I recently pitched Design*Sponge to write their Munich City guide, since I noticed they didn’t have one. Much to my delight, Grace Bonney, the editor, accepted! I’ve put together a list of all of the places I think should go in. Each neighborhood should have a list of at least one cafe, restaurant and shop or cultural spot, and the focus should be on places that lean towards ‘Indie’.
Here is my list so far:
Altstadt
Magazin (Home Furnishing)
Kustermann (Home Furnishing, historical, family owned Munich store)
Viktualienmarkt (highlight certain stands; soup place, sandwich/cheese place, fisch witte, middle-eastern place)
Böhmler in Tal (Modern, drool worthy furniture)
Obacht (Modern Bavaria Kitsch)
Manufaktur (gourmet items, furnishings)
Dallmayr (Munich institution)
Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung (Museum)
Cortina (Hotel and Bar)
Bar Centrale (Bar)
Shuhbecks Gewurzladen (?)
Shuhbecks Eis (?)
L&I (Restaurant)
Last Supper (Restaurant)
Lehel
Thiersch 15 (Home Furnishing)
Haus der Kunst (Museum)
Nage und Sauge (Restaurant)
Le Barestovino (French Restaurant and Winebar)
La Stanza (Restaurant/Bar)
Gandl (Restaurant)
Roosevelt (Cocktail Bar)
River Surfing Spot
Frau Grüne Eis (new renovated Häusl bei Surfing spot)
Haidhausen
NoMiya (Restaurant)
Lollo Rosso (Restaurant)
Negroni (Bar)
Zum Closter (Restaurant)
Bindwerk (Arts/Bookbindery/paper goods)
Wisengrund (Restaurant/Bar)
Wein Cantina (Wine Bar/Restaurant)
1260 Grad (Culture/Art/Ceramics/Home/Shop)
Café Fortuna (Café)
Maria Passagne (Bar)
Wölfl Konditorei (Traditional Cake Place)
Hofbräukeler Biergarten
Muffathalle Biergarten
Muffathalle (Ampere, concerts, clubs)
Isarvorstadt-Ludwigvorstadt (Sendling?)
Café Beethoven (Live Jazz, Brunch)
Café Mozart (Hipster Bar/Café)
Art Babel (new Puerto Giesing/Artists space)
Valentinstuberl (Bar)
Lindwurmstüberl
GAP
Au
Österia (Restaurant)
Volksbad (Cultural)
Le Fetteria (Restaurant)
Schyrenbad (Cultural/Relax)
New hipster bar/restaurant across from Schyrenbad (Charlie Something…)
Café Hüller (Café)
Schwarze Hahn (Grunge Bar)
Auer Dult (Seasonal)
Deutsches Museum (?)
Glockenbachviertel
Jesas (Artisianal Hipster Gelato)
Mid-Century furniture place on Baaderstr. (Furniture)
SamsnSon (Vintage furniture)
Vintage furniture place on Reichenbachstr.
Delikatessen (vintage and modern furniture)
Trachtenvogl (Café and Bar)
Vier Werkstatten (Crafts/Shopping)
Rice (Restaurant)
Hey Luigi (Restaurant)
Café am Hochhaus (nightclub)
Bar Josef (Joseph?)
Maria (Restaurant/Breakfast/Brunch)
Baader Café (Restaurant/Breakfast/Brunch/Bar/Café)
Götterspeise (Café, chocolate and confectionary shop)
Café Aroma (Café/Breakfast)
Bar Corso (Bar/Restaurant)
Hoover and Floyd (Café/Bar)
Café Pini (Café/Breakfast)
Bergwolf (Late night fries)
Gärtnerplatz (Cultural, hang out spot)
Kleinschmidtz (Restaurant/Wine)
Zappeforster (Restaurant/Cafe)
Max Vorstadt
Jasmin Café (Café/Bar)
Pinakothek der Modern (Museum)
Horst Brand (Architecture/Museum)
Lenbach Haus (Museum)
Bahil Bahia (Gelato)
Schwabing
Le Sud (?)
Furniture place on Hohenzollnerstr.
BMW Museum (Architecture/museum, Nord Schwabing)
Max Emanuel Biergarten (or is this Max Vorstadt)
Westend
Kongressbar (If visiting Oktoberfest leaves you needing a drink….)
Café Josepha
Das Neue Kubitscheck (Café)
Nymphemburg/Neuhausen
Taxis Garten (Biergarten)
Rufini (Café/Wine)
Sarcletti (Gelato)
Englische Garten
Surfing Spot
Milchhäusl
Fr. Gruneis
Aumeister
Note it’s very thin on Schwabing, Westend and Neuhausen, three neighborhoods I rarely visit! I am happily entertaining any and all suggestions. Special thanks to Emily, my fellow expat, Wahlmünchnerin and internet buddy who had the same idea and is helping me put this together…
wahlmuenchnerin.com 
an impressive list so far 🙂 does Englische Garten have an english-style garden anywhere withing its' boundries?
Great List and thanks for including Art Babel (we are in Mavorstadt btw)! Some places that come to my mind: Import Export (Ludwigvorstadt), Corleone (Ludwigvorstadt), lothringer13/halle and lothringer13/laden (Haidhausen), Ca Va (Westend), Kunstverein (Altstadt), Kunstraum (Glockenbach), Raum58 (Westend), Marais (Westend), Cafe Schau ma moi (Giesing), Kaffee Fausto (Giesing), Baarer 61 (Maxvostadt), Königin 43 (Maxvostadt), Das Klohäuschen (Sendling), Stemmerhof (Sendling)
Thank you Patrick, this is hervorragend, will definitely add to the list!
GAP is a Berlin Style Indie Cafe what has some Edge like in Brooklyn or so 🙂
Love your guide! We will be in Munich in late November– I can't figure out the neighborhoods, can you let me know which neighborhood you have listed will be closest to our hotel, the Rocco Charles? Also, any xmas markets you would recommend that have interesting craftsy things? Thanks!!