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Kugler Alm in Oberhaching It's just in our Bavarian blood, isn't it? What the fish market is to Hamburgers and the Spree River to Berliners, Munich's many beautiful beer gardens are to Bavarians. The fact that you practically have to be from Bavaria to enjoy them is irrelevant, because once you've discovered your favorite beer garden, you simply can't help but indulge. Essential ingredients include good beer, a snack, and local delicacies. This time, I decided to try out the Kugler Alm in Oberhaching. Currently, only the beer garden is open for testing, as the restaurant is undergoing renovations until autumn. So, let's get going: beer garden attire on and let the fun begin!.

The „orchard“ of the Kugler Alm

What can you expect at the Kugler Alm?

Actually, I should start the other way around. I set out to find the best Auszogne in Munich I made the trip and ended up at the Kugler Alm. The reputation of their "Auszogne" (a type of Bavarian pastry) preceded the Kugler Alm, so I headed straight to Oberhaching. You can expect a beer garden with space for a total of 2,400 people, child-friendly and divided into different areas: a classic beer garden right next to the large fenced playground, behind which is a somewhat shadier area with tall trees, and a quiet orchard hidden among blooming flowers behind the beer garden kitchen. At the entrance is the "Schmalznudel" (a type of Bavarian pastry) hut, and behind it – in a treehouse style – are the bar and food counter. To the right of the entrance, the rather inconspicuous construction site of the inn is tucked away. (Of course, I'll report on the opening when it happens...).

The undeniably special feature is the idyllic location amidst nature (ideal for cycling), creating a completely different atmosphere than in many other beer gardens. Of course, I explored the entire area, said "Servus" to the team and the chef, and asked all sorts of questions. When you visit the Kugler Alm, be sure to check out the orchard behind the Schmalznudel-Hüttn (a traditional Bavarian dumpling hut). I've rarely experienced such a cozy spot combined with numerous diverse and even rare (!) flowers and a feeling of pure nature in a beer garden. Inside the beer garden, you can sit on green wooden benches or classic beer garden furniture, optionally under large, shady umbrellas. So, feeling comfortable is definitely a given. But since even the coziest and most beautiful beer garden isn't really enjoyable without food and drink, that was the next thing I checked out after my tour.

Plenty of fresh & homemade salads

Food offer and selection

Okay, so we already know that the Kugler Alm team makes Auszogne (a type of Bavarian doughnut) quite well. Reason enough to take a closer look at their hearty snacks, light meals, and other dishes. They offer a daily changing special (sometimes fish, sometimes meat, sometimes vegetarian, starting at €5.80) as well as a wide variety of completely homemade salads, Bavarian classics, chicken, ribs, tarte flambée, Steckerlfisch (fish on a stick), and more. Since the Kugler Alm, with its divided seating areas, caters to different target groups, they naturally have to consider all culinary preferences, for young and old, big and small.

While one person might prefer a crispy pretzel with a cheese board, radish salad, or sausage salad, a family with children, grandma, and dog might prefer white sausages, schnitzel, fries, and roast chicken. Thanks to the impressive selection of salads and three different types of tarte flambée (a vegetarian option with mozzarella and tomato; a meat option with bacon and red onions; and a "freestyle" option, meaning with different toppings each time), even the more health-conscious beer garden enthusiasts are catered for.

The Kugler Alm beer garden

So many choices! I was looking for a proper all-around experience, so my companion and I had no choice but to try everything together. The pretzels, nice and crispy, not too crunchy, are reasonably priced at €3.80. We also opted for a selection of different salads, which you can also order in smaller portions (as "Magendratzerl" for €2.90 each). We each chose a small portion of homemade sausage salad, cucumber salad, pasta salad, tomato and mozzarella salad, chickpea salad, and Obatzda (Bavarian cheese spread). My favorites after trying them all were the pasta and chickpea salads, followed by the really good and especially creamy Obatzda – a classic Bavarian beer garden snack, along with the sausage salad. Between 10 and 14 different fresh and always homemade salads are offered daily – so there's plenty to choose from.

