Munich: Organic delicatessen, groceries and corner stores

Traditional corner stores in general have been almost extinguished from the streets of Munich, surviving mainly in the form of immigrant grocery stores which unfortunately rarely stock organic items. However, there are a few survivers from the time when organic was an unknown word in supermarket chains: small supermarkets equipped with wooden shelves and as crammed to the brim as possible for orderly German souls. Usually they have everything you need for your daily life, just give you fewer choice between brands and varieties. Sometimes you'll find delicatessen the big players don't stock, and fresh produce is as fresh as from their competitors. Prices may be a few cents higher than the cheapest option in one of the retail chains, but you will be surprised to learn that many products actually are less expensive in a corner shop. In addition you may have a chat with the shop assistants, sometimes the owners themselves, and usually will be given a competent answer to questions you may have. Many of these shops have some tables and chairs where you can have a coffee, snack or vegetarian lunch.

• Traditional organic groceries
• Immigrant shops and traditional corner stores
• Delicatessen
• Herbalists and spice bazaars
• Mono-themed speciality shops
• Closed

Groceries

The (to my knowledge) oldest full retail organic neighbourhood shop in town, theLebascha in Haidhausen, was run collectively by a bunch of friendly women until they retired. The shop would have been lost for the neighbourhood if not the distributor had been tieing up strings with the community supported co-operative Ökoesel ("eco donkey" is derived from a pet name for bicycles – "Drahtesel" – as they started up as a bicycle delivery service) in Neuhausen. Since 9th of July, 2022 the base line of the shop has been financed by membership fees (depending on self-assessment), but Lebascha continues to be open for everyone: None-members simply pay (a usually low) market-price, members are entitled to discounts (usually between 12 and 20 percent). With its (conventional) liquorice shop-in-shop (to my knowledge offering the largest selection liquorice in town) the Lebascha also is a hot tip for aficionados. An assortment of loose-weight herbs and spices, and a basic range of loose-weight cereals, nuts, legumes and grains, detergents and soap make the Lebascha the only surviving zero-waste shop near Ostbahnhof. Note that it is closed on Wednesdays and does not accept cards, but members may chalk up and pay later.

A few corners away from tube stop Implerstraße in Sendling the neighbourhood grocery Hollerbusch ("elderbush") offers vegan and vegetarian lunch as well as yoga, pilates or singing lessons in a backroom. The shop is also a delivery hub for the Munich based community supported agriculture project Kartoffelkombinat and offers gravity bins to refill dry food and reduce package waste.

Immigrant shops and traditional corner stores

While these small supermarkets cater for all daily necessities including fresh fruits and veges there's no such thing as an all-organic immigrant grocery focussing on the latter and supplementing with a selection of dry goods and delicatessen from their owner's place of birth. The nearest you come is Giesinger Fruchtmarkt near tube-stop Kolumbusplatz. As about three quarters of the fruits and veges as well as most of the Italian delicatessen are conventional you have to carefully watch out for the bio keyword. Apart from organic greens they also offer organic choices for olive oil, wine, pasta and cheese.

A similar owner-run mini market, Varieta am Körner Eck, is located in the Glockenbach neighbourhood, on Auenstraße between the Reichenbach and the Cornelius bridges. The bakery items are all organic, and organic products in the self-service area are clearly marked "bio" on the shelf. The shop offers a lot of directly imported Italian dry food, but unfortunately none of it in organic quality. Also most of the fresh fruits and veges are conventionally produced.

