Göttingen: Zero Waste

While thriving during the covid-19 pandemics, package-free supermarkets have been facing hard times thereafter, and in big cities with high rents we've seen a wave of shop closings. Even the beautiful grocery Wunderbar unverpackt ("Wonderfully devoid of packaging") which opened in May 2018 wasn't able to survive and closed for good in 2023.

To refill dry food supplies from gravity bins pay a visit to the Naturalia grocery at Wöhlerplatz, a traditional crammed organic corner shop which offers a small assortment of dry food (pasta, cereals, nuts, rice and the like) in self-service dispensers. Apart from this eggs, bakery items, fruits, veges and cheese can be taken home in your own jars and bags. In addition the place is also a tea shop – so bring your tea boxes for refill. If you stay in town for a longer period of time consider to collect stamps on the Göttingen Climate Card ("Klima-Karte") here each time you use your own bag or box. When you collect 16 stamps from a number of (not necessarily organic) shops, market boothes and restaurants in town you will be rewarded with a climate-positive goodie bag and earn support for climate projects in town. The shop-keeper seems to run a small farm herself as she asks for apologies in case she'd appear in the shop past 10 am, to help sheep giving birth.

The second organic grocery to collect Climate Card stamps from is the Bioladen an der Burgstraße, a dedicated anti-fascist neighbourhood grocery next to Cafe Inti. A few years ago this cosy full-retailer replaced a branch of an organic bakery based in Klein Lengden with shops both there and in Göttingen, delivering to many organic markets in the greater region. The Sunday-open place has the air of a traditional organic corner shop and makes an extra effort to offer products packaged in returnable glasses, among others wine gums. More liquorice and jellies can be bought by the gram, and together with the cheese and bakery counter (which fills about half of the entire location), the racks with fruit and veges and the dairy products and drinks in deposit glasses and bottles my estimate is that more than half of the goods can be bought without disposable packaging.

The shop also has an innovative approach to keep away wasps from ripe fruits: small trays filled with over-ripe fruit juice on a window sill a little apart from the entrance attract the insects which are occupied there as long as you don't disturb them.

The Gemüseladen in the Western suburb of Geismar, near the church of St. Martin, is not participating in the Klima-Karte scheme. However, this organic greengrocery is offering an abundance of regional produce which you can take home in your own bags.

On the other side of the street you'll find Le Bol, a bio-dynamic organic French-German artisanal sourdough bakery – according to locals making the best bread in town. Needless to say that you can come with your own bag and that the bread keeps fresh much longer than ordinary fare. Given that the baker has to rise early so you can have fresh bread in the morning, opening hours are restricted to the morning ihours except on Thursdays.

If you are on a bike tour or stay in town a little longer consider a visit to the Naturmilchhof Gartetal organic dairy farm. To get their continue from Geismar to the village of Diemarden about four to five kilometres away. Buying fresh milk, oat drink, yogurt, kefir or cheeses from the farm's own dairy is unfortunately somewhat inconvenient as you must register at the farm's web shop to use their self-service farmshop guarded by surveillance cameras. Then you would use the computer inside the shop to register your purchase, and your debt will be detracted from your bank account. I haven't checked whether this works with any European bank account. All liquid and semi-liquid products come in returnable plastic bottles and jars with a deposit. The shop is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Household items supporting a package-free lifestyle can be found at the factory outlet of the eco postal order shop Waschbär near Geismartor. Here you may also refill cleaning agents, liquid soap and detergents to get a stamp on your Climate Card. Unfortunately the shop is going to close for good by the end of October, 2024.

For loose weight organic tea you may also pay a visit to Tee Gschwendner. Just like other franchises of this brand they sell more conventional than organic teas, but the shop assistants will show the right sorts when you ask for "bee-o" (bio) teas and place your tea box on the till.

• Naturalia Naturkost, Kurze Str. 17, Mon-Fri(Sat) 10–18(13)
• Bioladen an der Burgstraße, Burgstr. 18, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8:30(8)–18(14), Sun 9:30–11
• Der Gemüseladen, Bäckergasse 1b, Geismar, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–18(13), Sat in July/August 8–12
• Le Bol, , Tue–Wed,Fri–Sat(Thu) 9(15)–12(18)
• Naturmilchhof Gartetal, Schwarze Gasse 6, Mon–Sat 8–18
• Waschbär, Kurze Geismar-Str. 5–7, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10–19(18)
• Tee Gschwendner, Kornmarkt 9, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10–18(17)

Closed

• Wunderbar unverpackt, Groner-Tor-Str. 22 (there's still a shop in Braunschweig)

Göttingen: Organic ice-cream

Little is more comforting in the warm season than a stroll with an arisanal ice-cream in a wafer cone. Unfortunately this fairly innocent pleasure has almost become a luxury due to the significant increase in price we've seen in the past years. In the inner city of Göttingen a scoop of ice-cream made from organic milk comes at 1.90 EUR in 2024.