Spare ribs with spicy BBQ sauce

Next up was a generous portion of spare ribs (Bavarian-raised meat; €13.90 per portion) with a flavorful sauce, followed by a "Freestyle" tarte flambée topped with feta cheese, spring onions, chives, tomatoes, onions, and bacon – perfect for sharing. Absolutely delicious, I tell you, and the salads are unbeatable in terms of quality and attention to detail. You can taste the thought that goes into perfecting every single dish, every single salad, etc. The tarte flambée (from €4.90), for example, has a very thin crust and plenty of toppings, in just the right proportions so that both components are still distinct when you chew them. Hot dishes like spare ribs, roast pork, schnitzel, etc., are portioned and handed to you at the counter when you order. Smaller snacks and light meals, such as Obatzda (a Bavarian cheese spread), radishes, cheese platters, etc., can be taken from the individual compartments or weighed to your liking at the deli counter. "Last but not least!" my second companion arrived, and the half-chicken with potato salad also landed on the table. I held back a bit on this one, but I did try it and thought that the crispy skin and tender meat lived up to the visual appeal. "I never leave a restaurant without a sweet finish!" I quickly applied this to beer gardens as well and got myself and my companion an Auszogne (either plain, with sugar, or cinnamon sugar for €3.90) from the Schmalznudel-Hüttn (either plain, with sugar, or cinnamon sugar for €3.90) along with a cappuccino (Dinzler coffee for €2.90). You should do the same, even if it means a bit of a wait, because the Schmalznudeln are freshly made for each order. The result is a super fluffy and soft Auszogne that's worth indulging in.

Sausages, cheese, snacks and the like.

Food review

My favorites: Flammkuchen (Alsatian flatbread) and Auszogne (a type of Bavarian doughnut). Because both – and actually everything – clearly surpassed the quality often offered in other beer gardens. Even the salads made it clear that nothing beats fresh ingredients, or rather, that they are indispensable for good (beer garden) cuisine. The cucumber salad was super fresh with a light herbal note in the dressing, the chickpea salad was pleasantly mild and "something different" compared to the often rather limited selection on display at other beer gardens. My "Kugler Alm salad champion" was the pasta salad. Take a look at the photo gallery below; I definitely had a hard time sharing it. 😉

Overall, I was impressed by the fact that, despite the deliberately rustic and rather "simple" atmosphere of a beer garden, the food is still varied and of high quality. The focus of the Kugler Alm kitchen is clearly on "sustainability and regionality," combined with freshness and quality. Only the best ingredients end up in the pot, on display, and ultimately on your plate – and you can taste the difference. The grilled fish on a stick from Lake Tegernsee, the meat from Bavaria, the homemade salads made primarily from regional produce – that's how I like it! I skipped the grilled fish on my visit because I simply couldn't eat another bite. If you're in the mood for it, it's available as trout, char, or mackerel (for €3.40/100 grams), depending on availability. Oh yes... of course... and there's always a toast, which at the Kugler Alm is made with Franziskaner and Spaten beers. Of course, soft drinks (from €2.70 for, e.g., 0.4l lemonade) as well as spritzers made from juices and nectars (five different varieties, 0.4l for €3.20) are also available. So nobody has to go thirsty.

Everything tasted great and I'll definitely be back. Maybe not by bike, but certainly with a proper appetite.

golden yellow and crispy: Kugler Alm-Hendl

Key facts and personal conclusion

The Kugler Alm is open daily from 11:30 am during beer garden season and weather permitting. It offers self-service and open seating throughout its entire area, encompassing all 2,400 seats. The various seating areas and the generous offerings for children ("„Alma's KIDS Alm„"With its playground (including a slide, sandbox, and pony rides on Sundays), as well as its rich and varied menu featuring a daily special, the Kugler Alm is never boring. I sat there for several hours, and for me, that's always a sign that the concept of a "beer garden"—meaning "feeling like you're in your own garden"—is exceptionally well realized. You can really feel at ease in the Kugler Alm, thanks in part to its idyllic natural setting. In my opinion, the value for money is excellent, especially considering the above-average quality of the food and ingredients. You can tell that a lot of expertise has gone into it, and the chef knows what he's doing. It's busiest on weekends and from Thursday evenings onwards, weather permitting, of course. Enjoy your beer garden experience at the Kugler Alm!".

Details:
Tested: Kugler Alm – Beer Garden
Address: Linienstraße 93, 82041 Oberhaching
Opening hours: Weather permitting, daily from 11:30 am
Website

Pictures: