One thing immediately stands out in the hayloft: the dartboards in the back area. Teams rent rooms in the pub, and every Thursday there are tournaments in which anyone can take part – as long as one of the 24 starting places is still available. “We make 85 percent of our living from our dart guests,” explains operator Andreas Geberl. The second special feature in the dark and perhaps that’s why it’s so cozy pub on Kapuzinerstrasse: the somewhat, well, special schnapps. Garlic or chili – there is a lot in Geberl’s range that can shock anyone who doesn’t know what to expect. “That’s what we’re known for,” says Geberl.
But anyone who thinks that the hayloft is only about passing tests of courage or settling interpersonal scores is wrong. In addition to the “fun schnapps,” as Geberl calls them, the store also has an exquisite selection of whiskeys and gins that you can hardly find anywhere else. The 52-year-old regularly goes to trade fairs to try out the distilleries. Geberl doesn’t always automatically choose the most expensive, but rather what fits best in his bar. “The price-performance ratio has to be right,” he says.
There are dart tournaments on Thursdays that everyone can take part in.
(Photo: Robert Haas)
Because the Heuboden has both: high-quality spirits, which can cost around 15 euros per shot, and cheaper long drinks. There are also various types of beer for around four euros each, the Augustiner being on tap. A large, changing selection of juices and iced teas is also available.
The audience in the Heuboden is about as mixed as the selection of drinks. People from the neighborhood and anyone else who wants a beer or a drink meets here. Only one thing is clear: “We don’t have much to do with chic here,” emphasizes Geberl. He knows most of his guests; If you sit with him outside, someone will always come by and say hello. This is important to Geberl: only when everyone behaves will everyone feel comfortable. If someone doesn’t stick to it, they’ll be thrown out – no matter what sales they might bring in. “I don’t have to earn my money with a crowbar,” says the innkeeper.
The history of the Heuboden is one that not many bars in Munich can boast anymore: the pub used to be called “Grüner Mond”. In keeping with the name, the walls and ceilings were painted bright green. And yes, the place was a bit wicked too. The restaurant was later renamed and Andreas Geberl was there for the first time 35 years ago. He was 17 years old at the time. But somehow the pub fascinated him.
So he took it over himself 15 years ago. And perhaps it is this bond between landlord and pub, as well as Geberl’s long experience as a restaurateur, that ensures that an evening in the hayloft is never a bad idea. Unless you fall for the garlic schnapps thing.
hayloftKapuzinerstraße 2, 80337 Munich, opening hours: Monday to Thursday 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to 3 a.m