Crönlein is a bar in a former public toilet. Small, cosy and relatively unknown, it is a stark contrast to the large Paulaner am Nockherberg beer garden almost directly opposite.
It is also easy to miss. Walk past when it’s closed and you might not spot the door in the wall with a chalk menu scribbled on the bottom panels. The outdoor seating is also not immediately visible, scattered amongst the steps that lead over the toilet building and into the neighbouring park: Kronepark.
Kronepark is in fact where the story of Crönlein began. Owner Florian Falterer and his mates often took their children to the park’s play area and felt the absence of a place to grab a coffee or (and I quote) a bottle of wine!
They often discussed the idea of opening a cafe one day – the toilet building being the prime real estate in the area. And so, when it finally closed, after over 100 years of service, Florian took the plunge.
Crönlein opened in summer 2018. It offers a selection of hot and cold drinks as well as a few bites. Yes, they managed to fit a kitchen in. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 4pm – although I have to say having turned up around that time to find it closed that this timing seems a tad flexible.
This flexibility is partly weather related. Florian explained that when rain is forecast, due to his reliance on park-goers, he tends to get too few visitors to make it worthwhile – and so stays closed. The same applies to winter. As the nights get longer and colder, he’ll only be open on Friday nights and sunny Sunday afternoons.
Crönlein is certainly a great addition to the hood and if renovated toilets are your thing, there are some similar concepts elsewhere in Munich. Fräulein Grüneis, a coffee-selling kiosk next to the Eisbach wave in Englischer Garten is also a former loo, while Augustiner pub Das Bad, next to the Oktoberfest grounds, used to be a public bathroom for local workers.
Address
Am Nockherberg 8, 81541 München
Opening times
Tues – Sun | 16.00 – 23.00
Sun | closed