My favourite comes from Helados Inti, the ice-cream bar of Café Inti, next to the Bioladen in der Burgstraße which is less sweet than its competitor. Apart from the usual flavours they offered a delightful cottage cheese ice-cream. Needless to say that they also offer several fruit sorbets as a vegan option. You should however don't come (too) late: By 10pm the staff will have prepared everything for closing, and the ice-cream seems to disappear first.

While nothing at the "Helados Inti" shop hints the use of organic ingredients, the ice-cream shop of the Preferita pizzeria cum cafe in the Kurze-Geismar-Straße pedestrian zone proudly advertises the use of organic milk. However, without this I wouldn't have guessed the main ingredient was organic as the flavours are not allowed to speak for themselves but are drowned in sweetness, and the flavouring agents are definitely not organic. However, the ice-cream doesn't seem to be "enhanced" with "magic powders". In additions to the milk-based ice-creams there are vegan fruit varieties. The cafe itself offers organic juices and even an organic amaro.

Next to St. Nikolai church opposite the "Weltladen" a small almost invisible ice-cream parlour offers "ice-cream from [whitespace] milk". The whitespace grasped my attention, so I asked the owner who hesitatingly hinted that not only the milk but also the sugar would be organic. However, since his shop dubbed Smiles doesn't have an organic certificate he isn't allowed to advertise this. He seemed to have experienced an unpleasant situation with the authorities related to the attribute that in the past had filled the void.

His ice-cream comes in unusual flavours like "something with fruit and ananas" or "orange biscuits". It's 10 cents more expensive than the shops described above and also a little too sweet to my taste. But the red-white whisper phone at the entrance is worth this little extra! It leads to a plastic playground booth inside the shop where children are invited to play ice-cream seller and receive the "orders" via the phone.

• Helados Inti, Burgstr. 17, Mon–Sat(Sun/PH) 9(10)–21:30
• La Preferita, Kurze-Geismar-Str. 11, daily 11–20
• Smiles, Nikolaistr. 21, Tue–Sat(Sun) 12(14)–19(18)

Munich: Organic Ice-cream

Every organic supermarket big enough to be equipped with a freezer will sell you iced-lollies or pre-packaged cups of ice-cream, at least during the warm season. But for the real thing you need to know where to find your small scale artisanal organic ice-cream parlour. Fortunately there are sufficient options to find your favourite one, unfortunately only a few of them sell their fare in organic wafer cones. The covid-19 pandemic introduced ice-cream seasons starting as early as February (e.g. at the Bartu shops and True & 12 at the Gasteig), often restricted to nice spring afternoons, but usually you can expect the ice-cream to appear at the beginning of April.

Arguably the best ice-cream in town is made by former shoe-pusher Thomas Bartu and his crew in Schwabing – and the best: Unlike all other ice-cream parlours they run their shops the entire year around. Just like the best ice-cream parlours in Italy they cover their 24 types of ice-cream hygienically instead of displaying them for show-off. All ingredients are listed on big and nicely layouted wallpapers, leaving no questions open for vegans or people with allergies. Children under 13 years pay less (1.70 €) for the scoop than adults (2 €). You can also have a good (though not organic) cup of Italian-style coffee or an organic soft-drink, and a yummy organic pizza. If you haven't had enough you can choose from an ever changing selection of Bartu ice-creams to take away in reusable containers. And the best: They don't close their shop during the cold season. On the other hand don't count on opening hours longer than the regular 10 pm; in fact they often close about ten minutes before.

Summer 2018 saw the opening of a second Bartu ice-cream parlour in the Maxvorstadt. The nicely styled cafe – with tables and all – is located next to the Gratitude restaurant. If you fancy a caffe affogato (Italian espresso with ice-cream) have it the Italian way, with Fior di latte instead of vanilla ice-cream. They also serve organic tea, soups and soft drinks, and since the covid-19 winter of 2020/21 you can also have a one-pot organic lunch. Fortunately the the wafer cones are back, so are no longer inclined to produce waste. Although the shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the cold season you may be lucky on nice weather Mondays and Tuesdays in spring when the shop nevertheless opens at noon.

While Thomas Bartu occassionally extends his sales with various pop-up stores he doesn't seem inclined to expand his business into a chain. So here was a niche which Stefano di Giglio of Del Fiore tried to fill: He and his team started with three gelaterie at once in 2017, of which only one was left by 2021. You'll find it in Schwabing, near the university quarter's entrance to the Englischer Garten, and I am inclined to say that it is run by independent owners.

