Restaurants for Valentine's Day in Munich

Concept: Young fine dining in Schwabing. A set menu and à la carte options. Cuisine: Daniel Bodamer arrived with excellent credentials (“Tantris”, “Schwarzwaldstube”, “Le Clarence”) – and quickly made a name for himself in the Munich scene with his contemporary French-influenced style. It's great that everything is also available à la carte! His dishes demonstrate impressive skill, from tataki-style charcoal-grilled mullet to turbot with a chanterelle crust and melted beef marrow. Great craftsmanship, great flavor: pigeon breast, prepared in the style of a crépinette, wrapped in chard and filled with foie gras and mushroom forcemeat. Accompanied by a selection of artichokes and a classic French game sauce with the bird's giblets. Wine: Tobias Klaas's wine list boasts around 1000 selections, from grand Burgundies to nerdy natural wines. Atmosphere: A casual restaurant with a club-like feel and an open kitchen, brilliantly managed by host Markus Klaas. Rather small tables, cool playlist. Conclusion: A place to feel comfortable and enjoy sophisticated dining.

Concept: Jan Hartwig's new German cuisine is among the best in the country, presented in a contemporary, unpretentious, urban setting. A tasting menu is offered, with a reduced five-course menu available at lunchtime. Cuisine: Excellent craftsmanship, profound flavors, and a certain richness characterize Hartwig's style. His menu begins with a parade of tempting morsels, from foie gras à la Chantilly with rum raisins to a refined Gaisburger Marsch (a Swabian stew). The highlights follow: pike quenelles filled with currant bush butter, nori seaweed jam, and raw, sliced ​​Norwegian scallops. Grilled red mullet with veal tongue, accompanied by teriyaki glaze, pumpkin prepared in various ways with two sauces, Sauternes-saffron vinaigrette, and a spicy sea urchin nage. Last but not least, a new variation of Hartwig's favorite product, sweetbreads, this time "Königsberg style." And for dessert? Tarte Tatin from the classics menu! Wine: A well-curated list with a focus on Germany and France; plus numerous rare wines. Atmosphere: Purist and stylish with cleverly placed design elements, lots of light wood. The service team, led by Kilian Skalet, is warm, approachable, and knowledgeable. Conclusion: Great cuisine, genuine hospitality – contemporary fine dining of the highest caliber.

Concept: Behind the traditional Schwabing facade, everything revolves around the guest – and Sigi Schelling's classic, timeless gourmet cuisine. A variety of lunch and dinner menus are offered. Cuisine: The chef remains true to her style: top-class cuisine based on French principles with an Austrian touch and the finest ingredients, where good taste always comes first. This applies to perfectly seared scallops with pumpkin purée and a sweet-and-sour marinade, beurre blanc, and white truffle, as well as to turbot with Bouchot mussels, cuttlefish gnocchi, and a wonderfully intense bouillabaisse cream. Saddle of venison from Polting is served with celery root purée, brioche dumplings, red cabbage, wild mushrooms, and quince cream. The sauces are a highlight – as are the desserts, such as marble soufflé with stracciatella cream and passion fruit ice cream. Wine: Xavier Didier charmingly recommends wines from the expertly curated list (approximately 250 selections), with a focus on Germany, Austria, and France. Atmosphere: You feel – and this is exactly how the owner intends – like you're in a good inn, with white tablecloths, dark wood paneling, and Art Nouveau windows. In short: Stylish and warm hospitality with the cuisine at its heart.

Concept: An elegant French-Austrian restaurant in the heart of the Amalienpassage. A set menu is offered, with a shorter lunch option available on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as classic à la carte dishes. Two bistro offshoots ("Tschecherl" and "Obers") are also available, and another restaurant is in the planning stages. Cuisine: The wilder days seem to be over; instead of offal, Jürgen Wolfsgruber prefers to serve classic French-inspired dishes with a clearly defined style: bitter greens with a light, frothy hollandaise and toasted yeast sauce, Breton lobster with Jerusalem artichoke purée in a light herb and whey vinaigrette, or sirloin of Blonde d'Aquitaine beef with a touch of parsley cream and rich sauce. Product quality and sauce preparation are paramount, and the presentation is elegantly simple. Wine: Approximately 300 wines are available, with a focus on Austrian, German, and French wines. A considerable selection of sparkling wines and non-alcoholic beverages is also offered. Atmosphere: Relaxed and unpretentious, with impeccable service. The owner ensures that the decor remains visually appealing through regular renovations. Conclusion: Great classic cuisine in a relaxed setting.