Remember the tales of parents or grandparents about the corner shop they went to as children to buy a single sweet which the shop keeper would put down on a list for their parents to pay later on when they came to shop bread, milk, veges and all the ingredients for the home-cooked meal? The spirit of these shops from the past you may find left in some immigrant shops and this is the reason why I list the Viktualieneck in Bogenhausen in this section. I learned about this crammed greengrocer's shop opposing the newly build neighbourhood of Prinz-Eugen-Park on my quest for shops supporting package-free shopping, but when I went there it turned out a likeable traditional supermarket offering fresh fruits and veges, regional delicatessen, bread and rolls, wine and all kinds of food. About half of it is organic, namely all the bakery products and certainly more than half of the pre-packaged food. Most of the fresh fruits and veges come from a conventional local market garden – the turnaround for organic greens wasn't good enough among his customers, and his emphasis was on avoiding waste the shop keeper told me. Package-free shopping is possible for all fruits and veges as well as all items from the bakery, meat and cheese counter. I cannot tell you whether the shop chalks up for trustworthy customers, but if you are in the vicinity support this shop instead of the supermarket chains nearby.

Delicatessen

The upmarket contrast to these somewhat shabby grocery stores is naturally to be found in the posh neighbourhood of the Lehel: Studio Hindiba offers oils, herbs and condiments, olives, all types of rice, the famed ferments of Berlin's Markus Shimizu, a carefully selected range of wines and other predominantly organic delicatessen. For the smaller purse it may be just a beautyful shop to marvel at, but if your budget isn't painfully tight it's the perfect place to shop a foodie gift for someone special.

A few steps from Wiener Platz you'll find Steinbeißer, a cosy owner-driven deli advertising 'regional specialities'. Take this with a grain of salt – the organic Italian olive oil and Scandinavian candies (not organic) are small-scale produce specific to their region of origin, but certainly not from the greater Munich area. Most meat products come from small-scale Austrian farms which are likely to produce according to near-organic principles. Certified organic products unfortunately do not dominate the pleasantly arranged tables and shelves with artisanal products – predominantly foodstuffs and wine, but you may ask the owner about the provenance of his fare.

Wine, pepper and coffee from carefully selected small-scale producers, that's the focus of Grenzgänger ("border crosser"), a lovely shop directly located at the beautiful Bordeaux-Platz in Haidhausen, just opposite Café Reichshof. When you come here during the cold season you may find yourself welcomed by the warmth of a fireplace, and you can get a speciality coffee (14 types of Arabica to choose from) into your own mug. During covid-19 restrictions cream-ware cups aren't provided, so if you come without a mug you will be charged an extra 20 cent for a plastics-free one-way cup. Unfortunately most of the products aren't certified organic, with the notable exception of the Demeter-certified honey and bee wax candles of a local beekeeper who is working in accordance with biodynamic principles, i.e. the gold standard for animal welfare.

Specializing in cheese and supplements – wine, olives, oil, herbs, condiments, to name a few – the Luigino's booth in the Southern part of Viktualienmarkt, opposite the crossing of Reichenbachstraße and Blumenstraße is the perfect place to shop for a picnic or the no-frills romantic candle light dinner. Once an almost entirely organic cheese booth the percentage of organic products on sale has diminished during the past years: mainly due to the advent of artisanal, yet conventional Italian cured meats, partially due to a lesser focus on organic labels on the selection of cheeses. When ordering an Italian-style sandwich to take away you may wish to enquire about the ingredients and probably stick to the vegetarian ones since the Italian cured meat products usually are not organic. The owner once run a delicatessen in Maxvorstand which was replaced by an organic ice-cream parlour in 2018.

Herbs and spices

Not exactly a spice bazaar, but a pleasant spice and herbs shop Gewürze der Welt ("spices of the world") had a long tradition on its former location in Thiereckstraße in the very city centre, but when the historic Ruffini house re-opened after a two-year period of restoration work in 2020, the shop moved back to its roots in the Sendlinger Straße (now) pedestrian area. As the name suggests you will find a world of spices, herbs, blends and condiments, a notable part of them in organic quality.

Munich's first organically certified herbalist is tucked away in a non-descript side road near Sendlinger-Tor-Platz, just a few steps aside the remnants of the Glockenbach neighbourhood's famous queer bars. Light and friendly the Kräutergarten offers all kinds of organic dried herbs, spices, natural cosmetics and the like.

