Munich: (Partially) organic burger grills

Burger restaurants have been trending for years, and there's still no end in sight. Most of them advertise with buzzwords like hand-made, home-made, regional and vegan, and often the quality is ways better than in the standardized mass production of American chains. But to tell greenwashing from honest interest in healthier and sustainable food the patties are key – are they made from organic meat or vegetables?

The organic burger pioneer in Munich was Cosmo-Grill opposite the Bayrische Staatsoper opera house. Tucked away in the the basement of a backyard you entered a Startrek like spaceship. Unfortunately quality and the percentage of organic ingredients diminished with the years, and the place disappeared in 2019.

In 2022 the second oldest organic burger place is Holy Burger in Haidhausen disappeared which successfully took over a location with a long history of serving organic lunch near Bordeauxplatz. I hope its sucessor won't break with the tradition of serving organic food at this address.

The Holy Burger founders separated around 2018, and the Neuhausen Holy Burger branch changed its name to Goldene Rakete. The "golden rocket" started with three branches, with the flagship decorated with film posters in 70-ies style in Glockenbachviertel: Before corona this place was crowded and almost painfully noisy even on weekday evenings – don't come here if you actually want to converse with friends. The place does not only serve burgers (where it still sticks more or less to the Holy Burger menu), but also bowls, and salads. All meat, the seitan and chickpeas patties as well as the milk for the coffee drinks are organic. Unsurprisingly they also offer fashionable home-made lemonades (not organic). If you are in the mood for wine, gin and tonics you have organic options which are clearly marked "bio" on the menu. In addition the Aqua Monaco soft drinks and the Mondino vermouth are organic, too. On weekends the Glockenbach branch also offers breakfast.

• Goldene Rakete, Fraunhofer Str. 39, Sun–Thu(Fri–Sat) 11:30–24(2), Sat–Sun 9:30–15, during covid-19 daily 12–14:30,17–21
• Goldene Rakete, Ursulastr. 3, Mon–Thu(Fri–Sat) 12–23(24), Sun 15–22, during covid-19 daily 12–14:30,17–21
• Goldene Rakete, Schulstr. 2, Sun–Thu(Fri–Sat) 11:30–23(24), during covid-19 daily 12–14:30,17–21

Closed

• Cosmogrill, Maximilianstr. 10 (entrance via Falkenturmstr.
• Holy Burger, Wörthstr. 7

Nuremberg: Organic and partially organic restaurants and eateries

Each year Nuremberg plays host to what probably is the world's most important organic trade fair, Biofach, and the city has been wisely using the publicity that comes with the event. If you happen to be in Nuremberg around fair time you will see several communal events around organic food and agriculture. In 2016 the city organized an organic gourmet week during which participating restaurants and eateries offered fully organic gourmet meals at fixed prices even when they otherwise do so only partially. Visitors and citizens could download communally sponsored discount vouchers for these meals. Thanks to efforts like this Nuremberg has become a city where the extra effort to find organic lunch or dinner is comparatively small.

Asian

French

The first address in town is a cosy, almost 40 years old organic creperie, Ye'chet mad in the Südstadt neighbourhood. The audience is dominated by students, artists, theatre and cinema goers, professionals in art and culture and those interested in the resulting atmosphere. Many combine a visit with a movie in the adjacent arthouse cinema. You will be served a huge variety of fully organic whole-meal crepes, pleasantly thin, both sweet and savoury, as a main course and/or dessert. French salads, soups and appetizers round up the menu.

Franconian

A five minutes brisk walk from tube station Friedrich-Ebert-Platz you will find an organic pub of old, the Frankenstube. As you might expect they serve rustic local dishes, but there's a long list of vegan and vegetarian versions. Indeed, the vegan cabbage roll served with a hearty tomato sauce and pasta was very tasty, and not bland at all. All organic dishes are clearly marked as such on the menu but you should be aware (especially when it comes to meat dishes) that the ones without the bio keyword are conventional fare. The beer isn't organic (nor are the cakes), but the wine is. The place seems to be a favourite among locals, crowded even on a weekday evening.

Ever wanted to try the Franconian speciality of Schäufele? When I discovered the newly established fully organic restaurant Engelhardts 2.0 at the Hauptmarkt the day after its opening I did not notice at first that they also offered this and other meat-based dishes. Italian-inspired vegetarian sandwiches and yummy vegan Austrian "Mehlspeisen" (sweet and filling flour-based desserts which also can be eaten as a course of its own) like the Kaiserschmarrn and the Dampfnudel yeast dumpling were visible and welcome after the guided walk around the monstrosities of the Nazi party rally grounds at that cold October afternoon in 2021.

