Restaurant am Chinesischen Turm: Dining room
Restaurant am Chinesischen Turm, near the pagoda in the Englischer Garten, attracts large crowds of locals and tourists, especially when the weather is good. Brass bands play from the tower while diners take a leisurely lunch on the terrace. Sure, it's touristy, but passing time in Munich's lovely and sprawling park may be worth the trade-off.

The menu features duck breast, stewed sirloin, grilled Nuremberger sausages with sauerkraut and Bavarian noodles with grated cottage cheese and fried onions. Main dishes range from about 7€ to 20€. Fixed-price, multi-course dinners start at 32€.

Kaimung: Dining area
Want to add a bit of spice to your Munich palette? Then take a seat at Kaimung.

With several locations around town, the stylish, fast-food Thai eatery offers a satisfying dose of curries, noodles and stir-fried dishes, blending classic Thai ingredients like coconut milk, Thai basil and the right amount of chili sauce.

Sure, the quick cook-to-order turnaround from the open kitchen area behind the bar feeds into the fast-pace, high-clientele-turnover ambience. But, regardless, the dishes, which can be ordered in small or big portions, hit the mark. The site on Sendlingerstrasse, not far from Sendlinger Tor and the quirky Asamkirche (Asam's church) is convenient to the downtown.

Nordsee: Delicious seafood
Hankering for some lighter fare, like salmon or seafood? Then, Nordsee may fit the bill.

More of a fast-food joint than a sit-down kind of place, the Nordsee chain has a variety of fish alternatives, including seafood salads, and salmon and herring sandwiches and platters. The retail section also has a variety of fresh fish and shellfish, if cooking "at home on the road" is an option.

There are several locations around the city, but the site at Viktualienmarkt is most convenient to the downtown area.

Hofbräuhaus am Platzl: Outdoor dining
The Hofbräuhaus, founded in 1589 by Bavaria's Duke William V, originally was a private brewery set up to serve only the royal household. These days, anyone, from aristocrats to humble backpacker, can mosey on up and throw back a cold one.

Kitsch to some extent with its oompa oompa bands, "Bavarian Evening" buffet and souvenir shop, the sprawling beer hall and restaurant is always packed with tourists and locals alike. In fact, some frequent patrons even lock up their beer steins in one of the 424 lockers near the front portal, and, often during the week, tables are reserved for regulars.

Augustiner-Grossgaststätten: Entrance
Beer and Munich have centuries of longevity together. And, Augustiner, Munich's oldest brewery, has been going strong for a solid 680 years. The first records of monks brewing Augustiner beer date back to 1328, and they were making their heavenly concoctions at the Neuhauserstrasse site until 1885. Now, the historic building houses a restaurant, a garden in the inner courtyard, a beer hall and various rooms for other festivities.

If you like people watching and don't mind the pedestrian traffic on Munich's main drag linking Karlsplatz and Marienplatz, then pull up a chair out front. Order some of the traditional Bavarian sausages or plates of pork with kartoffelknödel (potato dumplings), and hunker down with a house favorite Helles, a light lager beer. Entrees run up to about 16€, but there are many options below 10€.

Löwenbräukeller: Enrance
One of the granddaddy's on the Munich brewery scene is Löwenbräu, and the Löwenbräukeller is a good place to sample what's on tap.

While the beer hall is sizeable and the restaurant quaint, the beer garden is where to go to experience Bavarian Gemütlichkeit, which roughly translates to cozy and relaxed sociability. Shaded by chestnut trees, the beer garden has capacity for 1,000 people and serves up local favorites like Oktoberfest-style roasted chicken, currywurst and schweinshaxn (grilled pork knuckle). In keeping with Munich's widely-accepted beer garden tradition, visitors can bring their own lunch as well.

Dean & David: Eating area
Fast food that’s healthy and satisfying? Can't be true. Well, the folks at Dean & David will prove it. Catering to a student crowd (given its proximity to the university district), the half juice bar, half quick-eats establishment lives by the mantra "fresh to eat." They use simple but high-quality ingredients to turn out delicious salads, curries, soups, sandwiches, and wraps. All at prices that won't break the travel budget. Most items are priced in the 3€ to 8€ range, and there's an option for smaller or larger portions.

Café Puck: Entrance
Retro touches, like the old clock over the bar, give Café Puck a Sunday-morning-brunch feel. And, not to disappoint, there's a host of American-type morsels to choose from: bagels, eggs, pancakes, BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich, milkshakes and even homemade orangeade and lemonade.

For those with a bigger appetite, there's a variety of salads, sandwiches, pasta, fish and meat on the menu, which leans towards a catch-all of Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare (a la carte items range 6€ to 15€). Then, there are the burgers. Sunday night is the best day to try one since it will cost you just under 8€ (usually the burgers run about 10€). On Mondays, if you're into plate-sharing, Café Puck's has a menu for two, featuring a choice of chicken, beef or pork and plates such as Chicken Thai Curry or Weiner Art Schnitzel (about 21€, with beer or wine included).