It’s one of those things with Karl Valentin and drinks: “Guys, avoid alcohol!” he is sometimes quoted as saying, “It’s better to have a beer!”. What would he say about the fact that a cocktail bar under his name opened this summer in the building of his former studio? Well, the man has been dead for 75 years – and would probably take it with humor.
The Munich comedian would at least be able to choose between a light beer (Noam’s Lager, 4.50 euros) and a non-alcoholic Lammsbräu in “Frohsinn’s favorite bar”, as the Bar Valentin is also called. The Bar am Platzl scores points with a surprisingly large selection of around five dozen cocktails, highballs and long drinks, three of which are non-alcoholic.
It’s best to start your visit in the late afternoon or early evening. The bar impresses with its glass-covered courtyard, so you can sit in the warmth at the same time and have the feeling of experiencing the twilight in the open air. The crystal clear espresso martini (14 euros) is, of course, a good first order. It’s not just called that, it’s actually transparent with espresso distillate and clear liqueur. “The future is now!” is what the card says. Well, this so-called future also existed in the early 1990s, when the crystal clear Cola had its time. Nevertheless: The drink tastes excellent, comes with a cloud of coffee in a crystal glass and wakes you up for what’s to come.
If you don’t feel like experimenting: classics like Martini, Manhattan and Co. cost 13.50 euros each, while spritz drinks are available from 8.50 euros. There are also sophisticated drinks for guests who don’t drink alcohol, for example the very tasty Placebo (10.50 euros) with apricot and a sugar-citrus oil mixture.
Of course, nothing on the menu is particularly cheap, especially in the middle of Munich’s old town. The quality of the drinks is good. Prices and location attract a combination of tourists and business people: small groups of people who choose to end the evening after work or after sightseeing.
There is a choice of food available morning, lunch and evening, including tapas and Sicilian pizzas. Yes, the bar is also a restaurant and is therefore open from the morning. Mondays to Saturdays it starts at one minute past nine, and like so many things here, the time is a bit of a wink. It ends at one minute to four at the beginning of the week and one minute to midnight from Wednesday to Saturday.
“Today is the good old days of tomorrow,” is written on the mirrored wall in the bar, a Valentine’s quote that is probably intended to function as a toast.
Bar ValentinePfisterstraße 9 + 11, 80331 Munich, opening hours: Monday and Tuesday 9:01 a.m. to 3:59 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday 9:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.