Jürgen Wolfsgruber is no stranger to Munich's restaurant scene. The Austrian runs the ambitious "Sparkling Bistro" in the Schwabing Amalienpassage, and last summer he opened "Das Tschecherl," offering contemporary Austrian cuisine in a relaxed setting. This format (which he calls "Östro") has apparently been so successful that he's now continuing it at "Obers." The location: a historic corner building in the affluent Gern district, with Nymphenburg Palace just around the corner. Wolfsgruber has spruced up the small restaurant with neon lettering above the door, closely spaced tables, and a lively atmosphere, giving it a refreshingly exotic feel on the residential street. The menu also shows influences from South Tyrol, the home of head chef Lukas Gietl, who comes from Bobby Bräuer's team. Guests order à la carte, with two courses at lunchtime and the five-course "Ö-Makase" surprise menu in the evening. For a truly exceptional experience, try the lake trout from the Birnbaum fish farm, served in the style of herring, accompanied by a rich, creamy sauce and boiled potatoes. The paper-thin sliced ​​calf's head in aspic, with its slightly acidic notes, showcases exceptional craftsmanship, while scarlet runner beans and pumpkin seed oil add Styrian flair. Must-try dishes include classics like Gietl's Schlutzkrapfen (filled pasta) with brown butter and chives, or the Innviertel-style crackling dumplings with sauerkraut, potatoes, and gravy. Before your meal, enjoy excellent cocktails (restaurant manager Henning Neufeld trained under legendary bar owner Charles Schumann), complemented by an ambitious wine list focusing on Germany and Austria, with a particular emphasis on Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. A small outdoor seating area is also available.

Concept: After our editorial deadline, Anton Gschwendtner left the restaurant at the Bayerischer Hof. We are suspending our review until a new successor is found.

Concept: In the heart of the city, Fabrice Kieffer runs this dual culinary destination: fine dining on the first floor, an ambitious brasserie downstairs; upstairs, two set menus (one vegetarian) as well as several signature dishes à la carte. Cuisine: Nathalie Leblond's French-based, contemporary style focuses on high-quality products and refined lightness: To start, scallop carpaccio with lemon confit, samphire, potato espuma, and Espelette pepper; then perhaps confit lake trout in a lightly smoked pineapple broth, with horseradish foam, a carrot medley, and elderflower. For the main course, sweetbreads are a classic here, always reinterpreted, this time baked in sunflower seed crisp, with mango-chili gel, white asparagus, corn espuma, and veal jus. Wine: A superbly stocked wine cellar with a German-French focus (around 700 selections). Atmosphere: Stylish ambiance, spacious and contemporary in its elegance, on the fully glazed upper floor; Fabrice Kieffer and his team are known for their expert and friendly service. In short: a complete, worry-free gourmet experience, presented with great charm.

Concept: Christoph Kunz's urban fine-dining restaurant in the heart of the old town. One menu (8 courses in the evening, 4 at lunchtime). Cuisine: The guiding principle here is exquisite enjoyment in three or four components; the menu is a succession of delicately presented delicacies, each with extremely balanced flavors and often surprising combinations of aromas. Kunz enjoys exploring new avenues, as demonstrated by the French Ikejime sea bass, served almost raw, a kind of crudo, with chanterelles, onion cream, and caviar. The monkfish is also a surprise, prepared classically, presented with a purée of hearts of palm and a raw salad, accompanied by finger limes for a touch of acidity. The lamb rump is elegant in flavor, with aromas of lemon, yellow beetroot, and lovage, and, surprisingly, calf's head. Desserts are lightly sweet. Wine: Focus on Germany and Austria, as well as Europe's traditional wine-growing regions. Atmosphere: An urban ambiance with high ceilings, light wood, and skillfully placed color accents. Chef's table with a view of the kitchen; beautiful bar in the entrance area. In short: Here, everything revolves around the kitchen in a stylish setting.

Concept: Gourmet restaurant of the Dallmayr delicatessen. A 16-course (small) menu, with a reduced version available at lunchtime. Cuisine: Rosina Ostler's menu deliberately breaks with convention, beginning with a cascade of refined morsels, most notably mini tacos made from pointed peppers, filled with chamois leg ragout. Lamb belly arrives as a terrine, caramelized with honey, accompanied by unripe green currants and a rich lamb jus with pumpkin seeds. Vegetables play a key role, for example, in a duet of yellow beetroot and quince prepared in various ways, garnished with roasted hazelnuts, and served with homemade almond milk poured tableside. The main course: pigeon, gently cooked on the carcass and grilled over an open fire. This is accompanied by kale in various textures (including kimchi, pickled, and marinated), acidic notes from green and white tomatoes, and classic pigeon jus. On the side, flatbread filled with pigeon leg, accompanied by a parfait made from the offal. Wine: A top-notch wine list and a superb sommelier: Julien Morlat is known for his exciting pairings. Atmosphere: Two atmospheric salons, elegant wallpaper, plush carpet – the chefs serve in this stylish setting. Conclusion: A thrilling, all-around experience of the highest caliber.

