Munich: Organic and partially organic restaurants

To find a place for an organic lunch, snack or a coffee break, both served and self-served, requires not more than keeping your eyes open. But the cultured evening out or a sumptuous weekend brunch can be a challenge if you don't know where to head for.

If you opt for 100 percent organic food and drinks, without compromises, within the city boundaries the TL;DR is: Visit La Trattoria or Das Maria.

• French
• German/Bavarian
• International
• Italian
• Japanese/Sushi
• Mediterranean/Oriental
• Mexican
• Pizzerie
• Vegan/Vegetarian
• Vietnamese/Asian Fusion
• More to try
• Greenwashed
• Closed

French

Given the French love for quality food one would expect all self-respecting French restaurants to use organic ingredients to a certain extent, but to actually find those which do proves to be harder than expected. In Munich head for brasserie La Bouche in Schwabing, a tastefully decorated place a few steps away from Münchner Freiheit. They promise to use organic ingredients throughout the menu, with three quite excusable exceptions: snails, seafood and Marsala wine.

In fact the exception list varies depending on daily supplies – when I went there the lamb and the duck liver had been added – but since it is all transparent and clearly stated on the menu you can adapt you order accordingly. The food itself is hearty French countryside fare, apart from the risottos (together with the Italian coffee the international touch to the menu) most dishes focus on meat or seafood. Since the main courses are very generous compared to other French restaurants, come hungry or skip the starter. In the meat-based stews we had – coq au vin and an ox liver ragout – the flavours of the ingredients were perfectly amalgamated and harmonic. The entrecote marinated in a pesto of fresh herbs – although perfectly cooked rare – however, did not live up to expectations, too perfumed, too imbalanced (and way too big) for my taste. Although the side dishes – salads, stewed root vegetables, fried potatoes, and similar – clearly play a supporting role they were well done and tasty. And the baguette served together with the starters was clearly one of the best I ever had.

Sadly the wines aren't organic, the soft drinks however are, and the bar offers organic pastis, gin and vodka. Note that the place is closed on Sundays.

German/Bavarian

With its rustic and cosy flair and garden tables under horse chestnut trees during the warm season Zum Kloster in the heart of the former village of Haidhausen a short walk from Wiener Platz makes the perfect surrounding for a laid-back chat with friends. They serve a selection of organic non-alcoholic beverages and up to three dishes on their meat-centric hand-written menu are marked with a star as made with organic meat, eggs and flour, one of them being Spaghetti Bolognese. The dishes are simple, but perfectly eatable home-made fare. Only the salad should better not have been as soaked in rapeseed oil as it was. For take away come with your own container to avoid extra waste. (The covid-19 delivery service was discontinued.)

If heading for the classical Bavarian Wirtshaus – rustic, but perhaps missing the air of the students' and artists' pub present in "Zum Kloster" – the Klinglwirt at the opposite end of Haidhausen near Rosenheimer Platz is the place to go. They serve organic meat from the nearby farm in Herrmannsdorf, organic cheese, bread, coffee, tea as well as Del Fiore ice-cream. Even the side-dishes – mainly potatoes, dumplings, sauerkraut, red cabbage and rustic salads – are now often organic, and vegetarian and vegan dishes have become a permanent part of the menu in their own right. The drinks menu offers at minimum one organic option for most beverages. Little guests are welcomed warmly, among others with a decent menu of their own (most kids will accept happily that the dishes listed there are almost free of greens). The restaurant is a member of Green Chefs, a network of eco conscious and socially responsible chefs.

While the Munich population has strong, yet mixed feelings about the Oktoberfest, the strong beer festival during lent is probably meeting much less negative sentiment among locals. In fact, the political cabaret ("Derblecken") at the opening of the festival, is a major event in local politics. Although the host brewery, Paulaner, does not brew organic beer, the very place of the festival, the Nockherberg restaurant in the Au, offers parts of its menu in organic quality: All organic items are marked green, or (as for the beverages) with the organic label. They use organic flour and milk, the tofu is both, Bavarian and organic, and a selection of traditional meat dishes like the "Böfflamot" (the Munich version of "boeuf a la mode") are made with organic meat. Mind you that there is a decent selection of organic wines and non-alcoholic beverages, but no organic beer.

For the 100% organic experience of Bavarian cuisine take the tram no. 25 from Rosenheimer Platz to its final destination in the suburb of Grünwald. A five-to-ten minutes walk from there you'll find the only organic hotel in reach, Alter Wirt, with its rustic, yet up-market restaurant. Children are welcome and often even allowed a visit to the kitchen, but the place is spacious enough that occasional little guests won't spoil your romantic candle-light dinner. There's a beergarden under horse chestnut trees, and the entire place is a real oasis in suburbia. The menu focuses on the meat- and fish-centric Bavarian Sunday kitchen completed with dishes of Italian origin. The food is extremely tasty, home-made, yet peppered with pleasant little twitches of ambitious chefs. Not the natural place for vegetarians, but if you happen to be the only vegetarian in a group of omnivores, there's a tasty meal for you as well. In addition they offer a range of assorted organic spirits. Early risers may also step by for breakfast.

If you prefer a sandwich and coffee on the go turn to the co-located artisanal Brotzeit bakery.

Fancy a day out in the Bavarian countryside? So why not paying a visit to the Herrmannsdorfer farm about 30 kilometres from Munich? Their up-market 100 percent organic restaurant, the Wirtshaus zum Schweinsbräu, rewards with the finest of Bavarian food traditions.

At tube stop Poccistraße in Sendling, just across the street from the Vollcorner branch in Lindwurmstr. 80 the Goldmarie restaurant serves classical and modern versions of seasonal Bavarian, Austrian and North-Italian dishes – quite palatable, but also a little boring. It's very obvious that the quality of the ingredients makes the difference here rather than the skills or visions of a chef: Usually the meat is organic and – in this case – marked "bio" on the menu. The veges are often organic, too, though not marked. Not organically certified meat and greens come from small-scale conventional farms in the region. Unfortunately the drinks (except for the gin and the herb tonic water) aren't organic. The place itself is often quite crowded.

