Where the slaughterhouse and Dreimühlen districts meet Sendling – west of the Isar, south of the Glockenbach, east of the Wiesn and north of the Mittlerer Ring – people lived under the radar until recently. But the area now has a lot to offer: Since there, the new folk theatre and the Isar Philharmonic Hall standing, you are right in the middle of Munich’s new cultural hotspot. Gastronomy is also following suit. In addition to long-established dishes, there are also many new kitchens. Especially since after the curfew has been lifted and with a hall capacity of 75 percent, you can feast again – and combine it wonderfully with a visit to a concert or the theater.
Diversity in popular theatre
The “Schmock” in the new Volkstheater impresses with its cool look and international cuisine.
(Photo: Daniel Schvarcz)
All good things come in threes: after 16 years on Augustenstrasse and five years on Brienner Strasse, it has shock, formerly “Meschugge”, reopened in the Volkstheater complex on Tumblingerstrasse. “We wanted to tie in with the past because many people remember it and the name Schmock works well,” explains landlord Florian Gleibs. He had to close the first Schmock on Augustenstraße in 2016 because of anti-Semitic hostilities and dared a new attempt in the same year as in-house restaurateur in the Volkstheater with director Christian Stückl as a “friend of the matter”. It may be due to Stückl’s support, Gleibs’ humorous, unconventional way of dealing with critics or the varied cuisine – currywurst, shawarma and Königsberger Klopse work wonderfully together here – the Schmock has arrived and brings a breath of fresh air to the well-established theater-gastro symbiosis. Loyal Schmock fans and theater audiences are complemented by a new target group of curious local residents, who are increasingly breaking up the rush business that was previously tied to performances.
The diverse slaughterhouse district suits Schmock well, agrees Gleibs: “Something is happening here that is atypical for Munich. Everything has merged together. We’re no longer just talking about a few freaks spraying graffiti. Now there are some yuppies too with the beer bottle on the street and think it’s great. You can no longer define who belongs in which group.” The Schmock isn’t about defining anyway; Glebs doesn’t care which employees belong to which nationality, where the bar area ends and the restaurant begins, whether the new foyer bar on the other side of the glass double door is more of a Schmock interior or a folk theater interior. “We are embedded here in the Volkstheater. We don’t actually belong together, and yet we belong together.”
Dolce Vita and coziness
The good soul of the street: Landlady Irmgard Jörg from the “Bierschuppen” parlor in the Dreimühlenviertel.
(Photo: Alessandra Schellnegger)
Even before the most recent gastronomic additions to the Schlachthof and Dreimühlenviertels, there was a lively neighborhood culture here. Families meet for a picnic on the playground, neighbors greet each other at the bakery, backyard parties turn into happenings. In the warm season, people gather to soak up the evening sun on the cobblestones of Ehrengutstraße, on the banks of the Isar or at the ice cream parlor of the brothers Tomaso and Elio Italy at Roecklplatz. The latter interpret the “warm season” more freely. Their winter break only lasted from December 5th to January 22nd this time, and the terrace is already full of down-insulated Dolce Vita fans.
In winter, residents and visitors generally do not have to do without the cosiness that is typical of the district. Instead, they can flee from the cold in rustic “Boazn”, in the Greek “Zenetti Pils” directly opposite the Volkstheater, for example, in the “Geyerwally”, in the “Valentin Stüberl” or in Irmgard Jörg’s “Bierschuppen” in the Reifenstuelstraße, where the Half a beer costs 2.80 euros and the young indie radio station is not tuned in for reasons of musical taste, but because the reception causes the least stress. “Irmi” has been running her beer tavern for a good 36 years, standing alone six days a week (except Sundays). behind the counter. Irmi has noticed for a long time that the clientele in the district has changed over time. “In the past, nobody wanted to go to the slaughterhouse, now everyone wants to go there,” she says.
Nevertheless, in addition to the regular guests, “foreigners” are also welcome, who up until now have tended to get lost through guided tours of the beer tavern. Incidentally, drinking parties in particular can get you in the mood for a concert or theater visit here, as Irmi opens the doors at 10 a.m.
