Bremen and Worpswede: Organic coffee and tea houses

A hotspot for the coffee and tea trade the Hanseatic city of Bremen has a tradition for exotic beverages, and has always been a place with room for a subtler and more sophisticated approach to these beverages than the conventional mass-market. Organic and ecological projects have been blooming here for much longer than elsewhere, and so you can expect to find long established organic places blossoming alongside recent start-ups. What you will rarely find however are shiny, polished hipster cafes.

Neustadt

If you have to describe this neighbourhood in a sentence you'd probably point to the omnipresence of flee market-purchased furniture and objects in its lovingly and individually decorated independent shops and cafes. The beer tables on the pleasant garden terrace of Cafe Radieschen ("radish") as well as its indoor walls are all painted pink! If you come hungry first have a predominantly organic vegetarian or vegan pasta dish or sandwich before you turn to their impressive choice of home-made, predominantly organic cakes. Most drinks as well as the milk are organic, you can have an organic vegan ice-cream in the summer, and ingredients are sourced locally as far as possible. Lunch is usually offered between 12 am and 3 pm, and instead of the weekend the place is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The cafe plays host to a lot of neighbourhood activities, among them home-cooking events with young refugees from the house across the street. They always take a summer vacation.

Closer to Wilhelm Kaisen bridge and a few steps from the Kaemena ice-cream parlour you'll find a sweet art cafe dubbed Cafe Frida. They serve organic tea, soft drinks and soy milk for your coffee drink alongside home-made cakes, but neither the cakes nor the coffee, milk and oat milk are organic. You may however buy organic fairly traded Slokoffie coffee sailed from Honduras and distributed by bicycle to have at home. Due to covid-19 restrictions you can not have breakfast here for the time being.

Viertel

Whether you visit the Kunsthalle museum of art or just come by on your way into the alternative neighbourhood of the Viertel climb the stairs to the museum's self-service Cafe Sylvette inside the art museum. It's run by the crew of the Canova restaurant behind the museum and offers home-made cakes, organic soft drinks or tea, coffee drinks with organic milk and partially organic savoury snacks at upmarket prices, but in stylish surroundings. When the weather is nice opt for the outdoor seating for the views (and corona safety).

Whether you want to spend some time reading with a delicious coffee drink aside or simply feel for a short espresso in between, the Contigo shop in Ostertorsteinweg is definitely worth a try. The shops of this small chain of fair-trade shops resemble each other, both, when it comes to the interior design as well as in the assortments of goods (predominantly coffee, tea, chocolate, jewellery, bags and colourful accessoiries). The Bremen branch moved lately, and, on its new premises, has quite a large area with chairs and tables so that the shop (other than the ones in Dresden or Göttingen) has more of a coffeehouse atmosphere. Although you have to place your order at the till you will be served. They use sparingly roasted high quality coffee beans which result in a "greener", tangy taste even of the milk-based drinks like a flat white.

Usually it's not crowded, and hence a place to go when you feel for a less noisy spot. Surrounded by a gorgeous fair fashion and another fair-trade shop on one side, a health food store on the other and an organic cosmetics shop (almost) opposite you may however feel tempted to spend more money than initially planned.

Another cosy and serene place for an Italian-style coffee drink is just a few steps away: the Noras reviewed in the restaurant post.

Schnoor

The city's narrowest lanes are to be found in tourist hotspot Schnoor at the other, Northern shore of the river Weser. To enjoy the atmosphere of this oldest part of town dating back to the 15th and 16th century, follow the Wüstestätte ("waste site") alleyway until the end and have a tea in a beautiful yet narrow two-storey tea house and shop dubbed Teestübchen ("little tea parlour"). Nice weather provided you can also sit outdoor and enjoy breakfast or tea time with a home-made cake, or a high tea with a pasta, typical local dishes, or Alsatian "pizza" (Flammkuchen). Many ingredients are organic, but you might want to be picky when choosing the tea since not all of them are.

Mind you: if you approach the Schnoor from the water front you'll approach the place from behind: The outdoor tables you see in the picture above do not belong to Teestübchen, and a surprised waiter from the adjacent restaurant won't be able to meet your requests. Simply move around the house!