They advertised "Highclass organic food" in the 2015 print issue of Spy city guide, and you will find them listed as organic on the web, too, but when I rang them up a few years ago the staff ensured me repeatedly: No, we do not use organic ingredients. Since they themselves do not mention the word "bio" on their German website it's likely that lack of command of the English language lead to this misconception. But one must never say "no" – the menu as of April 2024 advertises organic bread (with vegan spread) by Munich's it-bakery Julius Brantner, and with Munich's gastronomy and club icon Sandra Foster of the Blitz restaurant behind it the Roecklplatz restaurant is definitely worth a visit: It is a socially responsible enterprise employing young apprentices in difficult life situations and/or without formal education which in itself deserves support.

International

Not a single word on their menu suggests that Miss Lilly's kitchen in Giesing prefers organic ingredients. But when tasting their huge and extremely yummy home-made burgers or Wiener Schnitzel it's perfectly reasonable that not only the meat (as confirmed by the staff) but also a good deal of the side-dishes are at least partially organic. Although vegetarians are catered for it's very obvious that Miss Lilly's chef prefers meat and does it perfectly. If you come with kids and ask for fries they will be served huge portions – so don't order too many. The place near tube stop Kolumbusplatz serves breakfast until 5 pm and is famous for their home-made American cheesecake – I had the peanut butter variety which was very palatable, but to my taste not as exceptional as I had heard, together with a proper Italian-style coffee. Tuesday to Saturday evening it turns into Moritz bar and restaurant, with a likewise tempting menu specializing in the South-German and alpine cuisines. If you are after an organic alcoholic drink you have to stick to The Duke gins – the wine and gin menu unfortunately does not leave you with much choice.

A wooden witch cottage, with several hideaways, balconies, verandahs to almost get lost in, indoors and outdoors, an open cultural stage, magical sourroundings (almost) under a train bridge – no, the appearances of the bar Gans Woanders near Kolumbusplatz are deceptive: This is not an ancient building, but a brand-new construction opened in 2020. Although the quantity of organic ingredients used in the menu dominated by pizza and cake does not entirely live up to the sustainability promise of the place, you'll find at least organic coffee, tea and lemonades, and I was assured that the potatoes always were organic. Note that the place is self-services and accepts cash only.

In the South-Eastern part of Giesing, near congested Tegernseer Landstraße yet tucked away in a pleasant neighbourhood at Alpenplatz you will find another rustic place, Das Edelweiß. Since it started as an organic restaurant about six years ago you will still find business cards and references describing it as organic, and you can still order organic softdrinks. Unfortunately the concept did not work out, and the focus has shifted from organic towards supporting local and small-scale businesses. Some of the ingredients such as the milk of the Sternenfair brand are produced according to near-organic principles, the tasty artisanal bread may sometimes be made from organic flour, if you come for breakfast on weekends you can have organic chocolate spread, maple syrup and hot chocolate, but you should rather expect artisanal conventional food. When I questioned the owner about it she assured me that she's trying to find a new chef with love for local and seasonal high-quality food, and hopefully a renewed focus on organic principles will follow.

A dedicated family restaurant in the queer and hip neighbourhood of Glockenbachviertel dubbed Kaiser Otto is the place in Munich closest to the cafe latte moms cliche. You may step by for a coffee break during the day, or have breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner while your kids may disappear to a dedicated playground room next to the cafe. The latter is however closing at 7 pm. Weekend brunch with child care has been discontinued during covid-19. The food is not very elaborate, but often made from at least partially organic ingredients. Reliably organic items on the menu are coffee, eggs, bread, a selection of soft drinks as well as the meat served with one of the dishes to have for dinner. Greens, veges and pulses may or may not be organic, so you have to enquire, meat items served until 3 pm are definitely not.

The contrary of a family restaurant, i.e. a decent (American-style) bar cum burger restaurant is The Potting Shed near Münchner Freiheit, a few steps from Brasserie La Bouce. Instead of french fries you're served yummy rosemary-flavoured potatoes, instead of prefab mayonnaise delicate home-made aioli, and the coleslaw was crisp, showing off the (organic) quality of the cabbage. The top of my burger bun was caramelised, adding an interesting twist to the taste, and the patty, announced as medium, still gorgeously pink. Unfortunately they do not do rare burgers which indicates that the meat is minced in advance. All meat products come from a organic-only local butchery, and the delicacy of the food indicates that most of the vegetarian ingredients are organic, too. For those not feeling like having a sumptuous high-calory burger plate (there's one veggie option) there was a tasty seasonal salad (with goat cheese) and a range of tapas, mezze and small starters, decidedly omnivore. Unfortunately the rich bar sports only a few organic drinks, namely an organic Cabernet Sauvignon, The Duke and Lyonel gins (the latter made a nicely balanced jasmin-tea flavoured gin and tonic) and fairly traded cachaça. Soft drinks including the tonic water however aren't organic at all. The bar itself values traditional bar etiquette: an observant yet not obstrusive waiter (who took care of our jackets when we came in), a skilful professional barman, pleasant background music at a volume allowing for effordless conversation (though I cannot say anything about the noise on a Friday or Saturday night), the walls adorned with interesting and tasteful art. Definitely recommended for a civilised evening out.

Restaurants in the parts of town highly frequented by tourists are usually optimising for high throughput which makes it challenging to find a place with decent quality food when in urgent need for calories. The Bohne & Malz a few steps away from the Stachus has been making the honourable effort to combine both aspects for about a quarter of a century. As long as you don't shun large dining rooms and can tolerate that only a few ingredients are reliably organic, the place is an all-day resort offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee breaks and a bar with swift and professional service. Depending on when you come it may be more or less frequented. They serve organic quinoa, eggs, cream cheese and maple syrup, a decent assortment of organic teas, organic orange lemonade (aranciata) and The Duke gin. However, don't come too late on bad weather work days as the shop may close earlier when little frequented.

Italian

If you do not want to compromise at all when it comes to organic food and drinks find your way to Sendling: Former Bavarian-Italian restaurant "resihuber" went fully Italian and consequently changed its name to La Trattoria early in 2020. The place is run and backed by the founders of the local Vollcorner supermarket chain and can easily be reached by tube (stop Brudermühlstraße). Unfortunately they do no longer serve breakfast, instead you may order pizza home or (at a small discount) to take away.

