on St.-Jakobs-Platz and Rischart Café am Markt at the Viktualienmarkt.

Brunch in Munich comes in three forms. Most often you order à la carte. A brunch buffet in Munich usually costs a fixed price and runs in time slots of about two hours. At an all-you-can-eat brunch in Munich you eat as much as you like. At a bottomless brunch, which a few Munich venues offer, the same applies to drinks – often sparkling wine or cocktails.

Sunday brunch: book in good time

For Sunday brunch in Munich you should book several days ahead, otherwise popular brunch spots are full from 10 am. Saturday brunch is a little more relaxed, but the same applies: without a reservation, it is best to arrive before 10 am. At buffets, ask whether there are fixed time slots.

If you are in the city for two or three days, brunch makes a relaxed start to your second day. Our plan for a Munich weekend shows how that might look.

Brunch on a roof terrace and other special formats

Brunch in Munich on a roof terrace is mainly offered by hotels and a few restaurants on top of department stores or office buildings. Terraces only open in good weather and are booked up early at weekends. In the end, the weather and your mood decide which is the best brunch in Munich: when the sun is out, you will want to sit outside on a square rather than indoors at a buffet.

Breakfast in Haidhausen

Haidhausen lies on the other side of the Isar; from Lehel, take the S-Bahn one stop from Isartor to Rosenheimer Platz. On foot across Ludwigsbrücke it takes about 20 minutes. Around Wörthstraße and Wiener Platz there are several cafés that the city’s business directory lists for breakfast.

• Café Voila, Wörthstraße 5
• Lollo Rosso, Wörthstraße 11
• Café Haidhausen, Franziskanerstraße 4
• Café im Hinterhof, Sedanstraße 29
• Little Rabbit’s Room, Wiener Platz 6

Our insider tip for breakfast in Munich away from the tourist crowds is a stroll across the Isar to Haidhausen. Afterwards you can walk back to Lehel via Wiener Platz and the Maximiliansanlagen park.

Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz

The Glockenbachviertel and the area around Gärtnerplatz have the highest density of cafés in Munich. Many locals have breakfast here at the weekend, so it gets busy. From Lehel it is about a 20-minute walk via the Isartor and Reichenbachstraße.

• Cotidiano am Gärtnerplatz, Gärtnerplatz 6
• Café Glück, Palmstraße 4
• Faun, Hans-Sachs-Straße 17
• Tagträumer, Dreimühlenstraße 17

All four are listed as breakfast venues in the City of Munich’s business directory. For weekend brunch in Glockenbach the same rule applies as everywhere else: book or arrive early.

Breakfast in Schwabing

Schwabing is the neighbourhood for a long, leisurely morning followed by a walk in the English Garden. From Lehel, take the U4 or U5 to Odeonsplatz and change there to the U3 or U6 towards Münchner Freiheit, which takes about 15 minutes.

• Café Münchner Freiheit, Münchner Freiheit 20
• Café Reitschule, Königinstraße 34, on the edge of the English Garden
• Seerose, Feilitzschstraße 32
• Emmi’s Kitchen, Wilhelmstraße 43, with a vegan breakfast

For brunch in Schwabing the same weekend rule applies as in the city centre. During the week it is much quieter, with many students and office workers grabbing a quick breakfast before work.

Vegan and gluten-free breakfast in Munich

If you want a vegan breakfast, Munich now has plenty of options. According to the city magazine Mit Vergnügen München (2025), venues offering vegan breakfast or vegan brunch dishes include:

• Emmi’s Kitchen on Buttermelcherstraße near Gärtnerplatz and in Schwabing: tofu scramble, pancakes, porridge
• A Little Lost, Lämmerstraße 6 near the central station: fully vegan menu
• Max Pett, Pettenkoferstraße 8: vegan restaurant, breakfast only at weekends according to the magazine
• Café Glockenspiel, Marienplatz 28: vegan breakfast on the menu

A gluten-free breakfast in Munich is harder to find, but possible. According to Mit Vergnügen, Not Guilty Pleasure at Häberlstraße 11 in Isarvorstadt is entirely vegan and gluten-free, and Oh Happy Café in Sendling-Westpark has gluten-free waffles. If you have coeliac disease, always ask how the kitchen keeps things separate.

Breakfast with children in Munich

With small children, a café in the Old Town at the weekend can be rather stressful. Places with room for pushchairs and a play corner are more relaxed. According to the family portal Kindaling, Lilly’s Deli in Domagkpark in Schwabing-Freimann and the family café Pfefferminza in Obergiesing, for example, serve breakfast with a play area.

Neither is in the city centre, so from Ländstraße you will need the tram or U-Bahn. That is why many families prefer to have breakfast in the apartment before heading out. For ideas for the rest of the day, see our guide to Munich with kids.

