David Whitley loosens his belt and settles in for a carnivore's feast with the Munich locals.
Donisl.
Munich, Germany.
EUR7.65 ($14.50) for any main.
It's always a good sign when the serving staff are women in their mid-50s. Aside from giving a joint that homely, motherly vibe, it also indicates the people taking your orders do it as a career, rather than to earn a bit of cash until something better comes along.
And true enough, the service at Donisl comes with a smile rather than a scowl and efficiency rather than attitude. It's refreshing to be served by someone who seems to enjoy being there as opposed to a bored teenager loathing every minute of their incarceration.
It's also a good sign that the English language menu doesn't come out automatically. You'll usually have to ask for it, which is an indication that while Donisl does get tourists dropping by, it serves a primarily local market. But the best sign of all is that the price of a meal is capped at EUR7.65. In a city where beer hall-style food can reach more than double this price, this represents a tremendous bargain.
Donisl sits just off Marienplatz, Munich's major hub. It's on the pedestrianised Weinstrasse, opposite the town hall and surrounded by shops. It's nigh on impossible to guess what it's like from the outside.
The interior is blocked off by two heavy wooden doors, surrounded by foliage and Christmassy lights. But once inside, you have a classic slice of Bavaria.
Victorian-era menus hang with the ivy from the walls, pictures of chaps with resplendent moustaches and silly hats line the main thoroughfare and the waitresses scurry around wearing traditional garb and carrying clanking steins of amber nectar to thirsty diners.
Hide-effect lamps dangle from the ceiling above the tables and there's a proliferation of wood - it's all very cosy for a large building.
It looks a little less like a classic beer hall upstairs. The glass roof gives the top level a more stylish flourish and the clientele is noticeably younger.
But people don't come to compare architectural styles - they come for a good, cheap feed. It's clear this is something of a lunchtime favourite for those working in the area and it would be possible to eat something different every work day for a month, such is the variety.
Much of the fare is of the traditional variety; it's not exactly the best choice for vegetarians or those watching the waistline, let's put it that way.
But for those who like a good, hearty carnivorous feast, it's impossible to complain when you're presented with half a pork knuckle plus potato salad and (extremely more-ish) dumplings for such a price.
Other items include roasted piglet with bread dumplings. But it's not all pig. There is the occasional interesting variation on the pork theme and the roasted duck quarter is an extremely popular option - it's slathered in a generous gravy and most of the locals pick it over with vulture-like ruthlessness in order to tear off every last scrap of meat. Oh, yes, it comes with potato dumplings. Frankly, if you don't like dumplings with your meal, you are in the wrong place.
Donisl is one of those places that, given a few days in the city, quickly becomes a regular haunt. It's the sort of joint that, after you've made a token gesture of trying out other dining options in the area, you return to again and again.
It's not flash but it's friendly, fun and filling. And when good, old-fashioned meals cost so little, there's little reason to search out a different venue.
Wanting to meet the locals? Well here's your chance. Donisl has a very egalitarian seating policy and when it's busy (i.e. almost always) the staff make full use of all the seating. So if just one or two of you turn up, you'll be ushered towards the bench at someone else's table.
It's a far cry from the traditional restaurant meal but it adds to the atmosphere and gives you the perfect opportunity to make a new friend or two.
This is Bavaria - they don't do bad beer. And while the foaming lagers don't represent quite as good value as the food, a sturdy tankard or two to wash the food down is just the ticket.
1 Weinstrasse, Munich, phone +49 89 290 8410, see bayerischer-donisl.de.
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