The place is also a convenient choice before or after a concert at (or other visit to) the Gasteig HP8 concert hall and cultural centre, with truly Italian food and predominantly regional ingredients catering for all: vegans, vegetarians and meat lovers. After a concert or stroll at the Isar shore you may also step by for a high quality, fully organic drink, both with or without alcohol.

The place survived the covid-19 pandemics as a pizzeria, and staff shortage in 2024 turned it into a half-serviced restaurant, a concept known from smaller cafes and eateries: Have a seat, memorise the number of your table and place your order at the bar. Food and drinks will be brought to your table.

A hidden gem in very upmarket locations, quietly located in a backyard of Maximilianstraße next to the Kammerspiele theater is Max Trenta, a small Italian restaurant with an open kitchen where organic ingredients, often from small-scale farms, are frequently used, though neither promised nor advertised on the menu. Some of the courses are Italian dishes well-known outside Italy but since the friendly owner values the kitchen of his childhood his guests are so fortunate to taste Sardinian specialities like the fregula pasta type and the typical pane guttiau crisp bread which is served as an appetizer. Unfortunately these crackers tasted very bland, not comparable with the organic ones readily available in Munich's organic groceries. The extremely tasty and characterful natural open wines come from a Sardinian winery co-driven by one of the owner's relatives but aren't organically certified. In the summer you can sit outside where there's a little space for kids. Note that the kitchen closes already at 9pm.

Mediterranean/Oriental

No bosses and driven by consensus: Its unusual organization qualifies the Neuhausen based restaurant cooperative Ruffini for a recommendation on its own. Their Italian and Mediterranean food looks and tastes like mother's – it is prepared with love though without the ambitions of a trained restaurant chef. Although they cater for vegetarians and omnivores alike only meat and eggs are organic. Which is sad – the Imam Bayildi I had tasted bland as the eggplants did not have the concentrated flavour of organic ones. On the contrary their home-made croissants – organic or not – are without doubt worth a sin: You'll have to travel far to find equally full-flavoured ones, so take away (or come to shop at their bakery a few meters away). Have an organic ice-cream for dessert – during the warm season it's also offered to take away.

If you love the cooking books by Sam&Sam Clark of the London-based restaurant Moro (which I unfortunately have not had the opportunity to visit) or simply are in the mood for refined yet down-to-earth oriental mediterranean food head for The Spice Bazaar tucked away in a big void between the ticket office of the Bayrische Staatsoper opera house, the Spanish Instituto Cervantes and the Hofgarten garden. In the evening you often won't find a soul on the place before the restaurant, but when you enter a breathtakingly decorated space prided with gold and ornaments is welcoming you – not the bling-bling of an oriental bazaar, but its Bauhaus-inspired interpretation on two floors, the upper one an almost intimate but open gallery. All the meat is certified organic, and you can pick organic wines and soft drinks on the menu, but although many other ingredients most certainly are organic there's no promise to it. The menu and the staff encourage you to share your food with those you came along – in this case all dishes will be placed in the middle of the table and an empty plate will be put in front of each of you. Be warned: the servings here are generous and deliciously spiced so that it's easy to eat far too much. A main course – meat, seafood or vegetarian – with a side dish will satisfy a hungry eater, so rather order less and share, especially if you also opt for one of the tempting first courses. At my first visit we made the mistake of ordering too much (delicately spiced caramellised nuts and bread with gorgeous olive oil as starters for our hungry crowd) so that I cannot say anything about the desserts yet. Prices are upmarket, but if you take into consideration the quality and the quantity they are more than fair.

In the Glockenbachviertel Das Maria has been a popular foodie place for years. In fact the restaurant should be called "Maryam" as it specialises in mezze and food (and coffee) from the Maghrib and the Levante. Moreover it has been a famed breakfast spot for many years, serving oriental and orientally inspired occidental breakfast varieties throughout the day, on oriental dishes. The majority of ingredients, staples and drinks are organic and marked as such on the menu, either with an asterisk or with the "bio" keyword.

The place is quite small, so despite its very reliable opening hours and especially during the cold season when outdoor seating isn't an option pre-booking is advisable. Families with babies and toddlers should find a different spot for a family meal as there are no changing facilities, and both, changing and prams are not welcome inside the restaurant.

Japanese/Sushi

With the explosion of sushi take-aways you may have to kiss many frogs on the quest for sushi worth its name. Arguably one of the best sushi restaurants in Munich is the Sushiya Sansaro in the Amalienpassage backyard passage in Maxvorstadt, a three minutes walk from the Northern exit of the Universität tube stop. As you might expect from a restaurant with love for – in this case – Japanese – food they use some organic ingredients (eggs, spinach and pork for example), the soy sauce is organic and you can order organic beer, juice and some wine with your meal. The menu does not stop with sushi, instead you can get a good impression of the Japanese kitchen, both in its vegetarian and its meat-based variety. The place itself is pleasant but often crowded. If you cannot get a reservation do not dispair: You can also order by phone or online and step by to take away, or even better: Bring your own (bento) box, and wait while your sushi is being prepared.

Mexican

The latest enterprise of prominent Munich publican, club manager and cooking book author Sandra Forster, herself a vegan, is the Blitz ("lightning") club located within the entrance building to the Museumsinsel island housing Deutsches Museum, the congress hall finished in 1935, formerly used as a cinema. Attached to the club is a Mexican-vegetarian restaurant, with dancing skeletons in colourful costumes adorning the walls. During the warm season enjoy a sugar cane cocktail and yummy fajitas or quesadillas, on a peaceful terrace outside facing the river Isar. About 80 percent of all ingredients used in the kitchen are organic and – if possible – sourced from farms in the greater Munich area. Exotic ingredients difficult to find in organic quality usually make an exception. If you want to avoid eggs and dairy products (which come from animal-friendly farms) do not hesitate to request a vegan meal.

Vegan/Vegetarian

My favourite vegan place, the Gratitude in the humming University quarter of Maxvorstadt, once was fully organic except for alcoholic beverages. While in the beginning the food was simple – raw or inspired by ayurveda – and sometimes a little bland, the kitchen improved vastly over time, reaching the level of Munich's legendary first (though no longer existing) vegan restaurant Zerwirk. Around 2020 the place got into financial troubles, closed for refurbishment, and covid-19 did its job. Now it's back again, as The Gratitude Eatery, with international vegetable dishes, from Nigiri and Tempura to risotto and curries, using sometimes less, sometimes more organic ingredients. You can have organic beer, and there's also an organic white wine on the menu, but I love the place for its fairly priced and not too sweet cocktails (which unfortunately aren't organic).