Sonnentor, the leading Austrian producer of organic herbs and spices, has a shop in Munich, too: Located in the basement of Stachus-Passagen, a generally boring shopping mall a level above this central urban train and tube station, it's probably not the shop that you'll find by accident while taking a stroll through the city. Apart from herbs, spices and condiments they also have a selection of natural body care – an easy place to shop for a nice last-minute give-away.

Special shops

The only operating corn mill in Munich with its cosy mill shop is located in a small street a few steps from the tourist hotspots of Marienplatz and Hofbräuhaus. The Hofbräuhaus-Kunstmühle offers all types of flour, bruised grains, semolina, bran and cereals, predominantly of corn grown in the region. An increasing number of these artisanal products are organic, so watch out for the 'bio' keyword on the classic paper bags or the listings of the web shop. These products are also the base ingredients for the artisanal home bakery E. Knapp & R. Wenig next door where you can buy hand-made bread and rolls based on traditional, predominantly Munich recipes. The mill shop also stocks a selection of organic dried fruit, olive oil, raising agents and other baking ingredients as well as dry breads like South-Tyrolean Schüttelbrot.

Another very special mono-themed shop, Hanf – der etwas andere Bioladen, sells everything containing THC-free hemp: beer, lemonades, cookies, bars, tea, ice-cream, chocolates, body care, clothes, liquids, pet food and more. Although the name suggests it not all products are certified organic, especially not in the non-food range, but the sheer number of goods based on this versatile plant is quite impressive. The main shop (which is closed on Mondays) isn't located in the most inviting part of town but can easily be reached from Leuchtenbergring urban train stop. But wait: in 2019 a second one opened at a tourist-friendly location between Isartor and Marienplatz.

• Lebascha, Breisacher Str. 12, Mon–Tue,Thu–Fri(Sat) 10–19(14)
• Hollerbusch, Daiserstr. 5, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8(9)–14(18), Mon–Fri 16–20
• Giesinger Fruchtmarkt, Humboldtstr. 27, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9–20(16)
• Varieta am Körnereck, Körnerstr. 5, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8(8:30)–20
• Viktualieneck, Cosimastr. 127, Mon–Fri(Sat) 7–19(16)
• Studio Hindiba, Thierschstr. 23, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10–19(16)
• Steinbeißer, Steinstr. 25, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10(9:30)–18(17)
• Grenzgänger, Wörthstr. 18, Tue-Fri(Sat) 11(10)–19(14:30)
• Luiginos Bio-Feinkäse, Viktualienmarkt Abt. III, Mon–Sat 9:30–19
• Gewürze der Welt, Sendlinger Str. 1, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10–19(18)
• Kräutergarten, Pestalozzistr. 3, Mon–Sat 10–12,13–18
• Sonnentor Stachus, Stachus-Passagen, Karlsplatz 1 (basement), Mon–Sat 9:30–20
• Hofbräuhaus-Kunstmühle, Neuturmstr. 3, shop Mon–Sat 10–18, bakery Mon–Sat 7:30–19
• Hanf – der etwas andere Bioladen, Einsteinstr. 163, Mon–Fri(Sat) 11–19(16)
• Hanfladen München Tal, Tal 40, Mon–Tue(Wed–Sat) 12(10)–20

Ceased to exist

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

• Foodies, Amalienstr. 87–89 (raw, vegan superfoods)
• Kornkammer, Haimhauser Str. 3a
• Luigino's, Türkenstr. 53 (replaced by an organic ice-cream parlour cum cafe: Bartu)
• Mutter Erde, Amalienstr. 89 within Amalienpassage (traditional organic corner shop offering organic lunch)

Organic Trondheim: Restaurants and Cafes

As a university city Trondheim has had a few places offering partially organic lunch for almost a generation, both, of the home-made vegetarian food kind, and those with a fine dining approach. Some of the pioneers closed their kitchens quite recently, others re-opened in larger locations after a closing period and fostered an entire cluster of restaurants based on ingredients from organic farms in the greater region. Coffee houses and cafes serving fairly traded coffee drinks with organic milk have been coming and going, but if you put a little effort in where to go you will find both, places for a quick coffee or sandwich, places to have a great time with friends, and inspiring eating experiences.