City centre

Starting in the summer of 2020 the coffee bicycle of Coffee Bike has been offering Italian-style organic coffee drinks to city dwellers. Looks environment-friendly? Well, the bicycle is only make believe, and they serve their fare in one-way cups. You can easily top this – with a fairly traded organic coffee transported to Bremen without climate emissions by sailship and bicycle, in an earthenware cup, at the Biten food truck on the Domshof market.

Here at the Domshof farmer's market you'll also find another mobile street vendor, the Bremer Straßencafé with his tasty speciality coffee. The coffee isn't certified organic, but the cow milk used for coffee drinks is. Unfortunately the lovingly decorated coffee car (a former small scale butcher's market car which the owner refurbished and staffed with both, a barista coffee machine and a dish washer) was to be retired soon and replaced by a car trailer when I had a chat with the coffee guy at his old location in front of the university, back in 2023.

For a filling (vegan) porridge and coffee drink on the go or on the spot the Haferkater cafe in the passage of the main train station is an option on weekday mornings. While all pre-packaged products of the Haferkater brand and the cow milk are organic, it remains unclear whether the freshly rolled oats, and the toppings are so. The coffee is not organically certified, but fairly traded, and the oat drink unfortunately is conventional fare. They also have a decent assortment of bowls, wraps and sweets, and the shop assistant told me that some of the ingredients used here were organic, but was hesitant to specify what. You may come with your own box or cup; if not you may get a returnable bowl or cup as long as you trust (and are willing to install) the Vytal app. Insist on an earthenware cup if you intend to drink your coffee on the spot.

At the university campus

University refectories usually are no gourmet temples, but it is nevertheless a pity that the Mensa refectory on the campus stopped to offer organic side dishes. In 2023 they increased their efforts again, and now make a commitment to use only organic dairy products (they also offer organic home-made pasta at the "Pastawerk" booth Tuesday through Thursday). So you still can have an organic and fairly traded coffee drinks with locally sourced organic milk from the coffee vending machines at Cafe Central. It's not a delight, though – the coffee tastes bitter from too high a temperature inside the machine, but it's cheap and ethical.

If you want to invest into regular supermarket prices, the new branch of the local Aleco organic supermarket chain on the campus of the economics (Wirtschaftswissenschaften) school of the university has a self-service cafe where you can get organic snacks and coffee drinks. Their coffee machine however is a fully automatic one, so do not expect serious barista fare here neither. Due to covid-19 restrictions the self-service cafe is closed for the time being, but you can get coffee and cake to take away, simply don't forget to bring your own mug and lunch box to avoid waste.

Habenhausen

Obervieland is probably not the part of Bremen you will visit as a tourist, but if you happen to come here and are in the mood to mingle with natives step by the Gartencafé of the protestant St. Paul's parish in the former village of Habenhausen to have a coffee. There's fairly traded organic coffee, organic milk, organic soft drinks and drinking water bottled by a social business of the not-for-profit organisation Viva con Agua. The American cookies are of course home-made, and there are no fixed prices: You pay what you can, but please, be honest. The cafe is closed on Mondays and during the school holidays in summer.

Worpswede

If you take a bike ride to the artists' colony of Worpswede, in the North of Bremen in Lower Saxony, through the raised bog and moorland of the Teufelsmoor, don't miss the Dutch-inspired bicycle-friendly Fietscafé 22. It also serves as a museums' cafe for the Turf Shipyard Museum reminding of the historic turf transports on barges. All milk used for the fairly traded coffee and cocoa drinks is organic, and there are likely more organic ingredients in the home-made cakes. The artisanal ice-cream is not organic, but the milk used in it comes from free-roaming cows.

