You know some serious thought has gone into a place when the management quote Tolstoy to explain its design philosophy. Fantom, a bar situated between Munich’s cultural heart and the business district, is all about the duality of light and dark. As Leo’s character Oblonsky once opined, “All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow,” and there’s certainly plenty of both to be found here at this former bank. Visit during the day with the sunlight streaming through the large windows, channels of turquoise shining out from behind pine panels, and Fantom appears in all its sleek and smartly-appointed glory. Drop by at night, and the dimmed bulbs and dark leather transform the atmosphere completely. The effect is perhaps more Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde than Anna Karenina, and the name does have a dark origin inspired by the dangerous but charismatic protagonist of André Hunebelle’s 1964 film Fantomas.

Fantom’s owners Dimitri Tzapos and Michel Faltenbacher are keen design collectors, and have lent some of their prized possessions to the bar’s interior. The lights that follow the angular shape of the central bar are 1967 Murano glass lamps, while the bar stools and side tables are by Verner Panton, and you’ll also find Ueli Berger’s DS 88 De Sede Armchairs.