For a lunch or breakfast sandwich head for the cafe in the backroom of the organic Godt Brød bakery near Nordre gate, one of the pioneers of organic food in Norway. Choose the filling of your sandwich or savory bread roll (all ingredients except the Italian-style salami cut are organic), have a decent coffee drink (the milk is organic), tea, a sweet organic bread roll ("bolle"), and/or an organic juice (e.g. from the nearby Rotvoll juicery in Ranheim which has its own organic grocery on their premises). About half of the cold drinks are not organic, so check for the "økologisk" keyword. During the warm season, treat yourself with a pre-packaged organic ice-cream from Reins Kloster. Everything is offered to take away, too. Notable fact for vegans: The dough for the sweet bread rolls is dairy-free, the bakery uses porridge made from oat and water and rapeseed oil instead of milk.

The company has expanded vastly in the past few years, with shop openings in Oslo (which by now also hosts the headquarter), Stavanger, Bergen and a few other places and last but not least at its birthplace: If you cannot find a spare seat in the cafe where it all began simply walk a few more steps to Dronningensgate. With its upmarket shop front it's the perfect place for a coffee date.

A short stroll over the bridge there's a third branch by the waterfront, inside the Solsiden shopping mall with even longer opening hours. They have a spacious sitting area outdoor, although its use is limited due to the ever changing weather in Trondheim. Good to know: All Godt Brød branches accept anonymous payments without data traces, using cash.

Heartier food like organic egg and bacon for breakfast or lamb burgers for lunch or dinner, together with organic softdrinks can be had at Ramp Pub and Spiseri at Svartlamon. Vegetarian options are available. Service at this shabby-homely place may be a little slow, and not all of the ingredients are organic. Formerly entirely furnished with formica tables and chairs the interior has improved since, but gentrification hasn't replaced the proletarian chic yet. The kitchen closes at 9 pm.

Real organic food, vegan and vegetarian, is served at neighbourhood Cafe Stammen in Kongens gate. Unfortunately their opening hours are rather limited, so I haven't been able to pay a visit yet. Let me know about your experience if you happen to eat there before me.

Simple seasonal lunch with the little extra, home-made predominantly from produce of small-scale organic (though not necessarily certified) farms from the Trøndelag region, sourdough bread of traditional grains from the adjacent bakery, coffee and books, this is Sellanraa next to the city library and Kunsthall museum. Unfortunately they do not serve dinner and are closed on Sundays.

Fine dining based on local organic produce started with restaurant Credo in an old narrow street in the city center of Trondheim many years ago. The place had to close, but after a break, master-mind and chef Heidi Bjerkan started anew on new, formerly industrial locations in Lilleby. There are now three restaurants for various budgets, and a bakery: fine dining at Credo, informal rustic brunch, lunch and dinner at Jossa, and ramen soups with a Norwegian touch at Edoramen, run by different chefs who all share the love for unadultered, sustainable food. However, Michelin-decorated Credo is going to close by the end of January, 2024, to re-open on the premises of the National Library in Oslo, during summer or autumn, 2024. Let's hope that Jossa and Edoramen are going to survive without their mastermind. All places are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays as well as during the Easter and X-Mas holidays.

At the airport

Airports generally aren't the place for a conscious lifestyle, but if you cannot avoid to fly from Trondheim Airport Værnes you may at least have an organic coffee past security at Haven next to gate 35.

