Munich: Organic coffee and tea houses

To find a self-respecting restaurant or supermarket snack bar not equipped with a restaurant-size Italian espresso machine can be difficult, and even the tiniest organic corner shop will try to offer you ubiquituous Italian-style coffee drinks. Likewise you can have organic tea bag teas and infusions of usually decent quality. But for the modern nomad on the job, the afternoon chat with friends or the traveller in search of a undisturbed place for a break or observations, the dedicated coffee or tea house is a far more appropriate place to spent hours. Common for all the places listed here that they are closed in the evening – usually around 6pm, some keep open until 8pm. Note that weekend opening hours may be even more restricted.

• Viennese-style coffee houses
• Oriental-style coffee
• Italian style bars
• (Almost) fully organic places
• Shabby chic and homely places
• Self-service coffee house and deli bars
• Mingle with the working crowd
• Tea houses
• More to try
• Closed

Viennese-style coffee houses

The headline is misleading – even if an increasing number of cafes see themselves in the tradition of Viennese coffee houses when it comes to the stuccoed interior, the dark wooden furniture, a selection of daily newspapers as well as the menu, they will usually serve Italian-style coffee drinks. The perfect place for breakfast and a coffee break at any time of the day, you will also be served lunch and snacks throughout the day. Expect however to order more of the deliciously handcrafted cakes than you initially intended to.

To my knowledge the only one left by the end of 2020 and my absolute favourite is the newly restored Cafe Reichshof in Haidhausen, covered in detail in my ice-cream post.

Oriental-style coffee

Since Iunu stopped serving Turkish mocca the only place offering responsibly sourced oriental-style coffee in Haidhausen is Saladins Souk with its rather irrational opening hours. If it is closed you may move next door to Erbils vegan Turkish eatery.

In autumn 2021 I noticed to my delight that these aren't the only mocca places anymore: The Icedate ice-cream parlour in Maxvorstadt started serving organic coffee, although the price tag of 2.40 EUR the mocca is rather stiff.

Italian style bars

Pop in, have a coffee, a chat, a sweet, and pop out again – the Italian bar is the hotspot of a neighbourhood. To my deepest regret its Bavarian incarnation is no more (landlord cancelled contract with the coffee roastery), but in the middle of humming Viktualienmarkt market North of the crossing Reichenbachstraße/Frauenstraße there's Kaffeerösterei Viktualienmarkt, a vibrant market booth with bar tables under a roof. So even if the weather is bad and you're outside there's no reason to give up plans for an Italian style coffee drink made with sustainably sourced (though not organically certified), locally roasted coffee. The milk is organic and comes from traditionally working mountain farms in the Berchtesgadener Land district, packaged by the co-operatively driven Berchtesgadener Land dairy which, in 2017, banned the use of glyphosate for all its farmers, not only the organic ones.

If you prefer your coffee with biodynamic (Demeter) milk head for the Sorry Johnny coffee bar in Haidhausen, conveniently located at the Wörthstraße tram stop. The place has quite unusual opening hours: closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and open during the early evening on Fridays and Saturdays. The bar replaced a vegan clean-eating spot in autumn 2021 which, for a while, prepared my favourite oat-based latte – a coffee preparation that's still available here.

Without the heavy car traffic the area between Max-Weber- and Wiener Platz could be a lovely urban hideaway, with singing tram tracks, an underground station (exhibiting Munich's first horse tram), pleasant shops, cafes and nearby parks. To escape from the agressive passive motorised mobility along Innere Wiener Straße jump into quiet Steinstraße and take a breath at the tiny Coffee Box cafe. Although some of their coffee is roasted by Merchant & Friends in Glonn, none of the beans served here are organic. The milk, however, is organic, as is the ginger and pomegranate juices used in some drinks. For a refreshment in the summer heat have an organic, vegan popsicle.

Not certified organic, but responsibly sourced coffee beans grown with respect for nature by small scale farmers – the coffee roasted at the Alrighty coffee bar in the newly developed, trending Werksviertel will nevertheless give you the comforting feel of doing something right. To find the place leave Ostbahnhof station through the Friedensstaße exit to enjoy a speciality coffee preferably in the sun.

(Almost) fully organic

If all you want is a place where you do not have to fine-read the menu to pick out the organic items your options are limited to the afore mentioned Café Reichshof, near tram stop "Wörthstraße") – and to Café Josefina in the legendary neighbourhood of Schwabing with its bohemian past, a few steps from tube stop Josephsplatz. A cosy day cafe serving Italian-style coffee drinks made with real milk or a number of plant-based alternatives it's not only worth a coffee but also a lunch break. Although nearly all ingredients are organic there are a few exceptions when it comes to the cold cuts used in Italian-style sandwiches. As early as half past seven the place starts serving both, vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore breakfast on weekdays, and since it is quite small it's advisable to reserve a table if you plan to step by on a weekend.

