The heart is the counter. This becomes particularly clear in the early evening: There are still seats available in the back part of Café Nil, but around the counter, which catches the eye as soon as you enter the restaurant, the first guests are already eating goulash soup, sipping their wheat beer, talking, to flirt. Many of those who sit here come here several times a week. “You need your favorite pub,” says one. And the Café Nil is a good choice for this: centrally located, “nice people, nice ambience” – everything is there, says the man.
And indeed, the restaurant on Hans-Sachs-Strasse has so much flair that you are happy to spend a few hours here. In contrast to many a corner pub, where the bar is also the focal point, but there is no alternative due to lack of space, the dining area in Café Nil is quite spacious. In addition, there is the outdoor area, where all seats can be occupied in the afternoon when the weather is nice. In the evening you should come early if possible – it can get crowded inside quickly. Staying long is no problem either: the Nile is open daily from three to three.
Opened in 1989 by Manfred Krischer and his partner, who has died in the meantime, “the Nile”, as some guests call it, claimed to be Munich’s “place to be the gay worldThe plan worked: In the early 2000s, the pub developed into the meeting point of the scene. After a change of tenants and the introduction of a new concept including a change of name – the bar was called “Glocke und Bach” – the Nile atoned Its popularity increased before it was renovated and reopened in 2010. Since then, the restaurant has regained cult status in the community, although the Nile isn’t just a meeting place for the queer scene: “Guests of all ages and all walks of life” are welcome, they say on the homepage.
There are changing dishes on the menu of the day.
(Photo: Mark Siaulys Pfeiffer)
Beer is the main drink around the bar.
(Photo: Mark Siaulys Pfeiffer)
The menu also offers something for almost all tastes. In addition to the classic beer (Augustiner on tap, 0.4 liters for 4.40 euros) and wine spritzer – optionally with white wine or rosé for 4.60 or 5.50 euros – there is a wide range of cocktails and long drinks. The Nil offers a selection of gin and tonics ranging from 11 to 15 euros per glass. When it comes to cocktails, you have the choice between classics like Caipirinha and Mojito (each 11 euros) and more unusual creations like the Florida Sling: a mix of gin, heering cherry, lemon, pineapple and grenadine, which is available for 16 euros.
However, the Nile is not limited to drinks alone. The menu includes dishes such as the aforementioned goulash soup (6.80 euros) and pub classics such as currywurst with fries (7.50 euros) or Käsespätzle (12 euros). For more demanding palates, we recommend the daily menu with changing dishes, including creations such as asparagus tortellini with wild garlic (12.50 euros).
And so Café Nil is indeed a place for everyone – regardless of whether you fancy a beer after work, a few drinks or something to eat.
Cafe NileHans-Sachs-Straße 2, 80469 Munich, 089/23889595, opening hours: daily from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.