Tohru Nakamura is on a roll, and that applies not only to his fine-dining restaurant on the first floor, but also to his second establishment, "Bar Tatar," on the ground floor of the Schreiberei building. Outside, a magnificent historic courtyard beckons, while inside, guests sit beneath vaulted ceilings surrounding the bar. The focus of the menu is on tartare creations with a creative twist. For example, balfegó tuna with avocado and crispy rice, or beef fillet with beetroot, cucumber, and horseradish. Vegetarians are also catered for; the beetroot version is particularly good, as the anise neutralizes any earthiness. Crispy accompaniments such as "sour cream & onion" fries are served alongside a carefully curated wine list by South Tyrolean top sommelier Christian Rainer from "Tohru."

Concept: At lunchtime, à la carte dining is available, featuring pastrami sandwiches, pasta, ramen, or the fish of the day, as well as a three-course set lunch menu. In the evenings, only five- to six-course set menus are offered, with vegetarian or pescatarian options available. Before or after your meal: the "Weinstube" cocktail and wine bar is next door. Cuisine: Year-round, light, summery dishes are served, such as the "salade de la bavière urbaine," marinated tomatoes in a fruity and spicy basil broth with olive brittle. The crispy fried zucchini blossom is filled with ricotta, while a summer squash tartare with preserved lemon adds a touch of freshness. A perennial favorite is the crispy fried trout with almond butter and two types of kohlrabi; dessert tends to be ice cream-heavy. Wine: Approximately 100 wines, predominantly white, from Germany, Austria, and South Tyrol (red). The style is more classic than experimental. Atmosphere: Lively, bistro-style, and unpretentious. You're quickly addressed informally and made to feel like a regular. In short: a place to enjoy yourself with a charming blend of lightheartedness and sophistication.

Concept: A contemporary gourmet concept in a former Giesing corner pub. One menu, vegetarian options available upon request. Cuisine: Florian Berger has mastered the fundamentals of French cuisine, which he constantly reinterprets with creativity and a focus on regional ingredients. His wild boar and egg yolk ravioli with cocoa and barberry are delicately seasoned and incredibly delicious; the vegetarian "Faux Gras," which he continually reinvents, for example with fig and hazelnut, has been a staple on the menu for some time. His sophisticated vegetable dishes include the cauliflower, presented with tonburi, ginger, and mustard greens in an exciting way. Wine: A well-curated wine list and attentive beverage pairings (including non-alcoholic options). Atmosphere: Intimate and minimalist in a charming bistro style with bare wooden tables. Conclusion: A relaxed ambiance meets culinary excellence.

Concept: Gourmet restaurant in the traditional Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten. Two menus (one vegetarian); gourmet brunch on Saturdays. Cuisine: Franz-Josef Unterlechner cooks with inventiveness and originality, with a love for quality ingredients and classic techniques. The cornflower made of purple and black radish is picture-perfect, concealing raw marinated lake trout with radishes, surrounded by buttermilk vinaigrette. The chef presents the fillet of a truly large plaice with avocado, cucumber, jalapeño, and grilled red bell pepper, accompanied by two sauces (yellow bell pepper and chorizo). And finally, lamb "from head to toe" with liver, sweetbreads, and leg of lamb as a crépinette, accompanied by Mediterranean flavors of artichoke, broad beans, and green olives, complemented by salsa verde and classic lamb jus. Wine: Dedicated recommendations, well-curated list. Atmosphere: A spacious feel, the harmony of cream and beige tones, and wall reliefs from the Nymphenburg porcelain manufactory define the ambiance. Attentive and friendly service. Conclusion: A top-class culinary experience and stylish hospitality.

Concept: Casual fine dining in a vibrant, urban setting. Two set menus (one vegetarian) and à la carte. Cuisine: Despite his television work, Ali Güngörmüş continues to shape the culinary style, skillfully balancing French-influenced craftsmanship with a diverse array of oriental spices. The best introduction to his world of flavors is the large meze platter, when the table is laden with dishes – creamy hummus with smoked paprika and pomegranate, feta börek with zucchini and date dip, octopus with pointed cabbage and currants. A popular highlight is the oven-roasted, crispy Pageou duck for two, carved tableside and accompanied by ginger cranberries, red cabbage with apples, and dumplings. Wine: A well-curated list with many familiar names (around 300 selections). Atmosphere: Spacious, bright, with a high ceiling – a cosmopolitan restaurant with cleverly placed lighting effects and a pleasant atmosphere. Lovely terrace; friendly service. Conclusion: Relaxed enjoyment, high feel-good factor.