Friday, September 18, 2026

Dinner, with our Grandchildren Viatrix and Ernst, at Augustiner Stammhaus, the Brewery's Historic Flagship Location Housed in a Stunning Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) Building, in Munich (September 2026)








Dinner, with our grandchildren Viatrix and Ernst, at Augustiner Stammhaus in Munich. @Augustiner is Munich's oldest brewery (founded in 1328). There are many Augustiner beer taverns and beer gardens in the city, all very popular with the locals. My favorite is the Augustiner Klosterwirt, next to the iconic Frauenkirche towers. This time, we went to Augustiner Stammhaus, the brewery's historic flagship location housed in a stunning Art Nouveau building right on the pedestrian shopping street "Neuhauser Strasse 27". The place is enormous with many different rooms, ranging from shared wooden tables and bench seating to set white-tablecloth tables. We had dinner in the "Arkadengarten"/ beer garden at the back of the building. After dinner, we stayed on to play a round of cards with Ernst and I could finish my beer.
 
See also: Schiller's Favorite Beer Taverns and Wine Bars in Munich (February 2025) 

Augustiner Brewery 

Augustiner is Munich's oldest brewery (founded in 1328). 

Augustiner-Bräu is Munich’s oldest existing brewery, officially founded by Augustinian monks in 1328. It stands out today as the only major Munich brewery that remains completely independent of international corporate ownership, largely because 51% of the company is owned by a charitable foundation.

Key Historical Milestones

1328: Monastic Origins

Augustinian monks began brewing beer inside their monastery near the Munich Cathedral. They supplied the ruling Wittelsbach family until the Duke founded the rival Hofbräuhaus in 1589.

1803: Secularization

During Napoleon’s secularization campaign, the Bavarian state seized the monastery and privatized the brewery.

1829: The Wagner Era

Anton and Therese Wagner purchased the enterprise, turning it into a privately owned commercial business. The founder's son, Josef Wagner, later added his initials ("J.W.") to the company logo, where they remain today.

1885: Moving to Landsberger Straße

To accommodate industrial growth, the brewery moved to its current location on Landsberger Straße. The original site on Neuhauser Straße was converted into the famous Augustiner Stammhaus restaurant.

1940s: Wartime Destruction

World War II bombing runs destroyed roughly 60% of the brewery complex. It was later rebuilt exactly according to its historic brick model.

1996: The Edith-Haberland-Wagner Foundation

Edith Haberland Wagner, the last direct heir of the family, left her majority shares to a charitable foundation. This keeps the brewery fiercely independent and funnels over half of its profits back into cultural and social projects.

Unorthodox Traditions

Augustiner is highly unusual in the modern beer market for its preservation of historic brewing methods:

Zero Advertising: The company famously spends no money on marketing or commercials, relying entirely on word-of-mouth and brand loyalty.

Wooden Barrels: At the Munich Oktoberfest, Augustiner is the prominent major brewery that still dispenses its beer strictly from traditional wooden casks (called Hirschen).

Historical Malting: The brewery continues to use its historic 19th-century floor-malting facility to produce the specific pale malt needed for its classic beers.

No Beer Mixes: Unlike its competitors, the company refuses to produce trendy pre-mixed beer drinks, radlers, or low-alcohol lifestyle beers.

There are many Augustiner beer taverns and beer gardens in the city, all very popular with the locals. My favorite is the Augustiner Klosterwirt, next to the iconic Frauenkirche towers. 

The Top Augustiner Beer Taverns in Munich

Augustiner Stammhaus

The brewery's historic flagship location housed in a stunning Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) building right on the pedestrian shopping street. It features magnificent, sprawling dining halls like the Muschelsaal (Shell Hall). Vibe: Historic, grand, and busy. Highlights: Freshly tapped Helles, pork knuckle (Schweinshaxe), and traditional white sausages (Weißwurst).

Augustiner Klosterwirt

Located exactly where the original Augustinian monks first brewed the beer, right across from the iconic Frauenkirche towers.Vibe: Cozy, rustic, and spread across two levels with friendly, efficient staff.Highlights: Excellent local sausages, crispy pork knuckle, and Augustiner Helles tapped directly from wooden casks.

Augustiner am Platzl

Positioned right in the historic Platzl square, directly across from the Hofbräuhaus. It occupies a historic building that once served as the brewery's dray horse stables.Vibe: Intimate, highly energetic, and vastly preferred by locals over its neighbor across the street.Highlights: Famous for its rotisserie chicken, Käsespätzle, and a smooth pour of Augustiner Edelstoff.

