Dodgy bars in Munich - Getting caught out

Um, how do I start. Last night, opn the way home to mz hotel from a restaurant, I decided to pop into a bar for a beer, saw a bar called the Derby Arms, thought, sounds ok and walked in. Place was a bit dingy but aoreder a weiss beer and kicked back. About a quater through my beer several scantily clad, elderlz ladies approached me for some relax as they called it. Even as a 40 year old I could still have been some of these ladies son. In order to not make this mistake again, happily married with lovelz daughter, could someone provide me with soem edification regarding how to spot these places. I am new to Muenchen (4 days) and remain keen not to make this mistake again; it was more than a little embarrassing seeing someone like your Mum showing you her undies...

Jesus I feel unclean still...

Oh yeah likely story...just wondering where some more of these places are huh ??

didn't know there were such places here - sounds scary though.

Chalk it up to experience bud! These things happen!

I and a few other students (15 years ago) walked into a pub in Rotterdam. We looked at the KP peanuts poster and when we saw that as you pulled off the packets of peanuts it revealed a naked man not a woman, and also that we noticed the bar was full of men not women, that we were in a bar frequented by 'uphill gardeners'. A sharp exit followed. We then saw the name of the bar...Cafe Keer Weer!

Where was this bar?

One hint is that if you cannot see into the place then perhaps you should think twice. Also, around Hauptbahnhof are lots of such bars but it's usually fairly obvious which are a bit dodgey.

I guess it was a little naive of me, but I thought, being English, that the Derby Arms was an English type pub...

Seriously though, the reason I ask is that my Wife and baby are coming over this week and I do not want to be walking around Munich, fancy a beer and my wife and daughter see something along these lines.

I do think it was quite funny to be honest and to be true to the ladies, they were extremely pleasant to me even though they had no chance of a 29 euro glass of champagne. I did see some other places afterwards which were completely obvious and I get the tip not to go into bars that you cannot see into...

A schoolboy mistake my freinds would say!

If you're looking for ex-pat pubs then these are both good

Günther Murphy's

Kilians Irish Pub.
Has outdoor tables which is good when the sun decides to show itself and that way your little one doesn't need to develop an early smoking habit like most German kids.

You can find them using this Map of Munich

Hope this helps

The Derby Arms?

Mate, are you sure you and your wife were in Munich that evening?

I could be very much mistaken, but there is no English pub in Munich by that name.

There was a Winchester Arms once, but that closed about 10 years ago. It's now called Merge Bar.

There is also a bar called "Big Ben" on Hohenzollernstrasse in Schwabing. But apart from the name it is not at all British. It's a local Bavarian Bierstube.

I wasn't with my wife and there is a pub called the Derby Arms or whatever; it is the sole reason I went in, aside from wanting a beer that is. It is in a street opposite the train station...

Still feeling soiled...

The phonebook lists a Derby "Weinpub" in Goethestr. 28 - that's not too far from Hauptbahnhof.

I can't see why you feel "soiled" - you didn't do anything and you resisted temptation (if temptation it was...).

Goethestr, that's it. As far as I can remember that place looks fairly dodgy from the outside, in my opinion. The windows are high up and possibly covered up with a black sheet or something similar so you can't see inside. It's not as blatent as the likes of some of the bar-fronts on Schillerstr but it certainly wouldn't tempt me to go in.

Feeling soiled as I saw what I saw. I also didn’t think it looked too dodgy, There was one blacked out window and as far as I can remember, they were playing a jam record. Being from the Jam era, it sort of lulled me in. I would also like to think temptation was not something I was thinking of. I sreceived an email from my brother last night, explaining what happened. He lived in Germany for many years and gave me some guidelines for enjoying a night out sans old ladies knicker show-ers;

Quite funny really!

Only you Paul could "wander" in to a brothel order a bier and not notice...

Any way €.29 is way more than you should be paying, next time offer
€ 20... (at least that's what I've been told)

In Canada you can even dance with them as well, makes your bier spill a little though.

This evening why not go local, look for a German pub (not too German though they will all be for tourists) they should be easy to spot. If you look for a "fog" coming from a doorway that is usually a clue, then listen for raucous behaviour and loud HAHAHA, The Germans know how to live, remember though you have to wait 25 minutes for the first beer to be poured (after waiting 20 minutes to catch the bartenders eye). I always order two beers for me (the second is usually ready after you have drunk the first, then remember to stay one step ahead and order another)

Any way enjoy the German food (if you can) steer clear of Sauerkraut.

My advise would be not to take your family to a British/Irish style pub, but to try to go to somewhere a bit more local in flavour. My (personal) opinion of the expat pub scene is that they are all pretty crappy. The Germans don't really have a "pub" culture as such, but a Kneipe is sort of like a pub/restaurant. For total newcomers, I would recommend Paulaner im Tal (in Tal, near Marienplatz), which has excellent Bavarian food drink and atmosphere, but with an English menu if you want. Better still is Paulaner am Kapuzinerplatz 5, which has excellent food and brews their own beer.

Of course, now when the weather is good, you should go to a Biergarten, just don't expect the food to be anything special.

Unfortunately Phallett only goes to cidergardens...

Well...my rule of thumb is that the shady places usually have some type of red lighting or blinking lights on the window or doorway. If you see red lighting, alarm bells should go off.