I don't want to turn this thread into "best places to drink in Munich", but I need to make sure everyone who has been there - or wants to go there - that Hofbrauhaus is very crowded and noisy indeed. It's a tourist trap.
Augustiner is much better, but far from any refinement.

For those who want to enjoy genuine German food and beer, but in a nicer place, I suggest:
- Spatenhaus and der Oper: downtown close to everything. First floor is more like a bar, and upstairs is a restaurant with nice views of the Opera and the Residenz Museum.
- Grün Tal: the outside area is literally a garden. By far, the nicest and most beautiful Biergarten in town.


By coincidence, both belong to the same owner...
http://www.kuffler-gastronomie.de/de...haus/index.php
http://www.kuffler-gastronomie.de/de...ntal/index.php
(both pages have virtual tour, or Virtueller Rundgang)