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Are you're looking for a hostel that's fun, cheap and has friendly service? Look no further than Euro Youth Hostel on Senefelderstrasse 5, which is right next to the Hauptbahnhof. One of the great parts about Euro Youth Hostel is that it's the first stop on one of the best bar crawls in Munich: The Crawl. So, right there, on your first night, you've got someone to show you around the city and make a whole bunch of new friends!

There is also a fantastic little bar, which my friends and I love, right in the hostel that's serving great drinks at a cheap price. The staff is friendly, the prices for the rooms are great and it's easy to meet new friends before a night out on the town!

Let's recap on why Euro Youth is so great:

- great rates!

- next to the Hauptbahnhof, which makes for easy travel!

- great bar with cheap drinks!

- fantastic way to meet other travelers just like you!

Enjoy! 

Not much is known about the French Fry, but what Belgians can tell you, is that the French Fry is indeed not an invention of the French but that of the Belgians. After a little personal digging, I discovered that when the Americans brought the deliciously fried potato strips over from Europe, they tagged it with the name of the "French Fry" as the official language of Belgium is French. Thus, as this quick judgment led to its international name, the "French" Fry was born. But in Europe, people know better and the French Fry's actual name is le Pommes Frit. The difference between the Pommes Frit you can buy at any restaurant and the Belgian Pommes Frit is that the Belgians fry their Pommes twice, ensuring that each Pommes is crispy and delicious. Well, you don't have to go all the way to Belgium to enjoy an original Pommes Frit, just to our local Pommes Boutique located in Schwabing and conveniently only a few blocks away from my apartment.

 The Pommes Boutique is known for their delicious Belgian Pommes, which they serve in the traditional way, meaning with 20 Pommes Dips to choose from. Ranging from your standard Ketchup or Mayonnaise, you can choose from a delightful array of Diesel, Curry and many more. Don't be fooled, it doesn't actually taste like Diesel. Mix and match your sauces, which when you order, you must say that you would also like a sauce. All this for only 2,70€. So you may think that you need to get something else to eat as well, but trust me, one serving is usually too much for me as I am so full and have to pass the rest off to my personal garbage disposal, otherwise known as the boyfriend. The wooden benches and green paint on the walls create a mod yet comfy atmosphere, where you can even purchase a t-shirt as a souvenir.  Afterwards, your stomach may feel a bit...full. So I suggest trying their Ginger-Lemonade, which they make themselves. It's quite gingery, but makes your stomach great.

Enjoy!

If you're looking for a place where you won't need your little book with key German phrases to place an order, look no further than Shamrock Irish Pub. Cozied on a side street of Leopoldstraße, Shamrock Irish pub offers good eats and drinks from real Irish men and women. This place is a favorite stop of mine as there is something happening on any given night! Every week has kareokee nights, live bands, open mic and much more. Everyone there is also incredibly friendly, and you find yourself meeting and talking to people from all over the world who are living in Germany. It's a great place to stop off at during a night out of bar crawling and the music is also great, ranging in authentic Irish tunes to Johnny Cash. The drinks menu also serves up delicious Ciders, long drinks and of course, Irish beers. I must say that their Black and Tans are my favorite.

Head over to Shamrock for a low-key, yet fantastic time! With Celtic paintings and Irish flags on the walls, the fantastic woodwork and nooks, Shamrock is cozy yet still retains it's hard Irish edge.

U3/U6 Giselastraße 

If you're going to eat a Schnitzel, you might as well make sure that it is so big that it won't fit on any normal plate. I have recently been introduced to a restaurant called Steinheil, where for an easy 9 Euros, you can feast on a Schnitzel so large that you will need a) a few breaks in between and b) a large drink to help wash it down. In addition to the enormous Schnitzel, you are served a large portion of abosultely delish french fries and a starter salad. Upon entering Steinheil, you'll notice that it's a normal looking restaurant with wooden tables and chairs, unremarkable decor, no pomp, no circumstance, but it will always be full. And upon every table, you can be sure to see at least 1 or 2 people will be eating the enormous Schnitzel. The music though, is in my opinion, fantastic. A great mix of the Beatles, Led Zepplin and the Doors sets this restaurant from traditional to happening. 

It may be a little confusing to get to, but for the food, it is completely worth it. This restaurant is realtively unknown by tourist standards, but don't worry as most of the staff are students and thus, do speak English. So! Bring your appetite because you will not be disappointed. I promise you. The crunchy breading of the Schnitzel will fill your mouth as the slight tang of the lemon just pulls it all together. I suggest squeezing the lemon onto your Schnitzel as you eat it, so it stays crunchy, and save a bit for the fries as well. 

Enjoy! 

Going to any city in Europe where tourists from all over the world are ready to drop large wads of cash, you're sure to have your share of tourist traps. Let's start off with a little story...

