I was remiss in posting a trip report to Pusser’s American Bar, often recognized as one of the best in the world. We missed this last summer and several trusted advisors said it was great, so we made sure to check it out on our recent trip.
We loved the cozy experience, though could only stay for one drink since we’d already had several at nearby Trader Vic’s. The venue has multiple levels and we were seated downstairs, with prompt and immediate service from our server.
The menu is as large as any I’ve ever seen, offering myriad options for whatever type of cocktail you’d like and a large spirits selection as well. Mrs. Mai Tai ordered a Grasshopper that was excellent while I spotted a Mai Tai that listed the ingredients as rum, lime, lemon, sugar, almond. The rum-forward drink was absolutely delicious and a stellar example of what a great Mai Tai should taste like.
This Vic’s location has a bad rep amongst some people for drinks that are overpriced and lacking quality, but during two visits we found the cocktails at Trader Vic’s Munich to be just as good as the stateside Vic’s we frequent and pricing to be comparable to other cocktail bars in Europe. One visit was in the bar where the bartender stoically and efficiently kept up with orders.
So, we have very positive things to say. But unfortunately we lead with some disappointment.
Menehune Juice / Mai Tai
The Mai Tai here leans heavily on aged Saint James Rhum Agricole and needs a richer pairing than the Pampero Gold that’s also included, resulting in a cocktail that’s too grassy for my liking. I asked if they had any Jamaican rum and Myers’s was the only one they had, but it would have helped as I feel Myers’s or even a Demerara rum like Pusser’s would be way better than Pampero to balance the Rhum Agricole. I did spot a bottle of Appleton 21 but the pour cost for a Mai Tai would have been €80, so I dropped that idea. Not a bad Mai Tai overall but ought to be better at this venue.
The Menehune Juice was the star of our visits, and not just because the Menehune come home with you. The floral flavors have a pleasant but mild rum flavor and this sips so well that Mrs. Mai Tai ordered this on our second visit and I was tempted to as well.
Samoan Fog Cutter
Munich Sour is the signature cocktail for this location, a variant of the Eastern Sour family of drinks. This one uses local German Brandy that adds richness to the mouthfeel, but the best part was the zingy citrus notes that were just a touch sweet. Too often, Vic’s recipes with lemon and orange lean way too tart, but the Munich Sour was anything but. This was probably the best Vic’s Sour I’ve had at any bar anywhere.
The Samoan Fog Cutter compared very well to the ones I’ve had stateside, and also balanced the lemon quite well. The sherry float is my favorite part, which means this cocktail finishes better than it starts, and the signature mug is always a treat. Finally, I tried Vic’s Itch, a good riff on the Tropical Itch that features bourbon and passionfruit.
Mrs. Mai Tai went with the Banana Dreams and Sea Dreams during our visits. Both lean sweet as constructed, though neither was too much so, and both drinks were comparable to the versions we’ve had before. The Sea Dreams wasn’t in the Seyhorse mug as pictured on the menu, our biggest complaint.
Overall, we had way more hits than misses in Munich and included a couple cocktails that were among the best we’ve had at any Trader Vic’s location.
We’re on a trip across European Christmas Markets, but we made sure to find a special place to celebrate Thanksgiving by making a reservation at the Trader Vic’s in Munich. Restaurant manager Heike reminded us that this is the oldest surviving location in the franchise, and Vic’s was quite busy but we still enjoyed responsive and helpful service and a delicious meal.
The food prices here are a little higher than the locations in the States, but we felt the quality was very high. The Crab Rangoon and Bao Buns were great options from the Pupu menu, and the Wonton Soup was also very good. Our main dish was Walnut Chicken that paired well with some fried rice and white rice, with lots of walnuts and a savory sauce.
As we noted in our visit last year, this Vic’s location is a true time-capsule back to the 1970s thanks to a basement location and elaborate Polynesian decor. There are so many little rooms and we even spotted a private space near the staircase entrance. If peacock chairs are you thing, this Vic’s will be your favorite as it seemed like every table featured at least one. The Hawaiian leaning soundtrack set the mood quite well.