Between Viktualienmarkt and Gärtnerplatz (i.e. no longer next to Isartor) you'll find Siggis vegan and fresh food, a 100% vegan place that from the outside looks like a coffee bar. In fact you can step by for a (cup) cake, vegan latte, organic coffee (in a recup.com retour cup if you're in a hurry) or partially organic sandwich but you may also stay and have lunch or dinner served. The kitchen uses a good deal organic ingredients for the quite casual menu offering pasta, sandwiches, bowls, and a few international main dishes. Most drinks are organic, though if you have a latte and specify your favourite vegan milk alternative be aware that the lupin milk isn't. Ask if unsure whether any of the ingredients are organic – the stuff is helpful and willing to enquire in the kitchen if they don't know. Note that the place is closed on Mondays.

An older vegan restaurant is the Max Pett near Sendlinger Tor, run by a former Zerwirk chef. Unfortunately it's only partially organic, which is probably why the kitchen does not live up to expectations. The place is 100 percent non-alcoholic.

My favourite vegetarian, vegan-friendly restaurant is the Blitz described above.

Vietnamese/Asian Fusion

Crisp and delicately spiced instead of greasy and cooked to death, this is how the Fei Scho eatery serves Vietnamese food with a Bavarian touch ("Fei scho" is a Bavarian dialect phrase indicating that the counterpart in a conversation should have known/done/recognised something already). The menu of the small place in the Glockenbach neighbourhood consists of a handful of rice and noodle dishes, as well as Vietnamese veg parcels. A few ingredients (namely eggs, chickpeas, and, during the summer, carrots, red cabbage, coriander as well as celery) are organic (unfortunately neither the meat nor the tofu), along with all the wines, the iced tea, the apple juice and the gin and tonic. For a while there was a second restaurant in Haidhausen with slow and forgetful service, but that's past.

• La Bouche, Haimhauser Str. 8, Tue–Sat 17:30–24, order phone +49 89 265 626
• Zum Kloster, Preysingstr. 77, Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun,PH) 11:30(10)–24
• Klinglwirt, Balanstr. 16, Mon–Thu(Sun) 17(12)–23, Fri–Sat 17–24
• Paulaner am Nockherberg, Hochstr., daily 12–24
• Alter Wirt, Marktplatz 1, Grünwald, daily 12–22, breakfast Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 6:30(7:30)–10(11)
• Goldmarie, Schmellerstr. 23, Tue–Sat 18–23, Tue–Fri 12–15
• Roecklplatz, Isartalstr. 26, Mon–Sat 17:30–24
• Miss Lilly's, Oefelestr. 12, Tue–Sun 10–18
• Das Edelweiß, Edelweißstr. 10, Wed–Fri(Sat) 17(9:30)–23, Sun 9:30–18, order phone +49 89 649 137 80
• Gans woanders, Pilgersheimer Str. 13, Mon–Wed(Thu–Sat) 10–23(24), Sun 10–21
• Kaiser Otto, Westermühlstr. 8, Mon–Fri 11:30–15,17–22, order phone +49 89 21 01 96 97
• The Potting Shed, Occamstr. 11 (entrance on Haimhauser Str.), Tue–Sat 18–22, order phone +49 172 799 0006
• Bohne & Malz, Sonnenstr. 11, Mon–Wed,Sun(Thu–Sat) 10–23(24)
• La Trattoria, Resi-Huber-Pl. 1, Sun–Tue(Mi–Sat) 12–22(23)
• Max Trenta, Maximilianstr. 30 (backyard), Mon–Fri(Sat) 12–15(16:30), Mon–Fri 18–22
• Cafe Ruffini, Orffstr. 22–24, Tue–Sun 10–24, the bakery/grocery shop next door is open Tue–Fri(Sat) 8:30(9)–18(17),Sun,PH 9–17
• The Spice Bazaar, Marstallplatz 3, Mon–Fri 17–1, Sat(Sun) 15–1(22)
• Das Maria, Klenzestr. 97, daily 9–23
• Sushiya Sansaro, Amalienstr. 89 (Amalienpassage), Tue–Fri(Sat,Sun) 18(17:30)–22, order phone for take away: +49 89/2880 8484
• Blitz, Museumsinsel 1, Tue–Sat 18–1
• The Gratitude Eatery, Türkenstr. 55, Tue–Sat 17:30–22 (the bar may be open a little longer)
• Siggis, Buttermelcherstr. 17 (no longer in Westenrieder Str. 37!), Tue–Fri(Sat–Sun,PH) 17(10)–23
• Max Pett, Pettenkofer-Str. 8, Tue–Sun 11:30–23, kitchen closes at 21:30, Fri–Sat at 22
• Fei Scho Glockenbach, Kolosseumstr. 6, daily 11:30–22

More to try

Of the following places I found testimonies and other evidence for use of organic ingredients, but I have not been able to verify them by a personal visit. If you get there let me know whether they should be listed here, and I'll do my best to eat there, too.

• Broeding, Schulstr. 9, Mon–Sat 18–24 (wine shop Mon–Sat from 15), closed on PH (gourmet)
• Green Beetle, Schumannstr. 9, Tue–Sat 12–15,18–24 (vegan-vegetarian restaurant of the Munich society caterer Käfer)
• Heinrich Matters, Luisenstr. 47, Tue–Sat 17–23, Sun(Sat) 9–17(14) (bar)
• Loretta Bar, Müllerstr. 50, Mon–Thu(Fri) 8–1(3), Sat(Sun) 9(10)–3(19) (bar)
• Katopazzo, Amalienstr. 87, Mon–Thu(Fri–Sat) 17–1(2) (gastro bar specializing in international bowls and meat, offers organic meat)
• Shimai, Theresienstr. 87, Mon–Fri 11:30–14:30, Mon–Sat(Sun) 17:30(15)–24(23) (modern Asian)
• Sparkling Bistro, Amalienstr. 89 (entrance from Türkenstr.), Tue–Sat 18:30–23 (kitchen closes 21:30) (gourmet)

Greenwashed

An increasing number of Munich street festivals demands an organic certification of their food stalls: The Tollwood festival has been serving organic food only for many years while stalls at funfairs like the Oktoberfest and or the Auer Dult are required to offer at minimum one certified organic serving. Unfortunately some of the contractors comply only as long as they are forced to and do not even use a minimum selection of organic ingredients in their restaurants – a behaviour that potential guests of the following places should be aware of.

