Marstall Festzelt — Local services in Munich

This was my third time at Oktoberfest, and unfortunately, this tent was by far the worst experience I’ve had. I usually love the festival and know how things work, but this tent left me frustrated and disappointed.

We had booked two tables six months in advance and, as part of the process, were required to pre-order food that far ahead of time. A month before our trip, half of our group could no longer attend, so we tried to cancel one of the tables. There was no way to do this online or by phone. When we arrived, we asked management to cancel the extra table or at least not charge us for the food, since they could easily resell it. Their response was that it wasn’t possible for “hygiene reasons.” Yet, we saw other empty tables already set with untouched food. It was clear they could have resold ours, but instead, we were forced to pay in full — and I later learned the table was allegedly given to friends of staff.

We decided to enjoy our one table, and for most of the time, drinks were served normally. The real problems began when they called last round about 40 minutes before our session was over. We ordered beers right away, but they didn’t arrive until 20 minutes later. Meanwhile, the table next to us — the very table we had essentially paid for and given up — ordered wine at the same time and received it much earlier. When our 1-liter beers finally came, there were only 20 minutes left on our reservation. As anyone who’s been to Oktoberfest knows, you can’t reasonably enjoy a liter of beer in just a few minutes. To make matters worse, we were immediately pressured to pay. Because credit card payment required leaving the table and going to another station, one of our friends lost 15 minutes of our remaining time. By the time he returned with his half-finished beer, staff told us our time was over, and we had to leave. They even refused to let us take the beers with us — despite the fact we had just paid for them minutes earlier.

To be clear, our waiter was polite and clearly just doing his job. The real issue is with management: inflexible, unfair policies and an attitude that puts profits over customer experience.

By contrast, we also visited the Pschorr-Bräurosl tent and had an excellent time. They gave vouchers instead of forcing pre-orders, the service was welcoming, and they were flexible with timing. The difference was night and day — exactly what makes Oktoberfest special.

Bottom line: This was my third Oktoberfest, and this tent was by far the worst I’ve experienced. Management hides behind excuses, creates rigid and unfair rules, and treats guests poorly. Save yourself the frustration and book a different tent — I highly recommend...

One of the worst tents at Oktoberfest. They have all of the reasons to not let people in. Make them wait. Completely disregard everything. I saw people with reservations not getting let in for their bookings that start in a few minutes. These jockers at the entrances will discriminate you based on the language you speak and make up reasons to not let you in just because they feel like it. I saw the tents, they are empty. Even if the place stands completely empty they will make up reasons to not let you in. I walked in, drank a beer, clearly saw that there were plenty of spaces WITHOUT RESERVATIONS, walked out to smoke, returned and they would not let me in. First they will tell you there are no places even though there are plenty. Then they will tell you there is a dresscode. Then they will just dissapear and make you wait for half an hour. Bavarian government specifically makes each big tent allocate spaces to walk ins, otherwise their Oktoberfest will become a nightmare for any travelers, who are the ones bringing the money for this lustful place. I don't want to hear a reply from anyone on the team of this brewery with some wanky explanation and opologies. I will not drink a single milliliter of Spaten, Lowenbrau or that third brand they own which nobody cares about. And I advise everyone to do the same. Drink Pauliner, drink Schneider Weisse, drink touristy HB, drink whatever else, don't drink Spaten. Spaten is nothing more than one of the brands that AB InBev owns. Let them keep their made up exclusivity for whoever they want to...

This was our second time attending Marstall on a Saturday night, which already feels like a privilege in itself. The atmosphere is truly wonderful — lively yet warm, with a great mix of local Bavarians and international visitors all sharing the same festive spirit. The live band is absolutely brilliant and brings that unmistakable Oktoberfest energy to life.

The food quality is good and everything is nicely presented, exactly what one hopes for at such a classic Wiesn tent. Prices are a bit on the higher side for certain items, but overall reasonable considering the setting. The bathrooms are kept clean and the organisation runs smoothly, which adds to the positive experience.

However, one thing we really didn’t appreciate is how every single waiter insists on tips when you pay — often asking, “How much money do you want back?” even for a simple beer. It feels unnecessarily pushy and can make the interaction a bit uncomfortable. We also found it slightly excessive that drinks like an Espresso Martini were offered without mentioning the price upfront — €18 plus €2 tip is quite steep, even for Oktoberfest.

Aside from that, Marstall remains a beautiful tent with a fantastic atmosphere — the essence of Oktoberfest. Definitely worth visiting, though ideally with a bit more transparency and less pressure around tipping.

— Sur Estates · Costa del Sol ·...