Augustiner am Dom

Another great Old Town hub located right next to the cathedral, featuring three floors of seating and a small, pleasant outdoor terrace.

Augustiner-Keller

One of Munich's ultimate beer destinations, located just a short walk north of the main train station. It boasts a massive indoor cellar hall and the city’s second-largest beer garden, shaded by 100-year-old chestnut trees. Vibe: Quintessential Bavarian bliss; incredibly lively on warm days. Highlights: Serves premium Augustiner Edelstoff beer exclusively from heavy wooden barrels. Features a self-service beer garden area where you can bring your own food, alongside a full-service restaurant.

Augustiner Bräustuben

Located a bit further west in the Schwanthalerhöhe/Westend neighborhood, right next to the actual brewery site. This is arguably the most local and budget-friendly major beer hall in Munich.Vibe: Boisterous, unpretentious, and packed with neighborhood locals. Highlights: The main hall is converted from old brick horse stables. It offers incredibly cheap half-liters of beer and massive portions of classic tavern fare like the Braumeisterpfanne (brewer's skillet).

Dinner at Augustiner Stammhaus 

This time, we went to Augustiner Stammhaus, the brewery's historic flagship location housed in a stunning Art Nouveau building right on the pedestrian shopping street "Neuhauser Strasse 27". The place is enormous with many different rooms, ranging from shared wooden tables and bench seating to set white-tablecloth tables. 

We had dinner in the "Arkadengarten"/ beer garden at the back of the building. After dinner, we stayed on to play a round of cards with Ernst and I could finish my beer. 

The Arkadengarten is a historic, Italianate-style courtyard oasis hidden directly inside Munich's busy pedestrian zone. Completely redesigned between 1896 and 1897 by the famous Munich architect Emanuel von Seidl, this picturesque courtyard transforms the traditional Bavarian beer garden concept into an elegant, Renaissance-inspired retreat. 

6 Traditional Munich Beer Breweries/ Ownership 

The six traditional Munich beer breweries—known as the "Big Six" authorized to serve beer at Oktoberfest—are owned by a mix of private foundations, state government, and multinational corporations.

Augustiner-Bräu:

Owner: 51% owned by the Edith Haberland Wagner Foundation (a private charitable foundation) and 49% by the Wagner family. It is Munich's oldest and only fully independent major brewery.

Staatliches Hofbräuhaus (Hofbräu):

Owner: The Free State of Bavaria. It is entirely state-owned and state-run.

Paulaner & Hacker-Pschorr:

Owner: The Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe, which is a joint venture shared between the Dutch brewing giant Heineken (major stakeholder) and the Munich-based Schörghuber Corporate Group.

Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu & Löwenbräu:

Owner: AB InBev (Anheuser-Busch InBev), the world's largest multinational brewing conglomerate.

Arriving/ Sidewalk Area


Beer Hall (Bierhalle): 

A lively, traditional area with long wooden tables, a large copper bar, and a bustling communal atmosphere.



Restaurant: 

A more refined dining section with its own entrance and nicely set tables divided into rooms dedicated to historical Bavarian rulers. Prince Regent Luitpold Room: The front part of the restaurant featuring nature and hunting motifs. King Ludwig I Area: The rear restaurant section highlighted by a large portrait of the king. Seashell Hall (Muschelsaal): A historic, ornate room dating back to the 1897 rebuild.





Arcades Garden (Arcaden-Garten): 

A quiet, hidden courtyard oasis located inside the complex for peaceful dining.

The Arkadengarten is a historic, Italianate-style courtyard oasis hidden directly inside Munich's busy pedestrian zone. Completely redesigned between 1896 and 1897 by the famous Munich architect Emanuel von Seidl, this picturesque courtyard transforms the traditional Bavarian beer garden concept into an elegant, Renaissance-inspired retreat. 




 
Wagner's Salons: 
 
Wagners Salons are the private, historically preserved dining rooms located on the first floor of the Augustiner Stammhaus.These magnificent rooms served as the former living spaces of the Wagner brewery family, who ran the brewery from 1817 to 1884. Completely renovated with historic precision, you can book these rooms for private events or dine in them à la carte surrounded by opulent wallpapers, chandeliers, and vintage family photos.
 






Dinner in the Arcades Garden
 







Playing Cards after Dinner
 
 
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