• Radieschen, Buntentorsteinweg 65, Wed–Fri(Sat–Sun) 12(14)–18
• Café Frida, Pappelstr. 73, Thu–Sun 12–18
• Café Sylvette, Am Wall 207 (inside Kunsthalle), Mon,Wed(Tue) 9-18(21), Thu–Sat(Sun) 9–22(20)
• Contigo, Ostertorsteinweg 88, Mon–Thu(Fri–Sat) 10:30(10)–18:30(19)
• Teestübchen im Schnoor, Wüstestätte 1, daily 10–18
• Haferkater, Hauptbahnhof next to the stairs to track 5, Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 6(8)–20
• Cafe Central, university campus Boulevard, Mon–Thu(Fri) 8–17(15:30), during semester break (through Oct 6th, 2023) Mon–Fri 8–16
• Bremer Straßencafé, Wochenmarkt Domshof., Wed–Fri(Sat) 8–14(15)
• Aleco HB Universität, Max-Von-Laue-Str. 1, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Gartencafé Habenhausen, Habenhauser Dorfstr. 27-31, Sun–Tue 15–18, closed during summer holidays in Bremen
• Fietscafé 22, Schlußdorfer Str. 22 Worpswede, September(October): Fri(Sat)–Sun 13–17, November: Sun 13–17, closed January through February

Closed since the covid-19 pandemics

• Melkhus, Trupe 17, Lilienthal (the Dehlwes dairy's summer cafe)

Closed

• Bremer Straßencafé, Bibliotheksstr. (in front of the Studentenhaus and the tram stop) (relocated to the Domshof farmer's market)
• Falko‘s Faire Bohne, Kornstr. 30
• Cafehaus Moma, Straßentor 1, Worpswede (partially organic cafe closed since August 22, 2017)
• Contigo Domshofpassage, Katharinenstr. 12–14 (moved to Ostertorsteinweg)

Bremen: Organic restaurants and fast food eateries

Bremen offers plenty opportunities for an organic lunch ranging from a cheap and simple meal at a refectory to the posh organic business lunch. For dinner there's significantly less choice – you may opt for fast food or a friendly place to meet friends, but to have an organic candle light dinner will be difficult. Don't expect highly sophisticated international cuisine – Bremen restaurants are best when it comes to local dishes based on regional ingredients (which are totally different from e.g. the meat-centric Bavarian cuisine) and rather adapt international influences than aim at an – whatever the definition may be – authentic experience of a foreign cuisine.

Indian

The food served in "Indian" restaurants in Germany usually does not have much in common with the food served in India – and the Punjabi food served at the – to my knowledge – oldest organic restaurant in Bremen, the Krishna a short walk from the Southern end of either Wilhelm Kaisen or Bürgermeister Smidt bridge is also adapted to this idea of how Europeans are likely to like Indian food. This is probably not a surprise since the restaurant generates its main business from its delivery and take-away service. The good news about it – there's always a spare table in the restaurant which now after more than ten years looks a little worn, resembling restaurants in India.

Since the main ingredients of the pakoras, curries and tandoori dishes – meat, dairy products and vegetables – are organic the food is much more palatable than in conventional "Indian" restaurants. You can choose between rice and naan bread as a side dish, and each curry comes with a salad (dressed with a balsamico-based dressing) in advance. The menu hasn't changed much in all these years – lamb, chicken, fish, cheese (paneer) and/or vegetables in a gravy, and as a recent addition gravy with tofu as a vegan alternative.

You may wish to start your meal with an (organic) yogurt drink (lassi) and finish with a cup of chai or hot saffron milk. There's also a selection of cold organic drinks. If you have the chance have a chat with the friendly Punjabi owner, but do not expect much flexibility from his staff which often even cannot remember the dishes and will ask you for the number on the menu when ordering. Note that the restaurant is open evenings only.

Italian

For an organic pizza slice, a chili stew, sometimes pasta and fairly traded organic coffee sailed from Honduras to Europe and transported by bicycle pay a visit to the Biten food truck at the farmer's market at the Domshof in front of Markthalle 8. Mind you that the truck leaves early in the afternoon and some days simply won't be there.

Clean and raw

Formerly located inside the Markthalle 8 food court Noras Deli took over the location of the Lei in the Viertel neighbourhood and now is simply dubbed Noras. The place was refurbished in lounge style, and although the menu starts with two savoury dishes – a very palatable Buddha Bowl and a properly spiced chickpeas curry – it's more of a cafe during daytime turning into an American bar in the evening. It offers coffee drinks, breakfast, pancakes, smoothie bowls, freshly made juices and shots as well as healthy sweets without refined sugar (don't miss the filled dates by the piece), both to eat here and to take away. There's a small range of carefully choosen wines and fully organic cocktails. You can sit outside and indoors.