• Chandani Chowk, Rosenheimer Str. 10 (Indian food stall at the summer 2021 Tollwood)
• Khanittha, Atelierstr, 14, Werk 3, C (Thai food stall at the annual farm fest of the communal organic farm Hofgut Riem – there's hope for this one, however: Their new menu lists at least some organic soft drinks.)

About ten years ago this blog featured the Ratskeller townhall restaurant at Marienplatz which back then had a separate organic menu. The only sad reminiscence of this past are a handful organic beverages: beer, juices and softdrinks. If you happen to choose this place for its gorgeous location inside the townhall ask the waiter: If you are lucky some organic ingredients will be deeply hidden in the menu of the day.

Ceased to exist

The following places shut down or were replaced by restaurants not using organic ingredients. So don't be confused when you find references to them on the web:

• Arepas, Müllerstr. 44 (Venezuelan)
• Bapas, Leopoldstr. 56a (Bavarian tapas bar)
• Cafe King, Müllerstr. 3 (vegan)
• Daylesford Organic, Ledererstr. 3 (international)
• Das Kranz, Hans-Sachs-Str.12 (gourmet)
• Deli Dosa, Barer Str. 48
• Emiko w/in Hotel Louis, Viktualienmarkt 6 (Japanese)
• Fei Scho Haidhausen, Pariser Str. 17
• Josef, Klenzestr. 99 (Italian, sister restaurant of La Trattoria)
• Kaede, Sommerstr. 41 (Japanese)
• L'Amar, Pestalozzistr. 28 (Italian)
• Moritz, Oefelestr. 12 (co-located restaurant Miss Lilly's is open during the day)
• Picnic, Barer Str. 48 (Indian)
• Refettorio, Marstallplatz 3 (Italian) – replaced by The Spice Bazaar
• Hostaria Rò e Buni, Kaiserstr. 55 (Italian)
• Salon Rouge by Tohru, Speicherstr. 20, Werk 12, 4th floor (fine dining)
• Schneeweinchen & Rosenbrot, Breisacher Str. 23 (partially organic gastro bar)
• Shibuya Fried Chicken, Hohenzollernstr. 5 (Tohru Nakamura's covid-19 take away)
• Tian, Frauenstr. 4
• Vinipuri 2.0, Fritz-Endres-Str. 4 (wine and fine dining)
• Werneckhof, Werneckstr. 11 (gourmet restaurant)
• Wood, Occamstr. 6 (clean eating)
• Zerwirk, Ledererstr. 3 (vegan, gourmet)
• 1912 Restaurant & Bar, Schwanthalerstr. 36 (partially organic hotel restaurant)

Witzenhausen: Organic groceries, supermarkets and delicatessen

As almost all West-German small towns with an intact historic centre Witzen­hau­sen has both, a health food shop in the tradition of the Lebensreform movement at the beginning of the 20th century (the Reformhaus "Schön und gesund"), and a Weltladen fair-trade shop driven by volunteers.

But there's also a traditional organic corner shop offering all you need for food, household, hygiene and recreational treats: the Schach­tel­halm (German for "horsetail", the plant). Unfortunately I arrived too late a Saturday to catch more than a glimpse from the outside.

The local brewery, Schinkel, a start-up of the university milieu, was Hesse's first organic brewery, but to date only a few of their beers are certified organic. You can get (and taste) them at the brewery's own salespoint, Schinkels Biershop.

Unterrieden

If you come to Witzenhausen on the Werratalradweg from Bad Sooden-Allendorf the bicycle route is running through the village Unterrieden, a part of Witzenhausen on the Eastern side of the river Werra right before the river turns to the West. On the main road through Unterrieden, the Ludwigsteinstraße, you'll find no less than three farm shops, described here from South to North.

The farm shop of the Absatz­ge­nos­sen­schaft Unter­rieden (AGU), a co-operative of both, organic and conventional farms in the village famous for its cherries, offers a wide range of locally produced food and beverages: fresh greens, sausages, cheese, bread, honey, preserves, fruit juices, wines and spirits. Only a fraction of it is organically certified, and unfortunately you cannot tell how much inorganic fertilisers and poisonous pest control has been used to produce products missing a certificate. When I asked about bread and rolls the shop keeper told me that the bakery had been organic in the past, but since the baker retired the products have been coming from the only remaining artisanal bakery in town. Some of the (fruit) wines and honey definitely sport the European organic label.

The AGU shop also stocks organic jams and spreads of Knofi & so ("garlic and such") in very small glasses, perfect as a small gift. The label belongs to a community of passionate market gardeners with a focus on direct trade. They are operating a small manufactory and market boothes. The one in Ludwigsteinstraße is unmanned, with an honesty box to put your money in. When I was there in August there were lovely tomatoes, but when I returned in September the booth was temporarily put down, so I suspect it is there only when excess greens are available. The "Knofis" also offer basic guest rooms for cyclists and backpackers.

Poultry lovers must not miss the poultry butcher's shop Frischgeflügel Roth. Unfortunately the shop is open only two days a week and was on vacation when I was there, so the vending machine in front of the shop was empty, too. The butcher co-operates with almost all organic poultry farms in the region.