The new sister of the Engelhardts hotel restaurant with its open kitchen and clean bistrot appearance (to know that this location had been a McDonald's before explains a lot of the interior design) felt very new that day, indeed: The service was friendly but still a little slow and unconfident, and we were forced to have our vegan latte in one-way paper cups as the glasses got broken in transport. Since the latte was made with oat drink without asking I got the impression of a vegan restaurant which the place is not. A closer look at the menu showed a happy mix of regional and international soulfood, preferably made with local ingredients, and I'll most certainly give it a second try during my next stay in the city.

Burgers

Shabby chic with cartoon and neon elements make the environment for Auguste (formerly "Klein-August") in Sankt Peter south of the railway tracks. Unusually for a burger grill it's not self-service but a family-friendly pub popular with women. The kitchen closes at 10 pm (on Sundays at 9 pm). Some beer and soft drinks are organic as are the burger buns which are made from spelt, the meat and the currywurst sausage. They have a good selection of vegan and vegetarian burgers, too. The name of the place changed from Klein-August to Auguste when the bigger Auguste restaurant in the Künstlerhaus K4 next to the main train station had to close due to ongoing reconstruction work.

Vegan

If you prefer pizza or a totally vegan place (also serving burgers) head for the Veganel pizzeria and eatery in the Gostenhof neighbourhood. Aside the pizze (with plant-based cheese substitute) and burgers you can also have stews, pasta, bowls, cake and more in pleasant no-frills surroundings. The ingredients are all organic and to a great extend grown in the greater region and seasonal. There'a also choice of wheat and soy-free dishes. Unlike other eateries this one is open for dinner.

• Engelhardts Bio-Restaurant, Irrerstr. 9, Mon-Sat 17-late
• Ye'chet Mad, Brosamer Str. 12, Wed,Thu,Sun(Fri-Sat) 17-23(24), during covid-19 measures take-away Tue-Sat 17-23
• Wirtshaus Frankenstube, Pilotystr. 73, daily 11:30-1, during covid-19 measures take-away daily 11:30-19:30
• Engelhardts 2.0, Hauptmarkt 15, Mon–Sat 10:30–unknown
• Auguste, Augustenstr. 37, Mon-Fri(Sat-Sun) 17:30(12)-23, covid-19 take-away daily 12-21, delivery daily 17-21
• Veganel, Fürther Str. 43, during covid-19 delivery Fri(Sat-Sun) 17(12)-22

Ceased to exist

The following places shut down and where replaced by other, not organic ones. So don't be confused when you find references to them on the web:

• Auguste Premium-Junkfood, Königstr. 93
• Chesmu, Johannisstr. 40
• Lorenz, Lorenzer Pl. 23 (gourmet restaurant)
• Wittmann's, Beckschlagergasse 8 (gourmet restaurant)

Hamburg: (Partially) organic restaurants

While organic lunch options aren't difficult to find (namely in the neighbourhoods around Altona station) the organic evening out requires more research, especially for Monday evenings. The list I am presenting here surely isn't exhaustive since it is the result of a two-days stay, so I'm glad for additional contributions.

Mediterranean

Italian antipasti, oriental mezze, Spanish tapas or a simple pasta dish -- the organically certified wine restaurant Piccolo Paradiso serves vegetarian food from the Mediterraneans. The intimate, organically certified place breathes the atmosphere of an Italian trattoria, the home-made food owes its taste to the quality of the organic ingredients rather than the skills of an ambitious chef. So do not expect a fine dining experience, instead come to enjoy mother's versions of vegetarian starters. Advanced booking is advisable, and you shouldn't arrive too late as the kitchen closes around 10 pm. Note that the restaurant keeps closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Burgers

A small chain consisting of two restaurants Edelsatt is not an ordinary burger place: What you get here are tasty game burgers served without bread or in organic buns from the Springer organic bakery. No smoke-ladden air as in many, also high-end burger grills, tasteful decoration and reusable cotton towels in the bathrooms -- the restaurant in the Karolinenviertel neighbourhood is most certainly a place for the extended evening out with friends or the romantic dinner. A small assortment of organic softdrinks and beer (of the Stralsund-based Störtebeker brand) are being offered to accompany your meal, and if you don't feel for a game burger you may opt for a salmon, vegan quinoa or vegetarian aubergine-mozzarella one, or for a change, a game sausage. The second (older) restaurant is located in Winterhude.

If burger means fast-food to you, head for Dulf's Burger a few minutes walk in Western direction. The burgers served here are made from organic beef, and the queue in front of the place was most impressive when I decided against waiting in the rain during the "Hamburger Dom" fun fair next door. If you come here I'd be glad to hear about your experience.