Once upon a time there was a young gal named Noka who had a couple of visitors from the States. They really wanted to go out for a "true Bavarian" meal and then ended up paying 20€ for a wienerschnitzel even though it had said 14€ in the German language menu. Confused, she looked at the English language menu to see that a veal weinerschnitzel was listed at 19.90€ whereas a normal pork wienerschnitzel was listed in the German menu as 14€, which was the one she had ordered from. Ah, the shame.

Restaurants

As we have learned from my little story above, many Bavarian Restaurants have menus in multiple languages. The "tourist" menus sometimes have half the food choices and of course, the most expensive options. Beware! i.e. The Rathauskeller located in the City Hall. While I really do enjoy this place and think that everyone should try it, one should be careful about the price differences.

Tut-Tut Bikes

Walking around the city center, you'll see tons of bikes with little coaches attached to the back of them so some guy can take you on a little tour. Unless you'd like to spend about 40€ on someone riding you down the streets that you could just as easily walk, not to mention the fact that they rarely go out of a small, one mile radius, don't get on one. I mean, sure, it's cute, and if you really want to spend the money, go on ahead. But wouldn't you rather spend that money on something else?

Tipping

In Munich, tipping is not customary as waiters and waitresses are paid a realtively nice hourly wage averaging about 12€ an hour. They, of course, don't advertise this to visitors, but if you'd like to give a tip, 1-3€ more than your meal is usually nice. I think of it as 10€ & under, round up to the nearest whole Euro or tip and extra 1€. 10-20€, tip 1-2€, etc. Of course when it comes to places such as Oktoberfest or the Hofbräuhaus, tipping an extra Euro per beer will ensure faster service.

If you're looking to spend a night out on the town, but want a place where you can sit back and relax with a a few drinks and a few friends, head over to the Green Room on Leopoldstraße, number 13. This bar is a great place for a few cocktails on a nice summer evening. When you get in and sit down, you'll be approached by someone from the waitstaff, asking you for your membership card. Yes, that's right, in order to get around the anti-smoking law, bars must be "smoking clubs", where patrons are "members". And as the Green Room offers hookah in all flavors, you must become a "member", but you get a really cool green card! So, pay the 1€, fill out the form, whether or not you put down the correct details really doesn't matter, and have a drink along with some hookah.

Each night boasts a special flavor for only 6€. Not bad at all. Not really in the mood for hookah? The Green Room serves up an eclectic array of cocktails made of all different liquors and flavors. Their margaritas are also especially delicious, try the mango one! Sit outside in one of the low, rocking-wicker chairs. If you get chilly, the staff provides you with fresh blankets and of course, you can order a hot drink.

A live DJ plays every night, although, he's pretty funny to watch because as far as we can tell, he just puts in different CDs, hits play and jumps around a lot. Especially funny is when he goes on the other side of his DJ area and pretends (at least that's what we make of it) to "scratch" or mix some songs together...although they sound exactly the same as they do on the radio. Also notice when he freaks out because he saw someone he knows.

Enjoy!

It's absolutely, drop-dead gorgeous outside. So, let's say that you're done with the museums, and the city tours, and the palaces, and the Bavarian restaurants and the blah blah blah. You just want to sit down, relax and enjoy the sun. Well, where do Müncheners go when they feel the exact same way? They pack a picnic and head over to the Englischer Garten. Founded in 1789 by the Count of Rumford, the Englischer Garten is bigger than Central Park in New York City, but smaller than Richmond Park in London. It was named the Englischer Garten after the style by which it was landscaped, popular of that in the UK from the mid 18th century. Take a trip to the Kleinhesseloher See, which is a lake of over 86,000 square meters. Sit in the Seehaus beer garten that has seats for 2,500 of your new friends.

Now, we already know about the Chinesischer Turm, but what else can you do in the Englischer Garten besides visit the beer gardens? Like I said, pack a picnic, a blanket and some wine, then pick a spot to sit out and relax. You will notice that there are lots of groups who frequent specific parts, such as the drum banging, headscarf wearing hippies, the baseball playing Cubans, with their flags floating in the breeze, as well as various jazz and classical groups. They just all get together for the day to relax and enjoy the weather. You may also notice the multitude of naked people, about 75% of the "nudists" will be older men. It's completely normal for some to strip off and work on their tan. If you have the guts, you can do it as well. No one will look twice, nor really care, except maybe the other tourists.

Now, if you're looking for some extra fun, head over to the Eisbach for some surfing. Even though there are signs that expressly say "Surfing is Forbidden", that usually doesn't deter the regulars. Spend a lovely day just walking around the park, stopping here and there for a beer, which you could take with you back to where you're sitting, as long as you return the glass. Pick one of the lakes for some boating or canoing. Don't worry about getting lost as there are signs, as well as helpful locals who will point you in the direction of a main road.

Enjoy!