• Godt Brød, Thomas Angells gt. 16, Mon–Fri 7:30–17, Sat(Sun) 9(10)–17
• Godt Brød Solsiden, Beddingen 10, Mon–Fri 6:30–21, Sat(Sun) 9(10)–18(17)
• Godt Brød, Dronningensgt. 32, Mon–Fri 6:30–19, Sat(Sun) 7(8)–19
• Ramp Pub & Spiseri, Strandveien 25a, Mon–Wed(Thu–Fri) 16–23(1), Sat(Sun) 13–1(23)
• Stammen, Kongens gt. 55, Fri(Sat) 17(13)–23
• Sellanraa bok&bar, Kongens gt. 2, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10(11)–18
• Credo, Ladeveien 9, Wed–Sat 17:30–22 (until end of January, 2023)
• Jossa, Ladeveien 9, Wed–Fri(Sat) 16(12)–0:30, Sun 12–16
• Edoramen, Ladeveien 9c, Wed–Sun 16–21
• Haven, Trondheim lufthavn Værnes, next to gate 35

Permanently closed or no longer organic

The following places are either closed, with references remaining on the web, or ceased to offer organic items:

• Credo, Ørjaveita 4 (partially organic gourmet restaurant, re-opened on new location)
• Kafé Soil, Nedre Bakklandet 20d
• Makro Buffet og Restaurant, Prinsens gt. 4c (partially organic macrobiotic eatery)
• Trondheim Mathall, Prinsens gt. 30 (partially organic restaurant and delicatessen)
• Persilleriet, Erling Skakkes gt. 39 (one of the pioneers of organic vegetarian food in Trondheim, replaced by a vegan lunch bar, Erlings, where you perhaps also will find some organic items if you ask)
• Persilleriet St. Olavs Hospital, Olav Kyrres gt. 13
• Selma, TMV kaia 13 (pizza)
• Dromedar Kaffebar (various places, do no longer have anything organic)

Leipzig: Sunday-open organic shops

The Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (main station) is not just Europe's largest head train station with fine arched halls and a generous concourse, it's also home to a Sunday-open two-storey shopping mall dubbed "Promenaden". The shops are predominantly branches of the same boring chains as everywhere but since organic products have been entering the main stream this mall not only gives you the opportunity to replenish stocks when everything else is closed but allows the traveller to quickly shop for organic provisions while changing trains or while the locomotive of their train is being exchanged.

The mall is situated below track level, just walk right away to the arrival hall and take the escalator stairs down. All shops mentioned here are located on ground floor, i.e. one level below the long distance trains.

Your first option is a 100 percent organic supermarket near the Western entry of the mall: The nation-wide operating Alnatura chain is running one of the smaller Alnatura Express convenience stores for last minute provisions here. It can be reached easily from track 2 by a moving walkway. Downstairs turn right (facing away from the tracks), and there you'll easily spot the fresh-green coloured shop – a provider not only of all daily necessities, but also of fully organic snacks and coffee on the go.

For those who wish to refill their drinking bottle with tea or infusion, the "Tea(bag) of the week" comes at the unbeatable price of 1 EUR. The staff will happily fill your entire bottle with hot tea water if you ask nicely. Unfortunately opening hours on Sundays are limited to the afternoon.

When you find it closed do not despair: Next to it a Rossmann drugstore offers a good selection of organic dry goods, preserves, drinks and natural body care, though less than the DM branch mentioned below. If in a hurry you can buy the following brands without hesitation: "Alverde", "Sante", "Lavera", "Weleda" (toiletries), "EnerBio" and "Veganz" (food, the latter is entirely vegan). Since 2020 the range of environmentally friendlier household items has been on the rise: now you'll find the entire list of grandma's cleaning chemicals in the shelves, both citric and acetic acid as well as soda, beeswax food wraps and more, and in 2021 the company launched their own brand of environmentally certified range of cleaning products, "ecofreude".

The Eastern-most part of the mall (to the right when facing the tracks) houses a branch of the DM Drogeriemarkt offering an abundance of certified organic dry goods, preserves, drinks, natural body care and eco-friendly household chemicals (see here for a detailed description), in short: everything you need while travelling except for fresh and frozen food.

Still in the East wing though more central you'll find a Vitalia wholefood market which in addition to dry goods, sweets and snacks, toiletries and detergents also sells fresh food: Here you can get organic bakery items and and sandwiches, fresh dairy products and a small selection of organic fresh fruit and veges. Prices here are more upmarket than at the DM branch, and you have to check for organic labels, too, though to a lesser extend. If in doubt the staff is more competent than the one in the drugstore superstores and they are two hours longer open on Sundays than the Alnatura.