Regional – International

For a coffee or lunch break you have another opportunity in the vicinity: the Bio-Biss im Alten Fundamt, a recreational place which has been offering organic food for many years, formerly under the name "Mundart im Alten Fundamt" and now in the second generation of tenants, as "Bio-Biss". In summer it's a pleasure to eat outside in the large backyard, with a kindergarden and a home for the elderly as neighbours. The menu changes daily and offers tasty seasonal food using predominantly local ingredients from their own farm or other organic farms nearby. The dishes are based on local food traditions or derived from Italian or Oriental cuisines, and always served both, as a regular and a small portion. You may also have an organic ice-cream from the Kaemena farm.

A less sophisticated yet filling organic lunch for a cheap price can be had at the Leckerbiss refectories run by the Bio-Biss caterers on the Radio Bremen campus in Vahr and within the refectory of the Bremen Senator for Children and Education in the city center. On weekdays you can choose from two wholefood dishes, one of them vegetarian, and a soup. In addition there is coffee and some snacks. Not all ingredients and drinks however are organic. The Bio-Biss refectory on the University campus opposite Universum unfortunately was closed in 2020.

The Neustadt neighbourhood with its virtually endless Buntentorsteinweg is the home of a very Bremen place: the (sub-)cultural center Kukoon with its predominantly organic, vegetarian (vegan-friendly) and socially responsible restaurant. Hearty and healthy, yet filling one-pot dishes and pasta dominate the menu. Needless to say that the place is a popular coffee (and cake) spot and a good meeting point for an organic wine or beer. The majority of drinks are organic, notably all warm preparations. On Sunday evenings the kitchen closes at 6 pm, but you still can come here on a soup or potato or pasta salad – except during the warm season when the team can be found at various pop-up venues.

For a romantic evening out or whenever you are in the mood for fine (but not pretentious) Northern dining visit the Canova restaurant behind Kunsthalle. Many of their supplies come from organic farms in the greater Bremen area, among others from a gardener cultivating ancient and forgotten local herbs and vegetables. There are a few vegan/vegetarian and meat-based courses, but the focus is on responsibly sourced fish and seafood. The four-course menu was absolutely perfect after a leisurely day in the countryside; for the six-course menu you should probably come hungry. Of course, you may freely choose from the menu, too. During the warm season don't miss the pleasure to sit on their serene terrace.

The team also runs the Cafe Sylvette inside the art museum.

Speaking of fine local cuisine: After a visit to the Universum Science museum near the university, the restaurant Wels ("catfish") inside the hotel "Munte" serves fish from North-German shores and game from nearby forests, with organic vegetables. The vegetarian and vegan options also contain organic ingredients, but are usually inspired by international cuisines. The place, however, opens on Friday and Saturday evenings only.

Directly located at the Contrescape park, at the edge of the picturesque Fedelhören neighbourhood with its small owner-run shops Café Heinrich is a popular day cafe serving classic German dishes like potatoes in their jacket and internationally inspired ones like Flammkuchen, the Alsatian pizza, predominantly made with ingredients from the region. The menu lists organic soft drinks and promises organic cheeses, bread and salami, but you should probably take these promises with a grain of salt and ask beforehand: When I was there the milk from the free-ranging cows of a farm from the region turned out to be conventional supermarket-fare of the "Frischli" brand.

The place used to be open until 6 or even 8 pm, but staff shortness lead to early closing times in summer 2022.

Fastfood

If you rather opt for fast food aim for the city's central shopping area. Opposite the back entrance to the Kaufhof department store you can find 1885 Burger, a self-serving American-type diner using organic beef and bacon in their burgers. Start queuing at the left side and choose the type of patty and home-made bun you prefer. While the patty is being grilled before your eyes move to the right and specify the sauces, vegetables and condiments as well as your drinks (I'd suggest the organic Störtebeker beer). Some of the veges are organic, too, and most of them as well as the cheeses are sourced locally. Vegetarian cheese and vegan lentils patties are available, but you have to enquire whether they are organic. Pay at the till in the middle of the restaurant when you're ready to leave. Although the place is popular among supporters of the local football club Werder Bremen, it should be noted that there's no TV screen.

