Two years ago, we were in Munich for Oktoberfest. (I know that this is two years late, but there were 7 other countries to write about before this and I had a baby). Germany was the last stop on our European holiday after a week in Italy. We flew into Munich to experience the real Oktoberfest (which actually starts in September in case you didn’t know).
Our hotel was close to a U-Bahn stop and we first figured out how to get to one of the several exits to the Oktoberfest grounds Theresienwiese. Dressed in a dirndl and lederhosen (brought all the way from home), we saw a few other people on the subway also wearing dirndls and lederhosen so we knew we were going in the right direction. We visited on a Thursday around 10.30am to avoid a large crowd, and came in via the back entrance where all the carnival rides are located.
We strolled through to look at all the rides and the cute stalls like this one below selling all things potato! Wedges, tornado potato on a stick and curly fries.
The ubiquitous gingerbread heart cookies Lebkuchenherz in all sizes are available everywhere. I believe they are mainly decorated with love messages to give to a sweet heart, but you can find other messages on them too. Threaded with ribbon, people wear these around their necks. I didn’t buy any since you can get them all over Munich.
We lined up to get into the Oide Wiesn (Old Oktoberfest), which celebrates the spruced up historic attractions and rides. Mr FPJ had fun shooting at the traditional crossbow stand. This is the only part of Oktoberfest that requires a 3€ fee. It also has the Tradition Festzelt tent.
The Tradition Festzelt fits 5,000 people inside, and another 3,000 outside! When we walked inside, there was a band playing on one side of the tent, plus a centre stage which was empty at the time. The Tradition Festzelt has simple decor – some greenery and twinkly lights threaded through all the eaves. The audience seems to be for the over 60s and is a lot quieter than the rest! There were plenty of seats and tables available just before midday.
We took a peek at the menu but we still had the main grounds and more beer tents to cover. It would be nice to have a couple of days at Oktoberfest to dine and drink at several tents.
We wandered out of Oide Wiesn and back to the main grounds. The Oktoberfest website states there are 17 large beer tents and 21 small beer tents. No wonder celebrations run over 2 weeks – you need that time to enjoy each tent! As we headed up towards the main parts of Oktoberfest, it started getting busier and busier as more people entered the grounds.
I conducted a little research on the beer tents prior to landing in Europe, and knew I wanted to sit at the Hacker Pschorr Festzelt purely because I like the look of the interior. The Hacker Pschorr Festzelt is decorated to look like you’re looking up at the sky or the heavens from the soft blue fabric and clouds hanging from the ceiling. There’s also a 2,000 square metre painting of the sights of Munich running along the walls. The tent holds 6,800 people inside and another 2,500 outside. We walked in just before midday and the place looked absolutely packed as far as the eye could see. There was a band playing on the centre stage, and the noise and ambiance from the crowd got us excited to join in the fun. We were definitely in a much more popular beer hall with a younger crowd.
Luckily as it was just the two of us, we found seats at the end of one of the tables occupied by another group. The tables are narrow. The seats are long benches shared with others at the table and are squished right up against the seats at the table behind you, so there is a real chance of literally sitting back to back. After a bit of a wait, the server waiting on our area handed us a food menu and asked what beers we wanted. Mr FPJ ordered a stein and as I don’t do alcohol, I chose a bottle of water which nearly cost more than the beer! (note you’re not allowed to bring your own water into the grounds). We had to pay and tip after ordering, before the server headed to another table to take more orders. The stein of beer didn’t take long to arrive, and we ordered some food when it did. I don’t know how the servers remember each person’s order, especially when every table is communal, but it all happens like magic. We could see the men and women carrying what seemed like 8 steins each to the tables without any spillage – super impressive!
Mr FPJ wasn’t hungry, and just wanted a few bites from my lunch so I ordered a pretzel to start with. It was gigantic! The biggest pretzel I’ve ever seen and eaten.
I also ordered a schnitzel which came with mashed potatoes, and a side of spaetzle. I’m unsure of prices as I didn’t take a photo of it but it is more expensive than what you can get in the city. This was our only meal at Oktoberfest, and I wish we had more stomach space and a few more days to explore and dine at more tents.
We got to witness a couple of people stand up on their chairs to chug their full steins of beer, with the crowd cheering them on, before security came over to kick them out.
Words can’t really describe the vibe. I guess it would be similar to a sports match except you’re all on the same side. I couldn’t help but feel included and jolly even though I wasn’t participating in the drinking. After a sticky beak at the top floor which had nicer booths (I wonder what time you’d have to get there to snag one of those?), we left the Hacker Pschorr tent to explore a few of the others.