Di Giglio seems to concentrate on ice-cream making for local third-party vendors like organic supermarkets and cafes. In the summer of 2021 I found the NY-style Occam Deli in Schwabing to sell Del Fiore ice-cream to passers-by, and since 2022 the tramstop cafe Il Chiosco at the Ostfriedhof graveyard has not only been beautifying an ugly crossroad of Tegernseer Landstraße, but allowing for an organic ice-cream while you wait for the tram. Both, the milk-based flavours and the sorbets, are fully organic and extremely palatable, though quite pricey. Il Chiosco concludes the ice-cream season at the beginning of November.

A stroll along the Isar river to the Western shore of Wittelsbacher bridge gives you another opportunity for a partially organic ice-cream stop: The ChocoLab cafe cum chocolaterie at Baldeplatz is not organic in general, but the dairy ice-cream sold here is made from organic milk.

Where would you expect organic and vegan ice-cream to go if not in the university quarter? A two-minutes walk from the Northern exit of the tube station "Universität" in the Maxvorstand neighbourhood you'll find IceDate serving date and cashew-based ice-cream varieties. I prefer their strong flavours like the chocolate varieties or coffee; the more subtle ones like hemp or green tea often need polishing. A scoop goes for 3 EUR in 2024, and every serving is topped with a small quantity of an additional flavour. Bad weather is no issue since they have a pleasant indoors sitting area.

Amid the covid-19 spring of 2020 a second branch opened next to the Tushita tea house, in humming Glockenbachviertel, and a mobile IceDate booth can also be found on many street festivals in the city.

In the neighbourhood of Haidhausen you have three possible targets: Cosy though buzzing Café Reichshof a five minutes brisk walk from Ostbahnhof station offers home-made ice-cream spring through early autumn, though you may be tempted to indulge yourself in one of their gorgeous cakes instead (or have both?)

The stuccoed ceiling with candelabras play well together with the wooden shelves of the bakery display, making for an inviting yet not overwhelming interior. During the warm season you may prefer to sit outside facing relaxing Bordeauxplatz. Be prepared to queue on nice-weather days, but since the service is swift, efficient and friendly waiting will usually take shorter time than expected. The Neulinger's ice-cream season ends in October. A single serving goes for 2.50 euros in 2024, with a small discount for each additional flavour, served in organic wafer cones.

As the shop participates in the Hey (formerly Brot am Haken) campaign you may buy a coffee, bread or cake voucher for someone in need. If you buy a coffee drink to take away in your own or a Recup cup you'll get 10 cents off for sparing the environment

In November 2019 the entire location underwent major work to re-establish the coffee house of old on the premises of the former bakery workshop (the work is now done in the new facilities at the wholesale market area of Sendling), resulting in a true jewel. Spacious and family friendly, in the tradition of the great coffee houses of the 1920ies it's a recommended hideout, both for breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch or a coffee break. Due to shortage in staff the cafe is self-serviced: Order and pay at the counter and fetch your order from there.

Café Reichshof is not the only branch of Bäckerei Neulinger, an artisanal organic bakery: There are two older shops in the neighbourhood of Neuhausen and a new cafe cum bakery located in the former meat-packing district, the Schlachthofviertel. In 2018 the Neulinger family moved its "headquarter" from Neuhausen to Sendling, to the premises of a former banana ripening facility – a light and quiet place to have lunch while watching the bakers working the dough. Have an ice-cream on top as you leave. Since 2022, all Neulinger shops have been open on Sundays and public holidays, though the smaller shops only in the morning, for breakfast rolls.

For a very special treat step by Oliver a few steps from Café Reichshof at the south-eastern end of Bordeauxplatz: freshly prepared hand-rolled vegan organic ice-cream.

If you fancy an ice-cream during your evening stroll head for fancy True & 12 opposite the Gasteig cultural centre. Their milk comes from a family-run organic farm keeping grass-fed cattle half an hour away by urban train (plus five minutes by bus plus half an hours walk). Other ingredients like hazelnuts and eggs are also organic, the non-organic ingredients of course all natural. The lip-smacking delicious result comes in original flavours like lavender and cassis (dubbed "Haidhausen") as well as standard flavours like chocolate or vanilla, both of unusually high quality. The scoop goes for 2.40 € in 2024 (saffron with rose water and pistachio. for 3 €). For an additional euro you will be served in a hand-rolled cinnamon-flavoured cone or shell, so ask for availability! To much regret also this place is closed from end of October to mid of March.

In Neuhausen organic ice-cream to go can also be had from Café Ruffini, described in my restaurant post.

The classical Italian ice-cream parlour – ice-cream to go, and not much ado – you'll find with Gelateria Artefredda in Giesing near Ostfriedhof on busy Tegernseer Landstraße. The right-hand side of their display features their organic varieties for 2.20 EUR the scoop – about eight ones to choose from. With its unpretentious eco-styled walls the cafe makes a light and pleasant place to have a short coffee break (prepared with organic milk). Most sundaes can be had with organic ice-cream, but unfortunately neither fully organic nor in re-usable cups. Artefredda keeps closed during the cold season. On bad weather days they often open up a quarter of an hour past their announced opening time, nice weather provided they will often keep open longer than announced.