Another source of burgers with organic meat patties are the Simpleburger foodtrucks. The meat comes from Welsh Black cattle raised at an organic farm in Ahausen/Lower Saxony. They also serve coffee drinks, and the milk used here is organic, too. While it is generally nice that they serve vegan and vegetarian burgers, you may not like them as these patties are highly processed, long-travelled BeyondMeat ones – not exactly what one expects from a company emphasising the regional origin of their food.

Eateries attached to public swimming pools usually are a contradiction in itself: Why do they serve such tasteless, unhealthy and often evil smelling fast food at places dedicated to healthy physical exercises? The restaurant Novazena at the Hallenbad Süd is a notable exception: Their burger is made from organic meat, and there are organic soft drinks – a few more organic ingredients may be hidden in other dishes, some of them Ethiopian-style (but no injeera). Honest, filling canteen food, and if the weather is nice you may sit on a spacious terrace.

• Krishna, Große Annenstraße 53–54, daily 17–23
• Biten, Domshof, Tue–Fri(Sat) 8–14(15) (food truck)
• Nora's Deli, Sielwall 55/57, Tue–Fri(Sat) 12(10)–22, Sun 10–15
• Bio-Biss im Alten Fundamt, Auf der Kuhlen 1a, Mon-Sat 12–14, closed Oct 17 through 22, 2022
• Kukoon, Buntentorsteinweg 29, Tue–Sun 12–22:30 (usually closed during the summer holiday period, in 2023 until Sep 15th)
• Canova, Am Wall 207 (behind Kunsthalle), Mon,Wed(Tue,Thu–Sat) 9–18(22), Sun 9–20
• Wels, Parkallee 299, Fri–Sat 18–22
• Café Heinrich, Contrescarpe 45, daily 10–16
• 1885 Burger, Pelzerstr. 8, Mon–Sat 12–21
• Simpleburger, Ladestr. 12, daily 11:30–20
• Novazena, Neustadtswall 81 (next to Hallenbad Süd), Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 10(11)–23, kitchen closes at 21:30

More to try

Here's a list of (partially) organic restaurants and eateries I found during my research but did not have time to visit. Your impressions are appreciated!

• Gottlieb, Im Holter Feld, Mon–Fri 11–15 (partially organic, organically certified gourmet restaurant; organic products are tagged "BIO" on the menu)
• Cafeteria Leckerbiss, Kurfürstenallee 130, Mon–Thu 12–13
• Veganbar, Admiralstr. 97, Mon–Sat 12–21 (vegan döner, burger, falafel and more in Findorf; organic potatoes, iced tea and hopefully more)
• Finetime Oberneuland, food truck in front of Edeka Maaß, Rockwinkeler Heerstr., , Tue–Fri(Sat) 11–19(17:30) (partially organic grill)

Closed

• Alma, Alte Hafenstr. 30, (predominantly organic vegetarian restaurant and cafe, international cuisine)
• Bio-Biss im Lichthaus, Hermann-Prüser-Str. 4 (organic restaurant)
• Lei, Sielwall 55/57 (succeeded by Noras)
• Leckerbiss-Kantine Senatorin für Kinder und Bildung, Rembertiring 8–12
• Bio-Biss, Universitätsallee inside GW 1 (university refectory)
• Diverso, Münchener Str. 46 (since the covid-19 pandemics catering only)
• Kuss Rosa, Buntentorsteinweg 143 (resto bar, predominantly organic greens)
• Plantenköök, Am Wall 201 (vegan)
• Scharfrichter, Martinistr. 70 (hot dogs)
• Scharfrichter, Obernstr. 5-33, basement
• Veganissimi, Horner Straße 1a (vegan day cafe)

Bremen: Zero-waste

When dedicated zero waste convenience stores started to bloom in bigger cities like Munich during the covid-19 spring of 2020 Bremen already had three established package-free shops, with a fourth one that opened its door early in 2020. Back then some of the shop keepers were afraid that there might be too many to survive in a city of the size of Bremen, and after the pandemic years it's not all sunshine for these small businesses. However, Bremen hasn't seen the same series of zero-waste shop closings cities like Munich have. Even when you run out of food on a Sunday you can grab your jars and boxes and set out for refill.