• Reformhaus "Schön und gesund" Walger, Walburger Str. 8, Mon–Thu 9–13,15–18, Fr(Sat) 9–18(13)
• Weltladen, Brückenstr. 16, Mon–Sat 10–13, Mon,Wed,Fri(Tue,Thu) 15–18(19)
• Schachtelhalm, Walburger Straße 19, Mon–Wed,Sat(Thu–Fri) 9–13(18), Mon–Wed 14:30–18
• Schinkels Biershop, Am Sande 9, Mon–Fri 8:30–15, every first Wed/month 17–20
• AGU-Hofladen, Ludwigsteinstr. 6, Unterrieden, Tue–Fri(Sat) 8(7)–12, Tue–Fri 15–18
• Knofi & so, Ludwigsteinstr. 32, Unterrieden, daily 24x7 during the main harvest
• Bioland Frischgeflügel Roth, Ludwigsteinstr. 40, Unterrieden, Fri(Sat) 10(9)–18(13)

Organic Eschwege and Bad Sooden-Allendorf

• Eschwege
• Bad Sooden-Allendorf
• Dietzenrode

Eschwege

Although Eschwege provides medical and cultural facilities for many smaller (and in the past often more important) small towns around and moreover is one of the few (West-)German towns where people transport by railway was discontinued in the 1980-ies and re-opened (with a new railway station) by the end of 2009, I couldn't find any cafe, restaurant or eatery serving at least a few organic items.

Even the organic convenience store Biotop on the premises of the former mutual savings bank ("Sparkasse") does not have a cafe corner. But you can order a roll with cheese of your choice to take with you from their bakery and cheese bar. The friendly and well-assorted shop with its archetypal wooden interior offers all you need of organic food and household necessities, and, as delivery service "The rolling organic shop" ("Der rollende Bioladen") also serves the neighbouring municipality of Bad Sooden-Allendorf.

If you cannot find all you want here, the town's Reformhaus (health food shop) and the Tegut supermarket offer a good selection of organic products alongside with their conventional fare.

For organic eggs you may also take a bike tour to the "Regiomat" vending machine of the nearby organic Werragut farm. There you can also order and collect bread and rolls from the farm's bakery; their hens are butchered and sold by Frischgeflügel Roth in Witzenhausen.

Bad Sooden

The medieval spa twin-town with its beautiful half-timbered houses does no longer have an organic corner store, but it sports a Sunday-open shop selling herbal teas, organic skincare, natural perfumes and incense, books on wellbeing, a selection of fairly traded sweets and more: Eden – gesund & mehr in Sooden.

For organic food on the Sooden side of the Werra river (including unpackaged organic bread and rolls) head to the (conventional) Tegut supermarket in the Sooden industrial area (more or less a lifeless parking lot). A branch of the drugstore chain DM a five minutes walk from the train station is offering a huge range of pre-packaged organic dry food and preserves as well as certified natural bodycare.

Spa guests and patients of the various rehab clinics in the medieval salter town are the main target audience of Café Feldmann, the spa town's grand cafe and confectioners' shop by the spa gardens (Kurpark). The cafe used to be a customer of the no longer existing organic Bäckerei Schill, but the breakfast rolls you get when staying overnight in the attached bike-friendly bed & breakfast place or have breakfast at the cafe are no longer organic in 2024. The milk used for coffee drinks and tea are organic, and eggs served for breakfast or lunch, too. The waitress had to find out herself when I inquired, so there's still a chance that more organic ingredients are (occasionally) being used in the kitchen, but I can't tell.

Allendorf

On the other side of the train line and the Werra river, in the older town of Allendorf (in the medievals Sooden was the "industrial area" while everyone, from the salters to the owners of the salt pans lived in Allendorf) you'll find a fully organic wine shop cum cafe, the Laden 41. In addition to the wine, you'll find honey, greek olive oil and preserves, local cheese, and bread and rolls from the Werragut farm. The latter you have to order upfront, but since the shop keeper always orders a little more you may buy a bread spontaneously. Unfortunately it's open only three half days of the week. Whether you are interested in having an organic coffee, beer, lemonade or a glass of wine, or are in the mood for a chat with locals, mark them in your calendar.

Thursday in general is the weekday when many smaller shops in the region open for the first time, and so does Café Clown, a cosy small cafe directly located at the Werratal bicycle route, with a beautiful view at a branch of the Werra river with the picturesque "Tiny Venice" ("Klein-Venedig") neighbourhood (in the past the houses of the local fishermen). Here you can have comforting home-made cake (including the filling Westphalian Pickert, a sweet potato cake), coffee, and frozen yoghurt often made from regional, sometimes organic ingredients. Tea, milk and eple juice are generally organic, and if not asked specify that you want the organic variety of sugar beet syrup on your Pickert.

The cafe's name derives from the owner's charity work as a clowndoctor. Her partner is an architect and urban planner who has been planning and conducting social house and neighbourhood building projects with natural materials for decades. The two also offer accommodation in their adjacent tiny house, carefully restored with natural materials and equipped with a rain shower. Ring them for booking even though you find the place on AirBnB.

How can a bookstore survive in a once important medieval smalltown? The Buchhandlung Frühauf in Allendorf has found a way by offering more than books and stationery: The bookseller added regional products to his assortment, both, books with a regional context, and a shelf with drinks and preserves from the region (some of them organic) and a few organic wines to go with your book. Until autumn 2023 they also sold organic bread and rolls by the organic bakery Bäckerei Schill until the baker retired without finding a successor to take over the workshop.

Oberrieden

However, there's still an organic bread bakery in Bad Sooden-Allenberg: The organically certified community-supported agricultural (CSA) collective Höhberg-Kollektiv in the village of Oberrieden (which is a part of the municipality) runs both, a dairy and a bakery in addition to a market garden and a school farm. First of all they distribute their products to their subscribers, but from Monday afternoon to Wednesday evening you can buy excess produce by leaving cash in an honesty box. How frequent you can find bread or dairy products there I cannot say.

Dietzenrode

The vicinity to the Witzenhausen department of Ecological Agricultural Sciences certainly plays a role in the comparably high density of CSAs and organic market gardens in the region. Just across the border between Hesse and Thuringia, the Gemüseinsel ("vegetable island") in Dietzenrode is the one closest to Allendorf, about half an hour by bicycle. This CSA market garden has a booth cum fridge where you can buy freshly harvested vegetables 24x7 without being a member. You pay by putting your money in an honesty box, so come with sufficient cash.

The Gemüseinsel is located on grounds formerly used by the Inselhof, a more than 30 years old organic farm, established by Witzenhausen graduates after the reunification of Germany. The farmers couple is gradually about to retire: They gave up mixed farming recently, but are continuing with a vegetable garden and fruit orchards. The latter provide ingredients for the farm's distillery. You can order their special small-scale spirits on-line or buy them from the farm shop which in summer 2024 still offered frozen and preserved meat and sausages from the last flock of animals, vegetables from the garden and apple juice from the orchard, cheeses from farmer friends and a small selection of organic bodycare. Their products are all organic, but no longer certified.

