Before sitting down in a German Gasthaus (or in the Hofbrauhaus in Munich) watch out for the sign proclaiming that the table is permanently reserved for the locals. “Stammtisch” means local or frequent guest table. These tables are places where the locals (usually but not always men) gather to gossip, play cards, sing and of course, drink beer. In Germany, the Stammtisch is usually the one that is closest to the bar and in older Gasthauses, closest to the source of heat. This sign was photographed in Germany’s best-known and perhaps most visited beer hall, the Hofbrauhaus in the Platzl of Munich.