Dedicated package-free supermarkets

My favourite is crowd-funded L'Epicerie Bio in the Neustadt neighbourhood, just across Wilhelm Kaisen bridge. Lovingly decorated in the style of an old colonial shop you would find an abundance of food, spices, sweets and wine, body care and household items here, including fresh fruits and veges and pet food by the gram. Since 2021 the shop has also been offering organic frozen food by the gram: samosas, falafel, French fries, veges, berries and more. As you marvelled at the interior you could also buy a coffee or refreshment.

Unfortunately this will be history from around mid of October, 2023: To make ends meet the shop keeper had to find a less expensive location, and the good news is: Anne Marie is moving to the neighbourhood of Walle. The new shop will have another name, but she wouldn't tell me yet. The new shop will be smaller, offering all the food stuff as before, but only a basic set of toiletries and bodycare.

While L'Epicerie was as far as you get from the carrots-and-dungarees cliche of a traditional organic grocery of the 1970ies, the second package-free shop in the Neustadt looks exactly like a traditional Bremen organic cornerstore 2.0: The dusty shop window of Füllkorn, with some wilted potted plants makes it difficult for passers-by to even spot the place. Inside everything is spotlessly clean of course, and there's also a coffee and refreshment option. Unfortunately the shop was closed when I was there, but I'm sure it's friendly and welcoming, too. They have a milk tapping machine from the Kaemena farm.

The youngest package-free shop in town is Die Füllerei in Findorff which opened in February 2020. With a beautiful flower-bed in front of it you cannot miss the shop even though I couldn't make it here during their opening hours. Unlike the two shops in the Neustadt there's a vending machine for fresh milk from the Blockland. Just from the looks clearly my second favourite which, in 2023, wants to turn into a co-operative. Note that the shop is closed on Wednesdays.

The tram stop "Am Schwarzen Meer", (in)famous for a fastfood-and-beer kiosk popular among the city's enthusiastic football fans has become a destination for conscious eaters: At the end of the Steintor road you'll find both, a Sunday-open package-free convenience store and a friendly CSA farm shop.

The first one, Selfair, has by far the most liberal opening hours of all package-free supermarkets I've visited so far. It's a pleasant combination of a traditional organic cornershop, a contemporary package-free supermarket and an immigrant shop with a good selection of oriental-style bread, baklava, pickles and mezze. The latter aren't organic, nor are about 3/4 of the fresh fruit and greens. However, there's an abundance of loose-weight and pre-packaged organic food items, spices, sweets, beverages and more. There's tinned food and preserved food and dairy products in glasses, and almost all beverages come in returnable bottles. They also have a section with zero-waste household items and sustainable toiletries, and in general the shop is free from plastic foil packaging. Many of the organic veges, bread and cheeses are bio-dynamic and local, and most of the conventional food is produced in the region, with little agrochemicals.

Direct trade

On the Northern side of the tram tracks you'll find a small and inviting farm shop, the Solawi-Hofladen. Despite the name it's not only a pick-up point for the members of the community-supported organic Sophienhof farm, but a cosy farm shop run by two bio-dynamic farms, the Sophienhof and the Lütjenhof, and an artisanal fair-trade coffee roasters', all from the greater region. Needless to say that you can have a coffee after having filled local grains and pulses from gravity bins and bought meat, eggs, cheese, veges and more.

On a former parking lot inside the disused production areal of the Kelloggs company you now find an urban gardening project producing organic veges and hops in raised beds: During the warm season the Gemuesewerft is not only a nice beergarden, but also sells fresh organic greens according to the season just a few meters from where they are harvested.

Organic corner shops and supermarkets

Package-free sale of bakery items and cheeses over the counter, loose fruit and veges as well as dairy products and drinks in returnable bottles and glasses are of course the norm in all traditional organic convenience stores like the co-operative Oecotop in the Neustadt, the Bio-Eck in Grohn with some gravity bins for unpackaged grains, or the Kornkraft supermarket in Habenhausen which offers a day cafe and is part of a small local supermarket chain.

Traditional co-operatively driven convenience stores in Bremen are all open to the general public by now, and so is Abakus in Steintor founded in 1998 which in 2020 repeatedly was voted one of Germany's best organic groceries. The shop which doesn't hide its political views doesn't have a working web site, but sells loose-weight grains and cereals. When I was there again in summer 2020 there was however an information that they wouldn't order more muesli unless the demand by members of the co-operative was bound to increase.

