Munich for under £100 a night

YES, some of the cliches about Munich are true: the classic Bavarian neatness, the immense beer cellars and the unapologetically carnivorous diet are all present and correct.

But contemporary cool is to be found. Think edgy art museums, a burgeoning vegetarian food scene and uber-hip cocktail bars. With British Airways now offering daily flights from London City, it’s time to discover the great destination for yourself.

Where to stay Cocoon Stachus

MIXING retro with rural, this is the pick of the three Cocoon hotels, which are unique to Munich. A design hotel, but without designer prices, the eccentric woodland themed decor blends in surprisingly well with a cascade of orange Seventies furnishings in cosy rooms just a minute’s walk from Altstadt, the old town. B&B doubles from £82 (cocoon-hotels.de)

Hotel Monaco

THE concrete exterior may look bleak, but inside all is bucolic Bavarian charm.

Run by Christine Sevdas for more than 20 years, rooms are in light, pastel hues with farmhouse-style wooden furnishings and a traditional Bavarian fabric covers known as hakelspitze. Spend an extra £8.50 for a room with its own bathroom. B&B doubles with a bathroom from £86 (hotel-monaco.de)

Hotel Jedermann

IF you’RE looking for both sleek contemporary Munich and a smidgen of Bavarian chintz then the Jedermann delivers. Rooms have a modern feel with pale woods and soundproof windows, while the breakfast room does a robust traditional

fruhstuck with tables groaning with meats, cheeses, breads and cakes. B&B doubles from £81 (hotel-jedermann.de)

Hotel Laimer Hof

THIS Neo-Renaissance villa is a 20-minute train ride from the centre of Munich, but is just a five-minute walk from Nymphenburg Palace, one of the largest, and most ornate, Royal Palaces in Europe. owners Sebastian and Alex preside over 23 simple, yet immaculate rooms and greet guests with a welcome glass of beer. B&B doubles are from £86 (laimerhof.de)

Where to eat Hofbrauhaus

THIS is the daddy . . . or vater, we should say. Holding more than 5,000 drinkers and serving gargantuan platters of pork knuckle and veal sausage (mains about £11), the city’s largest and most famous tavern is an essential Munich experience.

If the noise of the live oompah band gets a bit much then there are (slightly) quieter seating areas upstairs. hofbraeuhaus.de

Siggis

RESPITE from the near-ubiquitous hearty Bavarian staples is assured at this funky spot near the Viktualienmarkt which serves vegan pastries and cakes, huge soups and salads. Mains about £10. Siggis.jetzt

Schneider Brauhaus

THIS dark wood old-timer is the best spot in town for a Bavarian breakfast (only served until noon, £10) of white sausage (with veal and pork) served up alongside a pretzel and Schneider weisse (wheat) beer. schneider-brauhaus.de

Pfalzer Residenz Weinstube

WAITRESSES in traditional ‘dirndl’ attire, long wooden tables and the smell of roasting meat surely mean a beer is only seconds away. But nein, this is a hub for local wines in the former home of Bavarian kings that specialises in zesty Rieslings and Gewürztraminers (mains about £13). pfaelzerweinstube.de

Nurnberger Bratwurst Glockl

WHEN it comes to bratwurst, there are many pretenders in Munich but only a handful of truly great purveyors. Around since 1893, the rostbratwurst at Nurnburger is, hands down the best in the city, served up with small mountains of sauerkraut, horse radish and potato salad for £7.50. bratwurst-gloeckl.de

How to get there

BRITISH Airways has return flights from London City from £95 ( ba.com). More details at Visit Germany ( germany.travel).