Indagare's Munich Cheat Sheet

Elegant and modern Rosewood Munich joins two landmark buildings in the heart of Munich's old town, where the in-room details go well past the usual.

Hotel Bayerischer Hof is a family-owned grand dame on Promenadeplatz dating back to 1839, with panoramic views and a luxurious rooftop pool and spa.

Augustiner Stammhaus is the flagship tavern of Munich's oldest independent brewery, where beer arrives from wooden barrels alongside roast pork, sausage platters and pretzels; during Oktoberfest, the same beer pours at the brewery's Festhalle on the Theresienwiese.

Inside the cozy Bratwurstherzl, Nuremberg bratwursts grill over an open fire, and you may well end up sharing your table with locals.

For fresh seafood, Portuguese-inspired Pescheria changes its fish display daily and cooks the catch simply, either on the lava grill or baked in a salt crust.

Tantris opened in Schwabing in 1971 and today, holds two Michelin stars for its seasonal cooking rooted in classic French technique and a stellar wine list.

Twins Markus and Tobias Klaas work the room at Brothers, talking guests through each of Daniel Bodamer's seafood-leaning courses, as Tobias pours what many consider the best pairings in the city.

Atelier holds two Michelin stars under chef Kevin Romes in an artsy, studio-like room, with a small terrace among fire maples called the Silent Garden.

Schumann's is considered one of Munich's great social institutions, run by legendary bartender Charles Schumann and adored for its cocktails, elegant energy and prime people-watching.

Jazz lovers can head to Bar Montez, the wood-paneled, library-like bar at Rosewood, where daily performances come with signature cocktails and small bites.

No visit is complete without an afternoon in a Biergarten, and the best of them sit in the Englischer Garten: the Seehaus draws the beau monde, while the Chinesischer Turm is more boisterous.

Founded in 1842, Lodenfrey turns loden, the Bavarian wool it is named for, into fashionable items, and it's where locals go for an embroidered dirndl or lederhosen before Oktoberfest.

Jeweler Hemmerle has designed for Bavarian royalty for four generations and creates one-of-a-kind pieces. This meticulous work can take hundreds of hours, so set an appointment beforehand.

Wood craftsmen have run Holz-Leute since 1873, selling handmade game boards, cutlery, knives and shaving tools.

The Alte Pinakothek is among the world's great galleries of European painting, with works by Dürer, Rubens, Raphael, Titian and Rembrandt.

The Residenz, once home to Bavaria's kings, is worth visiting for the Cuvilliés Theatre alone, a Rococo gem where Mozart's Idomeneo premiered in 1781 and where concerts still play.

At the edge of the Englischer Garten, Eisbachwelle draws surfers to a standing wave on an artificial stream and spectators to the bridge above it.