A taste test of the top pretzels in the city centre
Pretzels are quintessentially Southern German. They are so common and boring that nobody notices them in Munich, the capital of Bavaria and largest city in Southern Germany. Munich is not a foodie city, so you will get puzzled looks from locals if you ask where to find the best pretzel. A bit like asking Americans where to find the best pancakes.
While the rest of Germany calls this bread a “Brezel”, the Bavarians with their guttural accent call it “Brez’n”. These knotted bread strips are eaten by locals for breakfast and by masses of tourists in biergartens, especially during Oktoberfest. Pretzels are fussy to make because the dough has to be dipped in boiling water for a short while before baking. A good pretzel should be slightly chewy with a rich brown sheen and a lightly salted crust. Bonus points if the knotting is symmetrical and the bread has risen evenly.
Taste Test Method
Pretzels are best eaten when they are freshly baked. Most bakeries make them in the morning. So, this test was conducted in the morning.
- Only bakeries in the city centre were considered. Mostly because I didn’t have time to go further and I am not that crazy about pretzels.
- All bakeries were visited in the same morning between 7 am and 10 am.
- The plain pretzel (Brezel natur) is used for comparison because every bakery has it.
- Two tastings per pretzel: once immediately after purchasing and another 30 hours later (after re-heating). It’s easy for a fresh pretzel to taste good. It would be impressive if a day-old pretzel still remained delicious.
Alof
First stop is Alof, a short walk from the old city centre. This is an unassuming cafe in a quiet side street. There were less than 5 customers when I visited in the morning. Then again, it was Oktoberfest season and a national holiday the day before.
There were just 2 or 3 types of pretzels available. Besides the plain one, there was also a sesame seed one. I took the plain one.
This pretzel is contemporary. Instead of the deep brown crust of a traditional pretzel, it was lighter in colour. The aroma was inviting and it was still warm from the oven. It had a very crisp crust, well-aerated dough, and slightly chewy interior. In other words, this is a baguette in pretzel form. The savoury dough reminded me of French breads and it showed me a side of pretzels that I never experienced before. Quality remained the same when eaten a day later. I could eat a few of these on their own. This was also the cheapest of the contenders in the taste test. 8/10.
Brezelina
Given the long history of pretzels, it’s surprising that it took a few hundred years for someone in Munich to give it a hipster artesanal spin. Brezelina is a fairly young bakery that celebrates pretzels. You can tell from their branding. It’s all pink with hearts and polka dots.
What better way to make pretzels more desirable than to create sandwiches with them? Brezelina uses traditional knotted pretzels with 3 holes, so the fillings usually contain a large lettuce leaf, a slice of cheese or something similar to provide more surface area for the rest of the ingredients.
The two Brezelina branches are strategically located in the busiest U-Bahn stations to grab commuters who want a quick meal. When I visited the Marienplatz branch, there was a modest line-up. Other food places in the station did not have many customers, so I took it as a sign that Brezelina was doing something right. The queue moved quickly.
There was a large variety of pretzels and pretzel sandwiches. I took a plain one and a pepper one.
This was the prettiest pretzel of the taste test. It was also the smallest. Note the symmetry and the stamp in the middle. Taste was classic: slightly sweet and chewy. I actually found it too plain for my liking. I think this pretzel is designed for sandwiches. In order to balance with the fillings, sandwich bread cannot be too assertive. The bread can’t be too big either. The pretzel was a tad chewier when eaten a day later. 7/10.
On the other hand, the pepper pretzel was amazing. This is a pretzel that is meant to be eaten on its own. It almost seemed deep-fried (it’s not) and there were oil stains on the paper bag. Deep-fried = tasty. The pepper aroma was there and perfectly balanced with the amount of salt. Dough was soft.
I recommend going for Brezelina’s sandwiches and flavoured pretzels instead of the plain pretzel. Unless you are making your own sandwiches.
Karnoll’s
Online posts suggested that this coffee stand in Viktualienmarkt had good pretzels. Viktualienmarkt is a historic outdoor market next to Marienplatz, the centre of the old city. It’s also a tourist trap.
Unlike other contenders in this test, Karnoll’s was situated outdoors and did not have the benefit of indoor heating. The pretzels were cold after being left out in the autumn morning.
This was the most disappointing pretzel of the lot. The crust was mottled brown and had a large split. It was quite dense and chewy and less aromatic than the rest. When re-heated a day later, it tasted average. 5/10.
Rischart
Rischart is one of the most well-respected bakeries in Munich and has been around since 1883. It has over a dozen branches but all can be found only in Munich. The main branch is at Marienplatz, which conveniently happens to be tourist central. It is directly opposite the Neues Rathaus (new city hall) in the city square.
Pretzels are the main draw for tourists and Rischart advertises this with oversized pretzels hanging outside the shop and on the display shelves. Actually, Rischart does much more than pretzels. It has a cafe, cakes, and other baked goods. Unlike Brezelina, pretzels are a small part of its offerings.
This is how a classic pretzel looks like. The type eaten in Bavarian biergartens. It’s not put together with a lot of care. You can see the slight asymmetry and irregularities in thickness. But it isn’t mass-produced or amateurish either. There is a right amount of chewiness and the taste of the dough is neutral: neither too sweet nor salty. Light salt on the crust. These still tasted good a day later, though a tiny bit tougher. 7.5/10.
Verdict
- Alof (8/10)
- Rischart (7.5/10)
- Brezelina (7/10). Score is only for their plain pretzel. Other flavours will score higher.
- Karnoll’s (5/10)
Pretzels in Toronto
If you can’t make it to Germany, there are unfortunately not many places that have German-style pretzels in Toronto, let alone a good one. Dimpflmeier Bakery is a large German bakery that has pretzels, rye breads and other European baked goods. You can also get expensive and mediocre pretzels from hip beerhalls like Wvrst.
Practical information
Alof Bäckerei und Konditorei
- Rating
- 8/10
- Prices
- Plain pretzel: 0.50 €
- Address
- Hans-Sachs-Straße 12
- Hours
- Daily 0700h – 1900h
- Date of visit
- October 2019
Rischart
- Rating
- 7.5/10
- Prices
- Plain pretzel: 0.65 €
- Address
- Main shop at Marienplatz 18.
More than a dozen branches in Munich. - Hours
- Monday to Saturday 0645h – 2000h
Sunday and holidays 0800h – 2000h - Date of visit
- October 2019
Brezelina
- Rating
- 7/10
- Prices
- Plain pretzel: 0.75 €
Pfefferbreze (pepper pretzel): 0.85 € - Address
- Original outlet at Stachus Passagen, 1st floor, Karlsplatz 9.
Second branch at Marienplatz U-Bahn station, 1st floor. - Hours
- Monday to Friday 0630h – 2000h
Saturday 0800h – 2000h - Date of visit
- October 2019
Karnoll’s Back- und Kaffeestandl
- Rating
- 5/10
- Prices
- Plain pretzel: 0.55 €
- Address
- Viktualienmarkt Stand 6, at the southern end of the market by Frauenstraße.
- Hours
- Monday to Friday 0530h – 1700h
Saturday 0530h – 1400h - Date of visit
- October 2019