Pleasure around the bike
Meeting place for cyclists and coffee lovers: owner Jens Hoffmann (right) in his shop “3Mills Cycling & Coffee”.
(Photo: Robert Haas)
Diagonally opposite Irmis Bierschuppen on the corner of Reifenstuelstrasse and Dreimühlenstrasse, another new neighbor opened its doors last autumn: 3Mills Cycling & Coffee doesn’t make it easy for walk-in customers to look inside. Bike shop, workshop, café or neighborhood meeting place? The best thing is everything at once, operator Jens Hoffmann wishes. “We’re doing the shop here that I know from countries like Italy, Spain, Belgium, France and Holland and that I’ve missed in Munich until now.” It is supposed to be less of a pure sales business than a meeting point for cyclists and coffee lovers.
And he’s convinced he has the best coffee in the neighborhood. The roasting comes from “19grams”, a Berlin brand for specialty coffee, the machine – Kees van der Westen’s “Spirit” model – Hofmann affectionately calls “the queen of coffee machines”. This coffee, croissants and pain au chocolat from the Boulangerie “Dompierre” and racing bikes from Cinelli, Gios and Time including the advice of his international team – Hoffmann relies on top quality. The former sports journalist and filmmaker also devotes space to culture and events in his shop: Photographer Olaf Unverzart is allowed to post constantly changing photo series on the walls, books by the Covadonga publishing house can be found on the shelves for browsing and soon there will also be coffee tastings and readings and give bike workshops.
Hip subculture
The decommissioned excursion boat “MS Utting” is the hallmark of the event area “Bahnwärter Thiel” as a restaurant and event location.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
With the event area “Bahnwärter Thiel” and the Ammersee steamer Alte Utting, Daniel Hahn allowed the subculture to move into the slaughterhouse and Sendling years ago. Today, these two hotspots are no less popular, but are hardly considered insider tips anymore. With the New York Timesarticle “Is Munich getting cool – look for the boat on the bridge” the reputation of the Utting has even made it across the pond.
In terms of subculture, however, Dreimühlen remains “under construction” – literally at the moment. Not only does 3Mills have to come to terms with a construction site in front of the door for the time being, Sobi Darkhal’s new artists’ hangout “Le Hygge” on Ehrengutstraße is also losing hygge, the Danish homeliness, due to the construction site. The native Persian – thanks to his Café Sobicocoa on Georgenstrasse already a well-known Munich gastro figure – takes it easy. For over a year he has been attracting an alternative audience with a mixture of recycled do-it-yourself furniture, his own photographs on the exposed walls and vegan cuisine. He spent seven months working on one aubergine dish alone. However, his focus lies elsewhere. He wants to create a place for artists from all over the world.
The “Yol” is one of the long-established restaurants in the Dreimühlenviertel and lures with down-to-earth Turkish cuisine.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
The slaughterhouse and Dreimühlen districts are international not only in terms of art, but also in terms of cuisine: regionally, starting with snack plates in the vesperia or ambitious upscale cuisine in the Roecklplatzwhich is increasingly offering vegetarian and vegan dishes (meatless kick: the mushroom essence with Maultasche, hazelnuts, leeks and black salsify), further east with meze and kebabs in the Turkish tavern yol or with refined sushi in the sushi and wine bar Kinchia to the south to Bella Italia.
In the stylishly furnished Monti Monaco for example, with beef tartare and scallops, you might forget you’re dining in the middle of a brick-lined slaughterhouse. The same in the cozy and authentic Quattro Tavoli in Dreimühlenstrasse. Under the disco ball light, proprietor Maurizio Cinosi serves up a pinsa romana like no other while chatting to guests in his native language. The native Italian has been running the restaurant since 2011. The theater has also given him a new target group. In the store on the corner of Ehrengutstrasse and Dreimühlenstrasse, for example, the seventh gastro concept has moved in since he has been there. Cinosi, on the other hand, like many of his colleagues, came to stay.