Fine dining

If your budget allows for the price tags of high-end cuisine you may opt for a dinner at organically certified Landhaus Scherrer located directly at busy Elbchausee in Othmarschen, a short walk from the river promenade. While covid-19 measures are in place the affordable bistrot is closed but its menu is available in the gourmet restaurant. It mainly consists of fish, meat and offal dishes typical for the region, everyting of course refined and made with the best organic ingredients and accompanied with high-class French and German wines (if you decide for it). If you want to familiarise yourself with the bourgeois Sunday kitchen of the German north, this place decorated in country-house style is definitely worth it. The typical audience however is probably not the crowd you may be used to mingle with: elderly and arrived in predominantly tasteless, yet expensive cars, though not necessarily dressed with Hanseatic style.

• Piccolo Paradiso, Brüderstr. 27, Tue–Sat 17–23
• Edelsatt, Karolinenstr. 32, Mon(Tue–Sat) 12–21(22:30)
• Edelsatt, Mühlenkamp 8, Tue–Sat(Sun) 12(14)–22:30(21)
• Dulf's Burger, Karolinenpl. 2, Mon(Tue–Sat) 12–21(22:30)
• Landhaus Scherrer, Elbchausee 130, daily 12–15, 17–21

More to try

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

• Mamalicious, Max-Brauer-Allee 277, Mon–Tue(Wed–Fri) 9–18(22), Sat(Sun) 10–22(19) (Canadian breakfast, burgers, uses organic eggs and bacon)
• Tassajara, Eppendorfer Landstr. 4, Mon–Sat 11:30–23 (vegetarian)
• Haco, Clemens-Schultz-Str. 18 (North-German, in 2021 kitchen closed due to refurbishment, drinks only Thu–Sun 17–23)
• Haco Popup, Bernadottestr. 20, Wed–Sun 17–23 (vegan and vegetarian, only during the covid-19 pandemic)
• Central, Lange Reihe 50, Mon–Sat 17–23 (international, serves organic meat and cheese)
• Restaurant Klinker, Schlankreye 73, Mon–Fri 18–24 (summer-closed until Sep, 20 2021, generally no booking)
• Wolfs Junge, Zimmerstr. 30, Tue–Fri 12–14:30, Tue–Thu 18–23, Fri–Sat seating 17:30(20:30)–20:15(23)

Ceased to exist

The following places shut down or were replaced by other, not organic ones, although you still find them on the web:

• Restaurant Olsen, Bellealliancestr. 45 (Mediterranean, German gourmet)
• Wakuwaku, Dammtorstr. 29-32 (Asian fastfood)
• Nat, Heuberg 1 (International)

Organic Steinkjer

Norwegian smalltowns can be a frustrating experience for those used to organic food, hunting-gathering the nation-wide chains as described here. What a surprise when I spent the time waiting for a bus in Steinkjer with a stroll through the town's main street, Kongens gate. Five minutes from the train station you'll find Grønn bølge ("Green Wave"), a small friendly organic convenience store cum day cafe where you not only can buy daily supplies (surprisingly much of it from local producers, including a small selection of fresh seasonal fruit and veges) but also have a smoothie, plain coffee, home-made cookie or seasonal soup. Until 2016 the shop was located in a side street a few steps away.

For a more substantial meal in the afternoon or evening simply cross the street. Here you'll find Ox Steak House, where you can have grilled or cured beef, burgers (with home-made buns), sausages, and more from free-ranging highland cattle from a small-scale farm about 15 kilometers north-west. The animals are allowed to keep their horns, but neither the farm nor the restaurant is certified organic. The place was however recommended to me by another local farmer in the course of an exchange on free-range and organic farming. You can also order food to take away.

To dine in style at a decidedly committed organic farm you'll have to book in advance and take a taxi 12 kilometers out of town to Bjerkem organic farm and cultural heritage centre. Since September 2017 the farm has been playing host to the new organic gourmet restaurant of acclaimed Norwegian (formerly London-based) chef Kim Tore Sjøbakk, the Experience. The tasting menu consisting of 14 courses comes at 1250 NOK per person, together with matching wine and drinks at 2250 NOK. Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to dine there yet, so let me know about your experience.

• Grønn bølge, Kongens gt. 34, Mon-Wed,Fri(Thu) 10-16:30(18), Sat 10-14
• Ox Steak House, Kongens gt. 37, Tue-Thu(Fri-Sat) 17(15)-22(23), Sun 15-21
• Experience, Bjerkem farm, Såsseggvegen 399, Fri and Sat 19:30 (advance booking required)

Closed

• Grønn bølge, Svein Jarls gt. 1 (convenience store)