Their ice-cream season usually stops with the German national holiday October, 3rd. From mid of October, 2023 the shop is hosting a cinnamon roll pop-up store, the Zimtschneckenfabrik, offering all natural artisanal cinnamon rolls, cakes and sourdough bread and rolls Tuesday though Saturday 12–approx. 18 (until sold out), and on Sundays 12–15. Whether they use organic ingredients I did not have the opportunity to find out yet.

Not far away, a five minutes walk downtown from Giesing Bahnhof station, a new modern ice-cream parlour opened its doors on the premises of a conventional one in 2021: GelatOk! promises all natural ice-cream, with as little organic life-style as possible for an audience that does not usually frequent organic supermarkets. The milk for the creamy and exceptionally tasty ice-cream however is organic and comes from the Berchtesgadener Land dairy, and if you order a coffee drink, it's made with organic milk, too. Another good sign for the ice-cream is that it is produced in small batches – most of the containers weren't filled to the brim.

In the Glockenbach neighbourhood you'll find Das Eismeer, Munich's first self-proclaimed climate-neutral ice-cream parlour. Although the egg-free ice-cream here is all natural the main ingredients like sugar and milk are not organic. Single organic flavourings like vanilla or poppy seeds are however advertised in big letters so that you may get the impression that the entire ice-cream was organic. Looks a bit like a dark pattern to me. If you fancy a hot drink: coffee and cocoa are both organic (and the latter also fairly traded). Kids pay less for the ice-cream than adults.

In the Western neighbourhood of Pasing you may set out for a stroll to Sweet Monkeys. Next to the graveyard, tucked away between a stonemasonry and a flower shop the clean and pleasantly decorated ice-cream parlour serves lip-smacking ice-cream made from organic milk from the Berchtesgadener Land dairy and veges from the nearby organic gardener Florian Kamlah. Not all ingredients are organic, but there's a commitment to avoid transport by buying local and energy emissions by using sustainable energy. This ice-cream shop offers some unusual flavours like cucumber-pineapple, white coffee or lime yogurt and you can also order sundaes like the children's favourite spaghetti ice-cream (spaghetti-like pressed vanilla ice-cream with berry sauce). Unfortunately the place is too far from the Pasing train station to be reached while waiting for a connecting train. There's a second branch in Moosach.

Markets and street festivals

If you happen to attend a street festival in Munich like the semi-annual Streetlife on Leopoldstraße or the annual Munich Sports Festival on Königsplatz watch out for a pink-blue food truck selling Cramer's Speiseeis in cones. The Cramers run a family-driven organic bakery cum pastry shop in Gauting near Munich, where they also make their ice-cream, so be brave when you're in the vicinity and give their spicy ginger or chocolate-chili varieties a try.

While there's no more organic ice-cream at the Viktualienmarkt the weekly Saturday farmers' market at the Seehaus within Englischer Garten has a heart for those with a sweet tooth: During the summer monthes the Biohof Butz does not only sell organic fruits and veges, but also ice-cream made from milk by the farms' own cows.

• Bartu Bioeismanufaktur, Wilhelmstraße 23 (corner Kaiserstr.), Tue–Sun(Mon) 11–22(18)
• Bartu Maxvorstadt, Türkenstr. 53, daily 11–22, during the cold season Wed–Sun 11–18
• Del Fiore Gelato Kaulbach, Kaulbachstr. 37, daily 12–20
• Occam Deli, Feilitzschstr. 15, Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 8(9)–24
• Il Chiosco, Tegernseer Landstr. 9, Mon–Fri(Sat) 7(8)–18(14)
• ChocoLab, Baldestr. 21, Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun,PH) 9–18(20)
• IceDate Maxvorstadt, Amalienstr. 91, April: Sun–Wed(Thu) 12–18:30(19:30), Fri–Sat 12–20:30, daily 11–23 during the warm season from May through 3rd October
• IceDate Glockenbach, Klenzestr. 51, daily 11–23 during the ice-cream season from late April through October 3rd
• Café Reichshof/Bäckerei Neulinger Haidhausen, Wörthstr. 17, Mon–Sat(Sun, PH) 8–19(18)
• Neulinger Brot & Feinbäckerei Sendling, Gotzinger Str. 48, Mon–Sat(Sun,PH) 6:30(8)–18(15), Sun,PH during summer holidays 8–14
• Neulinger Brot & Feinbäckerei Neuhausen, Volkartstr. 48, Mon–Fri(Sat) 6:30–18(12), Su,PH 8–11
• Neulinger Brot & Feinbäckerei Neuhausen, Volkartstr. 11, Mon–Fri(Sat) 6:30–18:30(17), Sun,PH 8–15
• Neulinger Brot & Feinbäckerei Schlachthofviertel, Adlzreiterstr. 21, Mon–Fri(Sat) 6:30–18(14), Sun,PH 8–11
• True & 12, Rosenheimer Str. 14, daily 12–22 nice weather provided, October Sat–Sun 12–17
• Gelateria Artefredda, Tegernseer Landstr. 38, Tue–Sun 14:30–20, closed October through mid of March
• GelatOk!, Schlierseestr. 53, daily 11–22
• Das Eismeer, Pestalozzistr. 21, Mar through Oct daily 12–22, sometimes longer, bad weather days 13–19
• Sweet Monkeys, Haidelweg 13, Thu–Sun 12–18, last day in 2022: December 12
• Sweet Monkeys Moosach, Untermenzinger Str. 74, Wed–Sun 12–18, last day in 2022: October 30
• Backhaus Cramer, Starnberger Str. 18 Gauting, Mon–Fri(Sat) 7–18(12), Sun,PH 7:30–12
• Biohof Butz at the Bauernmarkt beim Seehaus, Kleinhesselohe, Sat 9–13:30