Turkish breakfast in Munich

Many locals make a point of seeking out a Turkish breakfast at the weekend, with lots of little bowls, olives, feta, sucuk (spicy sausage), eggs and fresh bread. Most Turkish restaurants are around the central station, especially on Schwanthalerstraße, Landwehrstraße and Goethestraße.

From Lehel, the S-Bahn from Isartor gets you to the central station in a few minutes. As the choice there changes frequently, we do not name individual venues. Ask beforehand whether the large breakfast platter for two is only served at weekends.

No breakfast in-house: why your own kitchen helps

If you are looking for a hotel in Munich with breakfast included, we are honestly not the right place. Our building has no reception, no restaurant and no breakfast buffet. Instead, every apartment has its own kitchen where you can have breakfast whenever and however you like. You can buy bread rolls, eggs and fruit at the Munich farmers’ markets – on Thursdays even at the farmers’ market in Lehel.

This has practical advantages. You do not pay every morning for a buffet you might only half use. Children eat when it suits them, and if you need to get to the trade fair early, you do not have to wait for the breakfast room to open. That is exactly why many families and business travellers choose an aparthotel in Munich rather than a traditional hotel.

Shopping is easy: the Viktualienmarkt is nine minutes away, and there are bakeries in Lehel and around the Isartor. One morning you pick up pretzels and fruit and eat at home, the next you go to a café. That way every morning stays flexible.

For longer stays, for instance for projects or training courses, having a kitchen saves the most in the long run. You can read more about facilities and length of stay on our page about serviced apartments in Munich.

Tips: booking, breakfast on a budget, with a dog

• Booking: On Saturdays and Sundays between 10 am and 1 pm, popular cafés are full. If you book or arrive before 9:30 am, you usually will not have to wait.
• Breakfast on a budget: A Butterbrezn (buttered pretzel) from the bakery and a takeaway coffee cost a fraction of a café breakfast. A cheap breakfast in Munich often means buying from the bakery and eating by the Isar.
• Paying: Many cafés take cards, but small traditional places do not always. A little cash never hurts.
• Opening hours: Check the café’s website the evening before. Some places only serve breakfast until 11 am or noon.

With a dog you can usually sit on terraces without any problem, but not inside everywhere. The Café-Bistro Dallmayr, for example, states on its website that dogs are not allowed in the restaurant area. If in doubt, ask briefly beforehand; for more on staying with a pet, see our page on dog-friendly apartments in Munich.

When we are out and about in Lehel ourselves, our mornings usually look like this: on weekdays, coffee and a pretzel on the go; on Sundays, a leisurely breakfast in Haidhausen or on Gärtnerplatz. If you are staying longer and would rather have a flat than a room, take a look at our boarding house in Munich.

Conclusion

For us, the best breakfast in Munich is a Weißwurst breakfast in the Tal on a weekday and a long Sunday brunch in Haidhausen or Glockenbach – booked in advance. If you prefer to decide for yourself in the morning, from autumn 2027 you will find a holiday apartment in Munich with its own kitchen in Lehel, nine minutes from the Viktualienmarkt.

Frequently asked questions about breakfast in Munich

Where can you get a good breakfast in Munich?

You can get a good breakfast in Munich above all in the Old Town around Marienplatz and the Viktualienmarkt, in Lehel, Haidhausen, the Glockenbachviertel and Schwabing. Each neighbourhood has its own cafés, from Bavarian inns serving Weißwurst to cafés with avocado toast and bowls.

Where is the best breakfast in Munich?

The best breakfast in Munich depends on what you like. For a Bavarian breakfast, head to an inn in the Tal; for a quiet café breakfast, go to Lehel or Haidhausen; for weekend brunch, try the Glockenbachviertel or Schwabing.

Until what time do people eat a Weißwurst breakfast in Munich?

Traditionally, Weißwürste are eaten before 12 noon – the sausage should never hear the midday bells. The rule dates back to the days before refrigeration, and many inns still stick to it today.

Do you need to book brunch in Munich?

For brunch on Saturdays and especially Sundays, you should book in Munich. Popular cafés are full from about 10 am at weekends, and many brunch buffets run in fixed time slots.

Where can you have a vegan breakfast in Munich?

For a vegan breakfast in Munich, try Emmi’s Kitchen near Gärtnerplatz and in Schwabing, or A Little Lost near the central station, which has a fully vegan menu. Café Glockenspiel on Marienplatz also offers a vegan breakfast (as of October 2026, please check beforehand).

Where can you get a Turkish breakfast in Munich?

You will find Turkish breakfast in Munich mainly in the restaurants around the central station and in the station district. It is best to ask beforehand whether the large breakfast platter is only served at weekends.

Is breakfast available at the boarding house on Ländstraße?

No, our boarding house in Lehel does not offer breakfast. Instead, each of the 54 apartments has its own kitchen, and bakeries, cafés and the Viktualienmarkt are all within walking distance.