Gardens of Earthly Delights

Although beer gardens serve food, bringing in one's own is a time-honored tradition, thanks again to King Ludwig. When the brewers asked him to ban food from outside, the king offered a compromise: customers could bring food in, but could only eat it at tables without a tablecloth. That's still the custom in beer gardens. So are shared tables: if you spot an empty place, ask whether it's occupied before sitting down.

An essential part of the beer garden ritual is packing a picnic hamper. Food tops the list, of course; favorites include black bread, cheese and sausage, radishes and cucumbers, tubes of mustard, and giant pretzels. Paper plates and plastic forks won't do; conservation-minded Münchners bring china and silver from home. A checked tablecloth, in Bavarian blue and white, is also a must. So are candles for those planning to stay after dark.

In Munich, you're never far from a beer garden. There are more than 150 in town, with room for well over 100,000. Here are a few of the best:

• Augustiner Keller (Arnulfstrasse 52, downtown). This busy beer garden, just a short tram ride from the main rail station, attracts a sophisticated clientele. Augustiner Bräu is available here.
• Biergarten Viktualienmarkt (Am Viktualienmarkt 6, downtown). It's inside the central food market, which offers everything from produce to fine wine and wild game. Crowded at lunchtime and on Saturdays.
• Chineischen Turm (Englischer Garten). Located in Munich's version of Central Park, it's dominated by a replica of a Chinese pagoda. A favorite of visitors, and known for its informality.
• Königlicher Hirschgarten (Hirschgartenallee 1, near Schloss Nymphenburg). The world's largest beer garden. Its name is derived from the royal hunting parties once held in the surrounding parkland. Look for the herd of well-fed deer.
• Paulaner Keller (Hochstrasse 77). You'll find Salvator, the original doppelbock, on tap here. On March 19, the beer garden handles the overflow from the raucous Starkbierzeit (strong beer season) festivities.
• Waldwirtschaft (George-Kalb Strasse 3, Grosshesselohe). This suburban "jazz beer garden" sparked a successful citywide protest movement after neighbors persuaded a judge to order beer gardens to close at nine.
  The copyright of the article Gardens of Earthly Delights in International Beers is owned by Paul Ruschmann. Permission to republish Gardens of Earthly Delights in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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