No more ice-cream

When you take a stroll about the famous Viktualienmarkt food market the desire for an ice-cream may come natural. Unfortunately the Trübenecker organic fruits and veges booth does no longer offer organic ice-cream in the summer – instead you can have freshly made all-organic smoothies.

• Beim Trübenecker, Viktualienmarkt, part III/boothes no. 32 and 33, Mon–Fri(Sat) 7–18:30(17), summer only

No longer organic

• Café Plaisir/Unser kleiner Eisladen, Balanstr. 12 (still a partially organic cafe, but no longer serving organic ice-cream)
• Trampolin, Nordendstr. 62 (replaced by Starnberger Eiswerkstatt)

Ceased to exist

The following places do no longer exist, even though you still might find references to them on the web:

• Amorino, Schützenstr. within front of Karstadt department store
• Amorino, Wiener Pl.
• Ella Bartu within Eis, Eisbaby installation by Daniel Man in front of Lenbachhaus art museum, Luisenstr. 33
• Bartu c/o Feinkost Käfer, Prinzregentenstr. 73
• Bartu ice-cream & Brenner Kitchen, Feilitzschstr. 4 (pop-up mobile ice-cream booth)
• Del Fiore Gelato Gärtnerplatz, Gärtnerpl. 1
• Del Fiore Gelato Roecklplatz, Ehrengutstr. 18
• Jack&Eddy's, Pestalozzistr. 7 (organic frozen yoghurt)
• Naturale Bio Eisdiele, Winthirstr. 9b

Dresden: Organic pubs, restaurants and eateries

Forget about sushi, pizza, pasta, burgers, curries and other globalized commonplaces – in Dresden it's much easier to find hearty home-cooked dishes made from locally sourced ingredients rooted in local and regional food traditions. This does not necessarily mean German – mind you that the borders with Czechia and Poland are close, so many menus reflect influences rather from Eastern than Western or Southern European cuisines. Many dishes include meat, yes, but all the places I am covering here have a decent selection of tasty vegetarian options readily available.

Old town

A few steps from the Altmarkt, just across Kreuzkirche you'll find Cafe Aha which is covered here. Longer west, facing the modern building of the University of Music in Schützengasse you may be surprised to find a small island of baroque buildings with a wild garden, housing the city's environmental centre, and a great disappointment: The cosy rustic wholefood restaurant on ground flour dubbed Brennnessel ("stinging nettle") once used organic ingredients and still can be found listed as an organic restaurant, but alas! – no more.

For a filling ayurvedic breakfast, lunch or snack a few steps from the tram hub Pirnaischer Platz pay a visit to the Qio bistro, in the vicinity of Cafe Aha. The place is a add-on to a small organic snack bakery – needless to say that you can buy their sweet and savoury crackers here alongside with a range of teas and other organic food items. So far I haven't had the opportunity to eat (or have a coffee) here, so let me know what you think.

Neustadt

For rustic food and surroundings head for one of the oldest independent pubs in town, the Planwirtschaft ("planned economy") in the Neustadt neighbourhood, popular since its beginnings as an illegal pub in the late GDR. On mezzanine level they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as coffee and cake while the basement houses a pub which opens in the evening. When it comes to their supplies they focus on buying from local farms and enterprises as the (unfortunately not organic) independent butcher's directly across the street or a tea shop next door from which they also source the organic teas on offer. The goat cheese is always organic. They used to have an organic meat dish (which was marked as "bio" on the menu), but unfortunately no longer. My vegan dish of the day (celeriac in a hearty plum-fragranced sause with polenta and green salad) was absolutely tasteful. Have a tasty organic apple cider or beer, and ask about organic ingredients.