• Biotop – der rollende Bioladen, Marktstr. 20, Eschwege, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9(8)–18(14)
• Reformhaus, Obermarkt 11–13, Eschwege, Mon,Tue,Thu,Fri(Wed) 9(8:30)–18,Sat 8:30–13:30
• Tegut, Bahnhofsstr. 25–27 , Eschwege, Mon–Sat 7–21
• Werragut, Auer Str. 38, Eschwege, daily 24x7
• Eden – gesund & mehr, Am Haintor, Bad Sooden, Mon–Fri(Sat) 15(10)–18(16), Sun 14–17
• Tegut, , Bad Sooden, Mon–Sat 7–21
• DM, Städtersweg 1–2, Bad Sooden, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Café Feldmann, Landgrafenstr. 5, Bad Sooden, Wed–Sun,PH 8:30–18
• Laden 41, Kirchstr. 41, Allendorf, Thu–Fri(Sat) 15(10)–18(13)
• Café Clown, Steinweg 1, Allendorf, Thu–Sun 12–18
• Buchhandlung Frühauf, Kirchstr. 77, Allendorf, Mon–Sat 8:30–13, Mon,Tue,Thu,Fri 15–18
• Solawi Höhberg-Kollektiv, Hilgershäuser Str. 20, Oberrieden, Mon 16–Wed 20
• Solawi Gemüseinsel, Kreisstr. 1, Dietzenrode, daily 24x7
• Inselhof Hofladen, Mühlpl. 18, Dietzenrode, Wed(Sat) 14(9)–18(13)

Closed or no longer organic

When the artisanal baker Schill closed his workshop in October 2023 the region lost its only organic baker. He also delivered to Café Himmelspforte, the parish café of Allendorf's Lutherian St. Crucis church, with its beautiful outdoor seating next to the "bible garden" with a display of plants mentioned in the bible. Nowadays the only organic item the café offers is one type of organic tea bags.

• Bäckerei Schill, Am Wasser 9, Frankershausen
• Café Himmelspforte, Kirchpl. 1, Allendorf, May–Sep Wed–Sun 14–19

Organic Friedrichshafen/Lake Constance

The Bodenseeradweg bicyle route around Lake Constance is arguably one of the finest (and most frequented) bicycle routes in the German-speaking part of Europe. But despite being such a tourist hotspot the region is surprisingly badly accessible by train as not even the major university town of Konstanz is serviced by frequent fast long distance connections. Bound to local and regional trains with almost no reasonable interconnections you'll easily end up with a nightmare of six or more train changes back to the origin of your journey if you happen to have a flat tyre or accident along the bike route or the weather is turning bad. From Munich the only reasonable connection are EC and regional trains to and from Lindau, and Constance can reasonably be reached from Karlsruhe or Zürich.

There are a handful daily long distance connections to and from Friedrichshafen like the daily ICE service from Berlin, and there are more frequent options to and from Stuttgart.

While a trip on a Bodensee ferry boat should definitely be part of your stay (the BSB boats even sport bicycle racks) you cannot rely on them as a fast and high-frequent means of transport between railway stations.

Combined with the fact that bike tickets on long distance trains are rare during the nice seasons, the sad fact is: A bicycle tour around lake Constance requires much more careful planning well in advance than you might think at first.

Eat, drink and sleep

If you wish to wake up to a gorgeous organic breakfast in a pleasantly decorated sustainable hotel, while your bike is safely locked to a roofed parking spot, Hotel Maier is the place to stay. The hotel is not located in the very city centre, but in the neighbourhood of Fischbach (between the industrial areas of MTU/Rolls Royce in Manzell and Airbus in Immenstaad). A nice side effect of the hotel's approach to avoid food waste: breakfast is served at your convenience. Order to your liking and have a chat with the friendly staff. The combination of a traditional farm house with a rough concrete building (housing a few bigger and more expensive suites) gives the place a very urban touch.

Unfortunately the hotel's organic restaurant, Die Speiserei, was closed during our stay, but the menu suggested fine local dining on predominantly local produce, an extremely tempting way to spend holiday money.

There's another, 100 percent organic restaurant in town: The V2O on the premises of the Zeppelin museum in the city centre. Located on the second floor of a former station building it sports a gorgeous view on the city port and is accessible to the general public. The place serves organic lunch, and, during the tourist season, dinner. While the kitchen is closed in the afternoon between 2 pm and 5 pm, you may spend the time waiting for a ferry boat here with coffee and cake or a little snack. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, but there's a no-frills organic bistro a few steps away serving simple lunch on weekdays.

If you fancy a partially organic, artisanal ice-cream or feel for a coffee break, pay a visit to cosy Mina Gelato, the ice-cream parlour cum cafe in the town's traditional West-German pedestrian shopping street. Despite the name, the gorgeous ice-cream isn't trying to play Italian, but, very exotic, is made following a Bulgarian recipe. Best ice-cream in town!

Food and necessities

The people behind V2O restaurant and bistro are also running an organic supermarket, Greenbox, which seems to offer lunch, too.

There are very likely more organic groceries in town and in its vicinity, but none of them are located along the very bike route. An exception is the beautiful Biohaus am See in Langenargen, a neat small town building offering a parking spot in the shadow for your bike while you refill provisions or replenish some calories. With its wooden furniture the shop has the air of a traditional organic neighbourhood grocery, but given the omnipresence of Lake Constance fruits in organic shops throughout the country I was a little disappointed to not find more local products here.

• Hotel Maier, Poststr. 1–3, w/ restaurant Die Speiserei Mon–Sun 12–14,18–23
• V2O, Seestr. 22, Tue–Sun 11:30–17, from January 24th, 2024 also Thu–Sat 17–22
• V2O Bio-Bistro, Buchhornpl. 1, Mon–Fri 11:30–14:30
• Mina Gelato, Karlstr. 36, Tue–Sat(Sun) 10(11)–18, May through Sep also Mon 10–18
• Greenbox, Allinger Sr.54, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8:30–19(16)
• Bio-Haus am See, Obere Seestr. 7, Langenargen, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8:30–18(13)

Organic Bremerhaven

Located at the mouth of the river Weser, the port of Bremerhaven has been ensuring the hanseatic city of Bremen's access to the sea for sea-going ships since the 1820ies. While the container port (and unfortunately also the cruise ship terminal) continue to be important sea hubs, the historic ports of the Havenwelten ("port world") with maritime museums of all kinds make the family-friendly city a perfect destination for everyone interested in science, ships, and (e)migration.