Body care and nice things

During the nice season Der Fährmann Antony ("Antony the ferryman") sells hand-made natural shea and cocoa butter from Ghana on a mobile booth on the Kaemena farm in Blockland. Come with your own jar, and he will happily fill it for you. The opening hours below should however be taken with a grain of salt – when the weather is too cloudy or even rainy Anthony may decide that the effort of his bicycle tour out into the Blockland wouldn't match his sales expectation. In summer 2022 there were also shortcomings as deliveries from Ghana took weeks longer than usual, and during our stay in August 2022 we met him not before 4 pm.

Out of Bremen

If you take a bicycle tour to Lilienthal (which – despite the fact that the Bremen tram no. 4 ends there – isn't a part of Bremen, but a municipality in the adjacent state of Lower Saxony) you have even more options – check out the Lilienthal post.

• L'Epicerie Bio, Rückertstr. 1 , Mon-Fri 9–18:30(16), new location (and new name) from mid of October, 2023: Wartburgstr. 77
• Füllkorn, Kornstr. 12, Mon–Wed(Thu–Fri) 10–18(18:30), Sat 10–15:30
• Die Füllerei, Borgfelder Str. 17, Mon,Tue,Fri(Thu) 10–18(19), Sat 10–14
• Selfair, Vor dem Steintor 185, Mon–Sat(Sun) 9(10)–19:30
• Solawi-Hofladen, Vor dem Steintor 210/212, Tue–Fri(Sat) 10–19(15)
• gemuesewerft, Weserbahnhof-Promenade, during the garden season (approx. end of May through Sep) Tue–Sat 15–21
• Oecotop, Beginenhof 3, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8:30–19(14)
• Kornkraft (formerly Bio Leutner), Ernst-Buchholz-Str. 3, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–19(16)
• Bio-Eck, Friedrich-Humbert-Str. 61, Mon–Sat 8–13, Tue–Fri 15–18
• Abakus Naturkost, Brunnenstr. 15–16, Mon(Tue–Wed,Fri) 9(10)–19, Thu(Sat) 9–20(14)
• Der Fährmann Antony, Niederblockland 6, Tue–Fri(Sat–Sun) 14(12)–18 during the warm season, nice weather provided

Closed

• Biofleischer Raab, Buntentorsteinweg 326-328 (butcher)
• Bioladen Lesmona, Hindenburgstr. 17, Lesum (convenience store)
• Kraut und Rüben, Wulwestr. 5 (Bremen's oldest organic convenience store)
• Martha’s Corner Seifenmanufaktur, Fabrikenufer 113 (formerly located at Münchener Str. 51)
• Oceanlovers, Admiralstr. 125 (online shop remaining)

Bremen: (American) bars

An evening out with organic dinner and later a civilized drink at a bar? While in other cities it can be quite challenging to find an organic drink outside of restaurants Bremen has dedicated American-style bars where you can have fully organic drinks and at least partially organic cocktails until late at night.

What about a (late) summer night drink with a view on the Weser river? The pop-up bar Papp at the South-Eastern side of St. Pauli bridge (the prolongation of Wilhelm Kaisen bridge) isn't as pop-up as its location in a shack near the river shore might suggests as it has been there since summer 2015. There's a spacious square under trees in front of the tiny bar, sometimes with live concerts or electronic music. During the day time you may come here and have a coffee (and cake), a soft drink or even a bottle of beer.

In the Viertel neighbourhood, near Sielwall the Heldenbar ("Heroes' bar") comprises the entrance to the Cinema im Ostertor where films have been shown continously since 1959. Before the covid-19 pandemics the rustic craft beer place had been notorious for its Wednesday quiz nights. While it is advisable to ask for organic alcoholic drinks (there's at least one organic gin and organic cider) most pre-bottled soft drinks are organic and fairly traded (as is the coffee).

If you prefer a lounge atmosphere or want to be sure that your drinks are 100 percent organic, simply proceed around the corner to Noras, however: this place closes too early to be a respectable bar – although pleasant it won't save your late evening.