Young German kitchen is the promise of the Lila Soße ("purple sauce") gastro bar within the eccentric Kunsthofpassage with its small boutiques and lovely places. Apart from daily changing main courses (most of them meat or fish, and often with an Italian touch) you can order tasty German "tapas" to your liking – warm, cold and sweet – served in a glass as well as dips and bread. None of the courses are fully organic, but many ingredients are, and chances are high that you can combine cleverly if you ask. They offer organic softdrinks, but no organic alcoholic beverages.

Out of town

If you take the urban train number 2 from the Neustadt train station, either on the way to the airport or to a stroll in the woods of Dresdner Heide, get off Bahnhof Klotzsche (one stop before the airport) and have breakfast, lunch, tea or a snack in its 110 years old railway station. Since the folks of Vorwerk Podemus took over and restored the historical building in 2015 it has been home to a bicycle shop, an artist's studio, an organic supermarket, and the now fully organic station restaurant dubbed Bio-Bahnhofswirtschaft with its pleasant beergarden. Travellers and ramblers may be glad to hear that they can fetch an organic breakfast or packed lunch on the go, though unfortunately not on Sundays as the restaurant is closed that day.

The vineyards on the slopes of the river Elbe around Dresden form Europe's smallest, most northern wine region, and fortunately the Saxon state winery of Hoflößnitz in Radebeul turned organic. The small town located west of Dresden on the northern shore of the river is famous for the writer of travel fiction, Karl May and its Museum of North American Indian Culture and can be reached easily, both by urban train, tram no. 4 and bicycle. Follow the Elberadweg cycle route on the southern shore, cross the bridge at Niederwartha and turn back east on the northern shore cycle route through Radebeul until you find signposts pointing to the vineyards on the hill.

The Hoflößnitz winery has a small self-service restaurant, the Hoflößnitzer Weinterasse, with an outdoor seating area shaded by horsechestnut trees from where you have a great view over the grapewines and the valley while tasting the local wines. All wines, but not all the food are organic: Your best choice is the "Winzerplatte" – home-made white bread with pickles, a little salad and a number of spreads of your choice of which the bread and the vegan spreads are organic. There's also a small museum with information on all Saxon wineries and a wine shop where you can buy their products, mainly white and sparkling wines. Stick to Hoflößnitz for organic ones.

• Qio, Ringstr. 5, Tue–Sat(Mon) 10–18(16)
• Planwirtschaft, Louisenstr. 20, Tue-Sat 17–24
• Lila Soße, Alaunstr. 70, Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun,PH) 16(12)–22
• Bio-Bahnhofswirtschaft Bahnhof Klotzsche, Zur Neuen Brücke 4a, Mon–Sat 11–15
• Hoflößnitzer Weinterasse, Knohllweg 37, Radebeul, Apr–Dec Tue–Sun,PH 12–18 or longer depending on the weather

No longer organic

In 2012, when the Mensa U-Boot ("submarine") on the campus of the Technical University on the campus of the Technical University was opened after major refurbishment work it was re-opened as a fully organic students' refectory offering one vegetarian and one omnivore meal at a very competitive price. All food and drinks at that time were certified organic. Unfortunately this is no longer the case in 2022: Given low frequent visits during the Corona pandemic the staff decided to not prolong their organic certification and turn to cheaper ingredients.

• Biomensa U-Boot, Potthoff building basement, Hettnerstr. 3

Closed

The following places ceased to exist, although you still may find references to them on the web:

• Lilisou, Louisenstr. 58 (vegetarian, burgers, soups, curries)
• Lingner, Lingnerpl. 1 (German, international)
• ElectricLotus, Louisenstr. 58 (vegetarian, ayurvedic, Indian)
• Abutheke, Alaunstr. 68a (Middle-Eastern)
• roots, Hauptstr. 35 (vegan fast food)
• Wurzelküche, Alaunstr. 11 (vegan)

Dresden: Organic coffeehouses

If you are familiar with Johann Sebastian Bach's Coffee Cantata from around 1735 you've heard about the Saxonian citoyens' love for coffee and a good piece of cake (if heading for a local speciality, try the Eierschecke cheese-cake). With a pinch of irony people will talk about the famous Saxonian "Bliemschenkaffee" ("(little) flower coffee") referring to the thin coffee or caffeine-free coffee substitute during World War II or in the households of the poor. The term refers to the fact that you could see the flowery ornaments on the ground of the (well, not in all cases) Dresden china coffee cup.

The Saxonian's love for coffee hasn't faded since, they still proudly refer to themselves as "Kaffeesachsen" (coffee Saxonians), and most organic supermarkets will serve you a latte or Italian style coffee, both to have on the spot, and to go (in this case don't forget your refillable cup). There are however more pleasant places for a chat with friends, some reading or working time with a delicious cup of coffee.