If in the mood for a good coffee a difficult question might bother the eco-conscious traveller: Should I have an organic coffee made by the coffee automat of the Alnatura snack bar or do I rather prefer a properly pressure-made yet conventional espresso in the beautiful bookshop cafe Ludwig on track level? I'd love to recommend the latter in this blog but organic ingredients are limited to organic syrup to flavour the coffee and iced tea of Coca Cola's organic brand "Honest". The coffee bar used to have organic apple spritzer but unfortunately no longer. With its beautiful ceiling the well-assorted bookstore however is worth visiting in its own right. While the book shop keeps open longer the cafe is closing at 6 pm.

City centre

If you have the time to take a stroll into the city centre, make sure to pay a visit to the bakery of the Macis restaurant a little south of the Thomaskirche yard with the famous Bach memorial, if only to marvel at the mouth-watering fully organic and skillfully decorated cakes and club sandwiches in the shop window. Unlike the organic convenience store next to it the bakery keeps open on Sunday mornings, and if you buy of their artisanal breads some organic butter is absolutely sufficient for a gorgeous picnic.

• Alnatura Express, Hauptbahnhof, Willy-Brandt-Pl. 7, ground floor West wing, Mon–Sat(Sun) 8(11)–21(19)
• Rossmann Drogeriemarkt, Hauptbahnhof, Willy-Brandt-Pl. 5, ground floor, West wing, Mon–Sat(Sun) 8(9:30)–21(20)
• Reformhaus Vitalia, Hauptbahnhof, Willy-Brandt-Pl. 5, ground flour East wing, Mon–Sat(Sun) 9(12)–20(18), PH 13–18
• DM-Drogeriemarkt, Hauptbahnhof, Willy-Brandt-Pl. 7, ground floor East wing, Mon–Sat(Sun) 8(9:30)–21(20)
• Macis-Biobäckerei, Markgrafenstr. 10, Mon–Sat(Sun) 7(8)–20(14)

Dresden: Organic supermarkets and groceries

Organic wholesale in the capital of Saxony (which is governed by a red-red-green coalition) used to be dominated by the local economy, but since the oldest organic supermarket in town, Biosphäre, became part of the nation-wide Denn's chain in 2018, the picture has been resembling the one in other German metropolises: The market is devided between two local actors, a regional one and two of the nation-wide operating grocery chains, with a hand-full of smaller corner shops filling niches.

The largest density of organic supermarkets can naturally be found in the vibrant Wilhelminian style quarter of Neustadt north of the river Elbe with its – gentrification aside – still predominantly left-wing population of artists, students, activists, tourists, hipsters and bourgeois green-party voters.

Neustadt

It hasn't been always this way, but walking the old streets of Innere Neustadt with open eyes will present you with an abundance of shops and eateries boosting of vegetarian and vegan products. Many of them use organic produce, but won't advertise it – partially because they blend with conventional products, and use of organic ingredients will vary, partially in fear of being prejudged as expensive. Fortunately it is nowadays easier to find an organic supermarket in this neighbourhood than a conventional one, so if you're tired of asking just walk to the next crossroad, and there you are.

The former Biosphäre markets are located here: the older one on Königsbrücker Landstraße opposite Schauburg theatre, and an even larger one in Alaunstraße a few metres from Albertplatz which replaced a conventional supermarket. Both have a self-service area where you can have coffee, cakes, pastry, sandwiches at any time of the day, and soups for lunch. Students are entitled a 10 percent discount on Wednesdays. Recently the shop in Alaunstraße also took a small effort to support package-free shopping.

Berlin-based organic supermarket chain Bio Company has a branch a little south along the tramway tracks on Königsbrücker Landstraße. Just like the Denn's branches it closes at liberal 9 pm. The Bio Company stores recently introduced fill-yourself stations with dry food and sweets. This shop offers more refill options that the one near Blaues Wunder bridge.