A destination of the easy-going Weserradweg bicycle route Bremerhaven can not only be reached by regional train from Bremen, but also comfortably by bike.

Eat, drink and sleep

Since the Findus cafe and restaurant re-invented itself as an organic bakery during the covid-19 pandemics and staff shortage has been prevailing there was a period of time during which it was impossible to find a place to have (predominantly) organic dinner.

Fortunately this has changed Tuesday through Saturday as the restaurant of the sustainable Hotel Bremerhaven, the Übersee, is offering coffee, dinner and a drink in style with a view at the marina again. If you ever wanted to taste the sailor's one-pot dish of lobscouse, this is your chance (to make sure that the corned beef used that very day is organic ask whether it comes from the "Hof Icken" farm, a regular supplier to the restaurant). While omnivores may have the pleasure of feasting on a small selection of dishes typical for the region, vegetarians and vegans are catered for with salad, curry, pasta and/or risotto – and a regional soup.

The bar menu offers organic options for all types of beverages, even spirits: Scan the menu for the "bio" keyword to find them.

The hotel itself takes a lot of efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of your stay, and tries to make sustainable choices for you, including organic options for breakfast. Unfortunately you have to be a hotel guest to have breakfast here as the bistrot opens to the general public in the afternoon.

For (a late) breakfast, lunch or a very early dinner take the chance to eat out at the cafe cum restaurant of the Deutsches Auswanderer­haus, a museum dedicated to German emigration to the Americas. Referring to the mass catering to emigrants the restaurant is dubbed Speisesaal ("dining hall"), with an interior design hinting at the impersonal and overwhelming feel of refectories without creating an unpleasant atmosphere. During the warm season a spacious outdoor terrace facing the quays of the so-called new port in the Havenwelten area adds a beautiful view to extremely tasty food.

The menu consists of two parts: Fully organic, predominantly vegetarian international lunch classics like pasta, stews, and gratins, and not necessarily organic maritime classics like fish soup or fish'n'chips. The organic dishes and beverages are all marked "bio" and can be recognised by the red font colour on the menu. Fish and seafood come from responsible sources. Naturally the milk for coffee drinks is also organic. Staff shortage may occasionally lead to slow service, so enjoy the view and be a little patient.

While the Speisesaal is open to the general public, the self-service restaurants inside the Klimahaus 8° Ost a few steps away can only be accessed with a valid ticket to the museum. The museum features places located on the same lattitude like Bremerhaven as an interactive journey through the (changing) climate zones of the earth and as such is highly recommended by itself.

Before or after the "journey" you can enjoy partially organic and predominantly vegetarian food (eggs and pasta are promised to be organic), organic orange juice and soft drinks at the restaurant Längengrad. Fish and seafood carry MSC certificates, and there are no meat dishes.

Approximately after half the walk through the museum, past the exhibition over the river landscape of Cameroon, you'll find Cafe südwärts where you can have an organic break with a "Lebensbaum" tea, a "Vivani" chocolate bar or a soft-drink of either, the "Bionade" or the "Voelkel" brand.

The museum's shop is accessible for non-visitors from the entrance, the so-called Havenplaza. It offers environmentally and socially resposibly produced gifts and dry food, but unfortunately does not serve (fairly traded) coffee.

To have an organic coffee not connected with a museum you have to walk longer south, to the Fischereihafen ("fish port"). Here you'll find a small owner-run café, Grethe's, directly located at the quay. All coffee and milk is organic here, as are most of the ingredients for their cakes and vegetarian food. You can have burgers, pasta dishes, soups and stews, and most drinks apart from a few spirits are organic, too. Unfortunately also this presumably lovely place with its art gallery located in a former motor workshop closes at 6 pm and keeps open only three days a week.

An organic coffee or snack can also be had from the self-serviced cafe of the ALECO Biomarkt in the neighbourhood of Lehe, an urban train stop away from the main station.

Food and necessities

The old town of Bremerhaven sports a cosy organic package-free shop, the Glückswinkel. As most dedicated zero waste shops it offers organic and responsibly produced small-scale regional food, sustainable household items and cleaning agents, clothes for babies and toddlers, repair sets, nice gifts and more – but also fresh organic produce of the Findus organic bakery a few steps away.

The organic supermarket nearest the main train station is Der Bioladen in the streets around Holzhafen, the part of town that from 1877 for about half a century was used to land and process timber. Note that these two traditional organic supermarkets close at 6 pm and are closed on Saturday afternoons.

To find an organic supermarket with more liberal opening hours you have to go to the neighbourhood of Lehe: There you find a branch of the regional ALECO Biomarkt chain which runs many organic supermarkets in the North of Germany.

• Übersee, Am Neuen Hafen 19, Tue–Sat 14–22
• Speisesaal at Deutsches Auswandererhaus, Columbusstr. 65, daily 10–18
• Grethe's – Café am Kai, Fischkai 57, Fri–Sun 12–18
• Längengrad inside Klimahaus, Am Längengrad 8, daily 10–17, closed Dec 24,25,31 and Jan 1
• Cafe südwärts inside Klimahaus, Am Längengrad 8, daily 10–17, closed Dec 24,25,31 and Jan 1
• 8° Ost, Am Längengrad 8, daily 11–19
• Glückswinkel, Bürgermeister-Smidt-Str. 196, Tue–Fri(Sat) 10–19(15)
• Der Bioladen, Friedrichstr. 19, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–18(13)
• ALECO Biomarkt, Langener Landstr. 28, Mon–Sat 8–20

Closed

Bremerhaven's only fully organic day cafe Findus resettled its activities during the covid-19 pandemics and became an organic bakery only. There are plans to re-open the cafe in 2024, so check on location and/or ask at the Glückswinkel.

• Findus, Bürgermeister-Smidt-Str. 212
• Grünschnabel, Theodor-Heuss-Pl. 17 (organic supermarket)