Neustadt

My favourite day cafe for about seven years, with friendly service and a huge display of gorgeous cakes and pastries, Die Kuchenglocke in Wilheminian Neustadt unfortunately closed in summer 2022. Run by the son of Dresden's first (and to my knowledge only) organic bakers and one of the first organic ice-cream makers in Germany it revived the tradition of Viennese style coffeehouses in the city. In 2022 he took over the Heller bakery, and the cafe had to close. In March, 2023 it re-opened as Café Glocke, and apart from the interior decoration, not much has changed: You can still/again have (and buy to take out) cakes and coffee, and have gorgeous fully organic breakfast(all day long) and lunch. When the weather is nice take the chance to sit outside at the beautiful, comparatively quiet square around Martin Luther church.

The price for a (vegetarian) breakfast, sweet with pancakes or a croissant, savoury e.g. with hummus, roasted veges, bulgur and other spreads, is around 20 EUR but since the servings (especially of the savoury types) are quite generous, you may decide to share as long as you're not on your own. On weekends it is advisable to order a table in advance as the place usually is quite crowded at that time.

The bad news: Effective February 2024 the place stopped accepting cash. Since the Oswaldz cafes have never been accepting payments without data tracking, the number of non-discriminatory organic breakfast and lunch places with a sense for data privacy are alarmingly diminishing in town.

Not far away, on Bautzner Straße, you will find Phoenix Kaffeerösterei, a small-scale coffee roaster cum coffee bar furnished in coffee-coloured wood – ideal for the recreational sip of Italian style coffee. Their coffee is fairly traded, yet not organically certified, although they had organic coffee when they started up in 2006. The milk for a latte or New Zealand style Flat White however is organic. Mind you that their opening hours are quite restricted, usually to Fridays and Saturdays, but they often keep closed on Saturdays, too.

A ten minutes walk west, just before you reach Albert-Platz you can taste the Phoenix coffee all week long at the Oswaldz, a crowded coffee house cum gallery run by an ambitious young team. Before you sit down fetch a service number and put your order at the bar where you can choose from an impressive list of coffee drinks, among others a galao (coffee and milk frozzed together) or a gibraltar (double espresso macchiato). The milk they use is locally sourced and organic. You can also have a sandwich or cake partially made from organic ingredients – eggs and cottage cheese are organic, flour and fruit are not, and since the friendly staff happily answered my questions I'm sure they will equally friendly answer yours. During the warm season they open a pleasant backyard for their guests.

In 2023 Oswaldz rented a second shop next door and turned it into serviced Oswaldz Breakfast Place. All food for both, the cafe and the breakfast restaurant are prepared in its open kitchen while the coffee drinks are made by the baristas at the cafe. The menu is the same for both places as is the privacy-unfriendly decision to refuse payments in cash.

During the warm season there's a third Oswaldz place, the Os2 – Café am Fluss.

Unfortunately there's no organic coffee place inside the Bahnhof Neustadt railway station, but if you have sufficient time you may leave the station building at the rear (Northern) entrance and head for the friendly self-service cafe cum bistro of the VG supermarket Friedensstraße for both, breakfast, lunch (try the hearty Soljanka soup if available), a snack, coffee or travel provisions.

Old town

Facing Kreuzkirche on Altmarkt with its white-washed interior one of the few places where the wounds of the Anglo-American bombing by the end of World War II still are visible you will find one of Dresden's first organically certified eating places, cafe cum restaurant Aha. Some years ago they quite controversely decided not to prolong their certification in support of uncertified local farmers following organic or near-organic principles. More than 75 percent of the ingredients they use are still organically certified but they stopped (probably enforced by law) to make this transparent, so you have to enquire on specific ingredients if you care.

The cafe itself is equally popular among students, families and NGO groups. Its walls frequently serve as a gallery for local artists, and the daily menu often reflects and extends the exhibitions. The list of coffee drinks is long, ranging from oriental and Indian inspired spiced coffee to the ubiquitous espresso.

The cakes are delivered by the Heller family, but you can also enjoy hearty home-made meals throughout the day (til late), or simply help yourself at the salad bar located under the stairs. Breakfast is being served from 9 am. In the basement there's a well assorted fair-trade shop which cannot follow the restaurant's liberal opening hours and is closed in the evenings and on Sundays.

In the maze of tourist restaurants around the Neumarkt place with iconic Frauenkirche you'll find Amate Coffee Farm, an inviting coffee place with pleasant outdoor seating serving organic coffee drinks made from directly and fairly traded Mexican coffee. The menu also offers organic softdrinks, but as my time here was very brief I couldn't ask the staff whether the cake was organic, too.