We’ll discuss cocktails in upcoming posts, but are thankful that this amazing Trader Vic’s location is still going strong.
We had the pleasure of two trips to Trader Vic’s during our stay in Munich, once for dinner and then the following night at the bar.
Mai Tais at Trader Vic’s Munich
Unlike many Trader Vic’s locations, Munich does not purchase the Trader Vic’s syrups or rum for use in the cocktails. Thus, the finished result differs even when following a common recipe. We tried the Mai Tai twice and the Mai Tai variant Menehune Juice and found all to be good representations of these classic cocktails.
Mai Tai
The sour and sweet components were balanced in all of these, though the ingredients had an overall lighter mouthfeel than the cocktails in Trader Vic’s American locations. The Mai Tai uses Saint James aged rhum from Martinique along with Pampero Especial gold rum, which meant that this Mai Tai comes out lighter than many we’ve had elsewhere where Jamaica rum is the primary spirit. Still, this did serve as a representative example of the cocktail and the two rums did work well together so that you could taste the rich flavors of the Saint James but with a lot of the agricole’s rough edges tempered.
The Menehune Juice was an interesting contrast. This cocktail is essentially a Mai Tai but with light Puerto Rican rum as the sole spirit component. The resulting cocktail had fruity flavors that I didn’t get using the aged rums and this was still very flavorful and extremely satisfying. Munich also has little Menehune figures available, and as the menu states they come home with you.
Menehune Juice
Cocktails at Trader Vic’s Munich
As noted earlier, this Trader Vic’s location doesn’t procure the Trader Vic’s brand rums or syrups, so they definitely have a different taste than I’m used to. Overall, we felt that these were just okay, not nearly as good as other Trader Vic’s locations or most other tiki bars. That said, the vast cocktail menu does include some favorites that aren’t on the menu at some U.S. locations, including the Rum Keg and the overseas favorite Tiki Puka Puka.
The good news is that the spirits being used are pretty reasonable, including two different Saint James Rhum Agricoles in the Navy Grog that include five separate rums. That Navy Grog didn’t have the allspice-forward flavor but definitely was rich and boozy. The aforementioned Tiki Puka Puka is fruity and super boozy, so it’s easy to see why it’s so popular and pricey (€24). Mrs. Mai Tai didn’t love the Bahia, which needed to be shaken longer, but the Koana Puffer was better though still not stellar.
Navy Grog
Dinner at Trader Vic’s Munich
At the Munich location they offer some rice chips as a table starter both for table service and at the. Lightly savory, but not overly satisfying. I thought the Crab Rangoon and the Cheese and Ham Bings were really well done, though. Quite satisfying and adding ham to the Cheese Bings was a plus.
We both enjoyed our Cashew Chicken and Walnut Chicken entrees from the Trader Vic’s wok were very good, and the portions were quite large. Our dinner service was exemplary, featuring a waiter and junior waiter who both were reserved but friendly and accommodating.
Ham and Cheese Bings, Crab Rangoon
Overall Impressions of Trader Vic’s Munich
This location in the basement of the hotel Bayerischer Hof is amazing and seems like a portal back to the 1970s when it was built. There are so many tikis and little nooks and rooms off the main artery of the restaurant. There are dozens of peacock chairs, such that nearly every table has one both in the dining room and in the bar. There are an amazing number of masks on the walls, plus so many jade tiles. It is comparable in size to the Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, though with seemingly even more space and more sections/rooms.
We visited for dinner on Saturday night and the place was a frenzy of activity. There was a birthday party in one of the rooms and at one point they served an entire barbecued pig that included the head that they presented to the birthday boy! The bar was totally full on Saturday but also busy in the mid-evening on Sunday, too, but we didn’t have to wait very long for our food or to order another round of drinks.
There is no merch available here, aside from the take-away Menehune, and our polite ask about procuring an old menu was met with a very German and terse no.
The Trader Vic’s location in Munich is gorgeous and if you’re anywhere near here you must seek it out. We had a grand time in Munich generally, so we encourage anytime to come give this Vic’s restaurant a try.