We visited one of the biggest beer company tents Hofbrau, but Mr FPJ was stopped and not allowed to enter. No he wasn’t drunk in the slightest, but he was wearing a fake lederhosen and not a real leather one. (Take note lads! It might be a good time to buy an authentic lederhosen in the city if you have a few days in Munich). I quickly popped into the Hofbrau festzelt to have a peek. Decorated with hop vines, the angel Aloisius plays a harp and hangs from the ceiling overlooking the over 6,000 people that can fit inside. The Oktoberfest website states this is the only tent with a dance floor that can hold 1,000 people right in front of the band.
What attracted us to the Ochsenbraterei Festzelt is the massive display ox being turned and grilled over the entrance.
Obviously roast ox is prominent on the menu. Inside, the tent is decorated in blue, white and green, there’s a brass band and a mix of all ages enjoying themselves.
I did notice that each beam is numbered – perhaps to make it easier for the servers to find each table?
The Lowenbrau Festzelt is hard to miss with its massive tower topped with a spinning lion.
The inside seems a lot tighter but fits 5,700 inside.
From the hear-shaped glass window of the Marstall Festzelt, this beer tent looked very cute.
Marstall used to be the name of the Royal Riding School, hence the lovely little carousel and horse decorations throughout. Out of the beer tents we visited, this is the only one with tablecloths. The Oktoberfest website also states this is a particularly family friendly tent.
Back outside, we spotted grilled fish on a stick, steckerlfisch, and realised it belonged to the Fischer-Vroni Festzelt.
The outside is very unassuming in contrast to the Marstall, but I did pop inside to have a look. Seating just over 3,000 people inside, there are different types of steckerlfisch as well as traditional Bavarian dishes to choose from.
Common menu items at Oktoberfest are roast chicken, sausages, pork knuckle, duck, (all the meats!), pretzels, fish, spaetzl, potatoes and sauerkraut. But there are so many other things like dumplings and dessert.
If eating in a beer tent is not your thing, there are plenty of other food stalls outside. Mr FPJ stopped by a small outdoor bar for a beer for 15€ and handed 20€ over, but the bar lady kept the change as her tip. So another note, take plenty of change with you. For those that don’t want a full stein of beer or need a slower pace, you can also select a Radler – a half beer/half lemonade combination.
There were plenty of public toilets to the side or behind most of the beer tents, surprisingly without any queues. However, it might be a lot busier with long queues on weekends.
We spent about 5 hours at Oktoberfest, before catching the U-Bahn back to Marionplatz. As mentioned previously, I would have liked to spend a couple more days at Oktoberfest purely for the food!
We were only in Germany for 2 nights before flying back home so there wasn’t much opportunity to do a food tour or check out other eateries in the area. Would I go back? YES!
Oktoberfest tips
Who knows when the world will open up again. But here are some tips for when it does.
- Entry to Oktoberfest and the beer tents is free (with the exception of Oide Wiesn)
- Leave big bags behind or you might not be allowed entry
- Visit during a weekday
- Get there early (before midday). It opens at 9am on weekends and 10am on weekdays. You can walk around and get your bearings first, try a few carnival rides and games, before heading to a beer tent.
- Find the Oktoberfest map on the official website or the app
- If you want lunch and beer in a beer tent, definitely head inside one well before midday.
- If the inside of a beer tent is too loud, it’s quieter at the outdoor tables
- You can reserve tables for large groups directly through the tent owners (don’t get scammed by anyone else)
- If you have time, plan to spend a couple of days at Oktoberfest. There are 17 large tents, and 21 small tents after all. And they’re so different. Plus imagine all the dishes you can try!
- Choose your accommodation close to the Theresienwiese grounds or U-Bahn / S-Bahn stations.
- For the women: If you tie your dirndl with the bow on the left – you’re single, on the right – you’re in a relationship. I did not know this at the time!
- For the men: Bouncers can easily spot a fake lederhosen, and you may be turned away from some beer tents. If you’re planning on buying the real deal, do it beforehand around town as it’s cheaper.
For my posts on Italy
You can start with => EATING IN ITALY (PADUA) – PART 1 – PATISSERIES AND GELATO
For my posts on Spain
Start here => EATING IN SPAIN – BARCELONA – PART 1
For my posts on England
Start here => EATING IN ENGLAND – PART 1 – BATH
For my posts on Belgium
Start here => EATING IN BELGIUM (BRUGES) – PART 1 – BELGIAN CHOCOLATE (GUILD OF BRUGES CHOCOLATIERS)
If you want more random photos and updates about food, I’m on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter:
Facebook: /foodpornjournal
Instagram: /foodpornjournal
Twitter: @foodpornjournal