If you have to spent time in the vicinity of Dresden's central train station, Hauptbahnhof, pay a visit to another fair-trade shop, the Contigo at the Southern end of Prager Straße. Inside the shop there's an organic coffee bar, perfectly suited for the quick espresso in between, or while you're shopping for gifts, fairly traded artisanal work like bags and jewellery, tea, chocolates or coffee. They do not serve food, so you shouldn't come hungry. If you prefer an unconventional coffee drink opt a coffee based lemonade dubbed "Selosoda".

When the Contigo store is closed ignore the Starbucks branch at Wiener Platz and turn instead to the Haferkater porridge cafe facing it. The Berlin-based franchise concept can be found in several German main train stations by now, and the one in Dresden is open on weekends and generally until 8pm. While all prepackaged Haferkater products are organic no promise is made when it comes to the fresh food and drinks, so you'd better ask. Also, ask for returnable cups and bowls if you don't bring your own.

Dresden-Mitte

Not far from Bahnhof Mitte train station and the College of Music the organic co-operative VG runs a self-service Bistro & Backladen – the bistro to the left, the cafe to the right of the entrance. While the lunch is prepared in the open kitchen of the bistro right at the spot, the bakery shop simply sells the cakes (and bread) from local organic bakeries both, to take away and to eat right here in the pleasantly decorated shop room prided with pictures of local artists. Unfortunately the coffee comes from a smale-scale automatic machine – no real enjoyment, but drinkable due to the good ingredients. While the bistro closes at 7pm on weekdays the cafe operates until 8 pm, but choice will be limited the later you'll come.

Near the Blaues Wunder bridge

A visit to the finest bridge in town, the Blaues Wunder ("blue wonder") steel construction can easily be combined with a visit to the arguably finest Viennese-style coffee house in town, the Café Toscana. Observing the bridge and the river you can sit in the winter garden having an organic coffee drink or tea. Your organic latte will be poured together at your table. While a selection of soft drinks and wines, the milk and breakfast eggs are all organic none of the gorgeously looking cakes and confectionery to be ordered from the sales desk are, at least not fully (enquire about what's tempting you). The history of the coffee house named after a Saxon princess customer dates back to the end of the 19th century. Since its re-privatisation after Germany's re-unification it has been run by the Eisold family, a local baker's family now in its third generation.

Crossing the blue wonder bridge you'll reach Körnerplatz, and if you fancy a stroll along the river shore, turn left into historical Körnerweg which leads you towards the city centre along the embankment. A 15 minutes walk on the way you'll find Os2 – Café am Fluss, a summer cafe run by the Oswaldz owners serving coffee drinks with organic milk, organic soft drinks and cakes to passers-by on weekends during the nice season. Most seats are located outside providing a beautiful view over the river and the city's silhouette. As at Oswaldz order at the bar inside, find yourself a seat, wait to be served and pay before you leave. The bar room also serves as an art gallery.

Leubnitz

If you ever happen to strand somewhere between the tower blocks of Prohlis and the Technical University, take the time to visit the city's only organic bakery and confectionery, the Bio-Bäckerei und -Konditorei Heller mentioned afore – if only to have a wonderful ice-cream on the go. When the weather is nice they also have a small outdoor terrace for you to have a coffee and cake or snack. Although the bakery is open on Sunday mornings it's closed on public holidays.

• Cafe Glocke, Pulsnitzer Str. 1 corner Martin-Luther-Pl., Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 9(8:30)–18
• Phoenix Coffee Roasters, Bautzner Str. 75, Fri–Sat 10–18
• Oswaldz, Bautzner Str. 9, daily 9–18
• Oswaldz Breakfast Place, Bautzner Str. 9, Thu–Sun 9–14
• Café & Restaurant Aha, Kreuzstr. 7, Mon–Sat(Sun) 9–22(20)
• Amate Coffee Farm, Neumarkt 14, Thu–Mon 10–18
• Contigo, Prager Str. 2, Mon–Sat 10–20
• Haferkater, Hauptbahnhof, Western aisle near entrance Wiener Pl., Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 6(7)–20
• VG Bistro und Backladen, Jahnstr. 5, lunch: Mon–Fri 10–16, coffee, cake and snacks from the bakery till Mon–Fri(Sat) 9–19(14)
• Café Toscana, Schillerpl. 7, daily 9–18
• Os2 – Café am Fluss, Körnerweg 24a, Sat–Sun 13–18:30 (April through October)
• Heller, Wilhelm-Franke-Str. 36, Mon–Fri(Sat) 7–18(12)

Closed or no longer offering organic options

The following places ceased to exist, although you still may find references to them on the web:

• Café Dreikönig, Haus der Kirche, Hauptstr. 23
• Hellers Kuchenglocke, Pulsnitzer Str. 1 corner Martin-Luther-Pl., replaced by Cafe Glocke
• Weltcafe, Schillingstr. 7 (Löbtau)
• Café Continental, Görlitzer Str. 1 (no more organic breakfast options)