In the old vaults of a Bavarian bank, Sophie McLean finds a bartender who has built a hidden speakeasy where copper coins line the floor and the house Martini is the only currency that matters…
There’s a new Martini bar in Munich and it ‘smells like money,’ so says Mario Sel, head barkeep at The Rosewood, Munich, as he prepares to unveil its plush new hidden speakeasy, 100bb.
Money you say…? Yes, simply put, both the bar and the hotel take up residence in a former Bavarian bank. Beyond religion, with her 240 Catholic churches, Munich is still a strong capital of currency within Germany (second only to Frankfurt when it comes to finance), and emblematic of many of the other finer things in (Germanic) life. With regal connections that inspired Disney films, and thanks to one of Europe’s longest-ruling dynasties — King Ludwig II among them, otherwise dubbed ‘the Fairytale King’ — Munich is an elegant, monied home (your eyes may just water if you look at the prices of real estate) to its two million residents today.
Through architecture, art, tech and cultural connections (car manufacturer BMW is also based here), the city is now also a hub of diplomacy, playing host to the annual Munich Security Conference, showing how a previous darker heart can reblossom over much more enjoyable, convivial things.
Perhaps the most well known of these activities is Oktoberfest, a festival that takes place throughout the last few weeks of September – originally conceived to mark a royal wedding in 1810. Today, with global renown, it celebrates folk, beer (via seven official breweries) and Bavarian culture under vast tents that only those in the know are able to access on a more exclusive basis – just ask The Rosewood’s concierge, Vicky, for tips. Early bookings, she says, are strongly advised.
Photo: Walter Martin (courtesy of Unsplash)
When we visit, it is Vicky who offers us a window onto some of these other cultural entities, accompanying us on a tour of the old town, dressed in her own stylish nod to the Bavarian dirndl. At Beim Sedlmayer, a ‘cult status’ tavern, we tuck into the iconic Weisswurst – white sausage – which on first glance looks less than appealing – floating around in its similarly colourless soup – something that might put off any British barbecuer used to a darker shade of charcoal. Yet, this humble breakfast dish (‘it must not hear the clock strike 12pm,’ Vicky instructs us), when tasted, opens up flavours that are unthinkably moreish.
Walter Sedlmayr — a beloved folk actor, director, and author — founded the restaurant in February 1989, injecting into it a little ‘heart, mind, and character’. Some of this character follows us into the main 19th-century Viktualienmarkt square, where under horse-chestnut trees we are introduced to butchers selling horsemeat, beer-flavoured ice cream and some extraordinarily-sized German pickles. We are also told that the potato bread here is close to godliness – or Bayern Munich, depending on your religion.
Cultural essentials concluding, we walk past more impressive gothic buildings, the large focal glockenspiel in Marienplatz and the ‘Münchner Reinheitsgebot’ pole that nods to the pride and purity of Bavarian beer as enthusiastically sampled in one of its famous beer halls.
We return to the hotel for a little downtime, making use of the facilities that include the excellent subterranean, Evidens-branded, Asaya Spa. Even 40 minutes here is time well spent, as is relaxing into one of the hotel’s swishly designed and curated 132 bedrooms (55 suites, four houses). My favourite inclusions are the wooden Glückshaus (house of fortune) gameboard complete with dice, and ceramics by the Munich-based contemporary artist Angelika Maria Stiegler.
Floor-to-ceiling windows, as decorate mine, will have you wondering if you’ve accidentally exposed a little too much Weisswurst to the wandering public below when stripping off to bathe under the suds of Votary products in the shower. Fortunately, we are later assured that the glass is very much engineered into privacy mode. How very clever. How delightfully German.
Dinner at the Rosewood Munich can be taken either in Brasserie Cuvilliés, where local producers are highlighted on the menu through the wine list as much as through the dishes themselves (the Roter Veltliner from Weingut Schuster in Austria and the Ox Salad come recommended, as does the classic Wiener Schnitzel). Dessert is given a colourful, creative focus, led by Pastry Chef Shinas Shahida. Alternatively, you can dine at the outdoor Schanigarten (pavement terrace), open seasonally, where more easy-going German fare is on offer while you watch people disappear into the Michelin-starred restaurant Pageou opposite.
At Bar Montez, named after 19th-century Irish dancer Lola Montez, rumoured to be King Ludwig I’s mistress, daily live jazz and ivory-tinkling on a large Steinway provides an underscore to star-spotting James Bond-lookalikes (Pierce Brosnan is alleged to have enjoyed an Old Fashioned here). But, we are here for the soon-to-launch 100bb bar – a speakeasy hidden behind a secret door where red velvet sofas and art that features lips dressed in a similar colour paint both the walls and guests’ imaginations.
In the former ‘Bayerische Staatsbank’ vaults, copper coins edge the wooden floor (hence the distinct aroma), and money here is now exchanged for its signature serve, The Martini. In glasses kept at -18°C, three classics, one modern, and one signature martini will stud the menu alongside two alcohol-free versions. For the modern and signature serves, Sel chooses to use Ketel One Vodka that he says ‘when frozen, tastes like butter’, while claiming that his own preferred format is ‘extra dirty’ – using olives that come from a four-hour drive across the border in Italy.
Sel, who was born in Bavaria, took over management of the bar here in 2023. His bartending journey has led him through a series of international experiences, which fed his passion for the nightlife industry – one that started at a young age when he began organising events and bringing people together to experience musical performances. This interest led him to enrol at the European Bartender School in Sydney, Australia, after which he enrolled to study molecular bartending back in Germany, and eventually trained as a junior sommelier. Before joining Rosewood Munich, he held the role of Chef-Barkeeper at Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor, and worked as an instructor at the European Bartender School in Barcelona and Mallorca.
His time in Barcelona was significant in helping shape his craft, as he was surrounded by iconic beverage destinations like Paradiso, Two Schmucks, and Dr. Stravinsky. It’s no wonder then that Lola (the bar) and the music she (the person) would have danced to subsequently succeeded in catching his attention – finally finding her own money through the gold rush via religion, film and songs. With her legacy as a backdrop, Mario says: ‘She changed the Munich vibe. Now it’s our time to change the [bar]scene.’
Opening this autumn at the Rosewood Munich, for more information visit www.rosewoodhotels.com.