If you despair in face of the piles of plastics and paper wrappings you've been collecting while doing your regular shopping, re-use your glasses, containers and bags and refill them at Lose, a cosy zero-waste corner store in Böhmische Straße.

Altstadt

The Denn's Biomarkt chain not only took over the two former Biosphäre markets in the Neustadt but also opened a new supermarket within the Altmarktgalerie shopping mall.

Near Bahnhof Mitte train station you'll find the main branch of VG Biomarkt, an organic co-operative which not only supports your zero-waste efforts but also sports its own organic fashion store.

Striesen, Blasewitz, Loschwitz, Johannstadt

The neighbourhoods along the river shore on the east side of town sport several branches of the zero-waste friendly VG Biomarkt food co-operative.

South of the Blaues Wunder bridge, local butcher's chain Vorwerk Podemus has one of its pleasant wholesale supermarkets. First address for shortly travelled organic meat of animals which had a decent life. They also have branches in the neighbourhoods of Gruna, Neustadt, Alttolkewitz as well as a farmshop. While the Podemus shops do not offer food in gravity bins, they have been increasing their product range with jogurt, honey and jams in 250 ml deposit glasses lately. Make sure to return them in any organic supermarket.

Another option in the neighbourhood of Blasewitz is the second Bio Company branch in town. Just like in the Neustadt branch the bakery disk caters for the early bird from 7:30 am.

The only branch of a nation-wide operating organic grocery chain so far is Alnatura on tram hub Straßburger Platz which many locals still refer to by its old name from GDR times, "Fucikplatz".

Bühlau, Weißer Hirsch

To find fully organic groceries on top of the hillside North of the Blaues Wunder bridge, in the elegant residential area of Weißer Hirsch and adjacent Bühlau interestingly proves to be more difficult. What I found instead was the shop of a small-scale vegan manufacturer, Vegannett (a pun made of the words "vegan" and "nice", while the second part of the name also refers to the name of the owner-founder, Annett). On the premises of a former partially organic butcher's shop she prepares vegetable spreads which you can buy in many of the aforementioned supermarkets. But if you happen to be there on a Wednesday afternoon, pay a visit, taste and shop. In addition to the spreads you can also buy local honey. And the best: Since 2022 the spreads have been coming in deposit glasses!

Klotzsche

If you fancy a stroll in the woods of Dresdner Heide or are on the way from or to the airport make sure to have sufficient time to visit the beautifully restored historical train station Klotzsche with its Vorwerk Podemus supermarket and the organic station restaurant, both catering for the early bird.

• Denn's Biomarkt (former Biosphäre), Königsbrücker Str. 76 (entrance Bischofsweg), Mon-Sat 8-21
• Denn's Biomarkt (former Biosphäre), Alaunstr. 8, Mon-Sat 8-21
• Denn's Biomarkt Altmarkgalerie, Webergasse 1, Mon-Sat 9:30-21
• Vorwerk Podemus am Schillerplatz, Hübler Str. 3, Mon-Fri(Sat) 8-20(16)
• Vorwerk Podemus Bahnhof Klotzsche, Zur Neuen Brücke 4a, Mon-Fri(Sat) 7-19(16)
• Bio Company, Königsbrücker Str. 34, Mon-Sat 8-21 (bakery shop open from 7:30)
• Bio Company Blasewitz, Tolkewitzer Str. 8-10, Mon-Sat 8-20 (bakery shop open from 7:30)
• Alnatura, Straßburger Pl. 1, Mon-Sat 8-20
• Vegannett, Bautzner Landstr. 144, Wed 15-18

Closed down

The following (partially) organic supermarkets do no longer exist although you will still find references to them on the web:

• Vorwerk Podemus Hauptbahnhof, Wiener Pl. 4
• Bio Company Postplatz, Postplatz 2b
• We love vegan, Bautzner Str. 24 (Neustadt)
• Bio-top-fit, Martin-Luther-Str.17 (Neustadt)

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)