Münster has a strong café culture sustained by its 40,000 students, and the old town and university quarter are well supplied with places to sit. The local drink is Altbier — a dark, slightly bitter top-fermented beer that Münster shares with Düsseldorf. Pinkus Müller, on Kreuzstraße just north of the Domplatz, is the most famous bar in the city: a traditional Altbier brewery tap that has operated since 1816. The Pinkus Alt is organic, brewed on site, and served in the traditional style. The attached restaurant is good too.
For the café crowd, the streets around the Kuhviertel (Cow Quarter) north of the cathedral are the best hunting ground. Café Rüter on Rothenburg has been a student institution for decades. In summer, the beer gardens around the Aasee are pleasant in the evenings.