You needn’t bother going anywhere else. I can tell you: you can’t beat Munich, everything else in Germany is a waste of time.” Though we might not necessarily put it as radically as Ernest Hemingway did, it’s something to keep in mind. Few cities are the subject of so many prepackaged images, myths, and misunderstandings. Munich’s self-confident residents take a relaxed attitude, with a mixture of charming braggadocio and hometown pride. Of course some preconceptions about Munich are true: the tap water, for instance, really is the best in Germany, if not Europe and the world. It may be hard to swallow that the city not only has an interesting history, cultural life, and folklore but is also damn cool. Alongside fresh newcomers like the Bob Beaman Club, Charlie, and Harvest, such classic institutions as Schumann’s, Käfer, and Lodenfrey characterize a vexingly diverse, eminently lovable city.