Grapes Bar — The Perfect Location for Pre-Dinner Drinks

This much is clear: It's very difficult to come across the duo Albert Weinzierl and Rudi Kull in München's gastronomy scene. Between the pub scene at Brenner, which has become its own institution, the Bar Centrale, and Buffet Kull- they’re simply indispensable there. But there's recently been an interesting denouement in their "empire": Grapes Bar at the Cortiina Hotel.

And no, it's not just the former Cortiina bar under a new name and fresh coat of paint. Nomen est omen. At Grapes Bar, everything revolves around grapes and the world of wine. You can choose from around 400 different options. If you still miss the previously served cocktails, you only have yourself to blame!

Naturally, the two Austrian sommeliers, Stefan Grabler and Markus Hirschler, don’t leave their guests alone agonising over choice. Everything is very pleasant and uncomplicated.

That's how we felt at our test visit, at least. We were initially skeptical about the concept description. Social media challenges with the guests, encouraged socialising with "bubble-up"? It almost sounds exhausting.

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But wrongfully so. Our evening could not have been more relaxed. In a cosy living room atmosphere with a fireplace- one of the few elements that remained from the old furnishings- we enjoyed not just excellent wine, but a fine selection of the menu as well.

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They offer both dishes for the truly hungry as well as small, wonderfully combinable bites. We were thoroughly pleased with our selection of fresh artichoke with an herb dip, various breads with three dips, and the unconventional, but recommended, pinot gris.

Which made us plan to keep the aperitif tradition- the choice of words a relic of my time in Switzerland, where they even have a verb for it: aperölen- as a set part of our day-to-day life in the future.

It's hard to pull yourself away from the small pre-dinner at Grapes Bar, where it’s far too easy to while away the entire evening, sampling your way through the entire menu and watching the coming and going of other guests.

Until you finally reach the desserts and sweet wines. The selection in this category is also incredible. So, "bubble up!"