For a no-frills outing in the park you may also step by the Kukoon food, no wait: drinks truck which, for the remaining summer of 2023 is located at Leibnitzplatz in the Neustadt. Unfortunately organic drinks aren't marked as such on the menu (Lammsbräu beer is safe as are some of the soft drinks), so you have to specify that you insist on an organic drink. During the cold season head have an organic wineor beer at their "headquarter" about 200 metres from here.

• Papp, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 1 Sun(Mon–Sat) 12–19(23;open end depending on weather)
• Heldenbar, Ostertorsteinweg 105, Tue–Sat 18–1 (open end)
• Kukoon im Park food truck, Leibnitzplatzpark (Neustadtwallanlagen), Tue–Sun 12–22:30 until Sep 17th, 2023

Bremen: Organic Ice-cream

If you fancy a freshly made organic ice-cream in Bremen be prepared to work out – hope for good weather, rent a bicycle and do as many locals do: Set out on a 15 kilometers ride, first in direction University, and then on the dyke safeguarding the land against the river Wümme to a dairy farm run by friendly family Kaemena in Niederblockland.

On the embankment cars are allowed with a special permit only, but an astonishing number of locals come here by bicycle, foot or skating to enjoy an organic ice-cream (the scoop goes for 2.20 EUR in 2023), coffee or cold organic drink and enjoy the farm and the countryside. The ice-cream is made right here on the farm: from the milking station to the ice-cream factory it's only about 25 metres, and another few metres to the cafe. Don't miss the poppy seed ice-cream and the varieties based on buttermilk and yogurt. And please, avoid ordering your ice-cream in a one-way paper cup: for a little surplus you can have a vegan wafer cup (free for two or more scoops), compostable if you do not eat it. You may also take a free wafer ice-spoon instead of a plastics one.

Opening hours on pleasant summer days may be a little longer than announced, and the ice-cream parlour is closed in winter.

The farm itself is driven according to the seven Bioland principles, with about 80 cows (which all have individual names) and calves who are fed by and kept together with their mothers until they eat grass and hay (which is at an age of about five weeks). The cattle race comes without horns naturally, so no harm is done to the animals in order to remove them. The farm also keeps a few other animals like geese, two pigs, a couple of goats, pheasants and chicken (both hens and cocks) and gives home to a lot of wildlife like a sparrow colony and swallows.

There's a nice playground for children, and if you want to stay longer (minimum one week) the family rents out several pleasant holiday apartments (but make sure to book well in advance for holiday seasons).

In May 2022 the Kaemenas opened a new Sunday-open ice-cream parlour cum farm shop in the Neustadt. If you don't want to have your ice-cream on the go, there's little seating, a few benches outdoor, and some high chairs inside, to have a coffee, milk-shake or a "cold" chocolate with ice-cream. The cafe participates in the Recup scheme, so make sure to have your hot or cold drink to take away in a returnable cup.

Unlike the cafe at the farm this place will keep open around the year and provide you not only with ice-cream but also with cheese, jogurt, and milk.

Starting with the covid-19 summers a stylish mobile coffee bar of the Coffee Bike franchise has been popping up in the very city centre on Ansgarikirchhof during the warm season. In addition to the fully organic coffee drinks there is a separate mobile booth with Kaemena's ice-cream. Unfortunately they do not offer neither eatable ice-cream wafers nor earthenware cups for the coffee, so you are forced to enjoy it in non-compostable one-way cups unless you bring your own.

If you are in the vicinity of the university's refectory around lunch time on a weekday visit the organic ice-cream booth inside the Uni-Mensa: Opposite the refectory's check-out you get the scoop of organic ice-cream produced in Hamburg at an unbeatable price (1.30 EUR in 2023). They offer three dairy and even more vegan flavours (my favourite: the vegan salted peanut butter). You may pay cash or by the Studierendenwerk prepaid card.

• Kaemena, Niederblockland 6, daily 12–18
• Kaemena Neustadt, Langemarckstr. 178, summer(winter): Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 13(12)–18
• Coffee Bike, Ansgarikirchhof, Mon–Sat 11–18 (warm season only)
• Uni-Mensa, Universitäts-Boulevard 3,, Mon–Fri 11:30–14:15

Closed

• Lütt Köök Huus, Markthalle Acht, Domshof 8–12 (sold Kaemena ice-cream on the go)
• Eisdiele bey Kaemena, Delmestr. 22