For a fully organic breakfast or coffee near Münchner Freiheit head for the small artisanal (and fully organic) Brotraum bakery happily catering for early birds. The breakfast menu is simple – but you can order additional items like eggs and cream cheese on top or ask for a freshly prepared sandwich or roll of your choice. Don't forget to bring your own bags and containers when you come here to buy bread, rolls or lunch items for take away – the owner is inclined to support your zero waste efforts.

In Neuhausen, about half a kilometre from Rotkreuzplatz a gorgeous health-food eatery cum cafe gROOSartig (a play on the word "gorgeous" and the name of the owner) opened in 2020, offering breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks based on regional, usually organic, often fairly-traded ingredients. Although the menu is planned with a focus on healthy food the demand for sweets and cakes has resulted in an increasing range on cakes and tarts. The place also has a small shop offering plastic-free artisanal household items.

Shabby chic and homely places

The Westend has lost a lot of organic or partially organic places after or during the covid 19 pandemic, so I am happy to see a location with a long history of being organic to be revived in this spirit: The new (in 2024) vegan cafe Etisch at Gollierplatz opened in lieu of one of those friendly, crammed owner-run organic cornershops, Nico's.

Its chef (as of April 2024) is in the process of getting a organic certificate for his kitchen, and the owner, Aylin, is planning to obtain a certificate, too. For the time being, many ingredients are already organic, but not all. The pear-chocolate cake I had was soft and far too fast eaten. In addition I had a very decent cappuccino with organic oat milk (the default however is a conventional brand with aggressive marketing). Had I been hungry I'd have given the Turkish-style börek a try. Etisch – the name is a pun of the German words for "ethical" and "table" ("Tisch") – also offers a tempting lunch menu. In addition you can shop for body care, olive oil, the non-alcoholic gin substitute of the otherwise organic distillery "Duke" in Aschheim and other sustainable (though not necessarily organically certified) products.

A small cafe of old, run as a social enterprise just a five minutes walk away from Rosenheimer Platz, Cafe Plaisir moved to a bigger and lighter venue in 2018 – and stopped using organic ingredients for their home-made ice-cream, chocolates, cakes and cookies. Still, tea and coffee drinks and a few more items are marked on the menu with a little heart denoting organic, and eggs – where marked – come from organic farms raising both, the hens and their cockerel brothers. Be patient and kind if the serving personnel does not respond immediately – the shop is a social enterprise run by longterm-unemployed persons.

Not far from Ostbahnhof station Kosy*s cafe promises to be "your second living room". As long as you have some tolerance towards cake stands filled with kitschy sweets guaranteed free from natural colourings and a decidedly vintage feel you can have an organic tea or soft drink, a coffee drink made with organic milk, organic eggs and cereals for breakfast or a hearty lunch often entirely made from organic ingredients in a leisurely atmosphere. The good thing is that organic ingredients aren't shamefully hidden – when it's organic they'll make it transparent on the menu. The bad news: their homemade cakes unfortunately are not organic, not even the eggs.

A few steps away, directly located at Orleansplatz cafe Iunu is a perfect place to meet a friend for a chat or to have a recreational coffee break including a chat with the friendly owner. Some of the coffee, the milk, the tea and a few staples used in the daily changing vegetarian and ayurvedic-inspired lunch set menu like agave syrup, rice and vegetable yogurt alternatives are organic, but unfortunately usually not the veges. The place was my joker for the best Turkish mocca in town, but unfortunately it is no longer being served due to marginal demand. With a small but carefully chosen (though not necessarily organic) range of delicatessen Iunu will also save you when in need for an unplanned last minute gift. On Saturdays the cafe is often unexpectedly closed due to arrangements, so check in advance.

Another cosy living room dubbed Zimtzicke is tucked away in comparatively quiet Elsässer Straße, only a five minutes walk from Ostbahnhof. All their teas, coffees, the milk and eggs are organic. Their lunch dishes, although mainly not organic, are tasty. However, when I enquired about the ingredients of the individual dishes on the menu, the staff wasn't able to tell whether they contained organic ingredients. The tiny place smells lovely of home-make cakes, some of them vegan. A perfect location to warm up after a winter walk in the city, and a pleasant retreat to welcome spring or to enjoy a summer day in the city on a table in front of it.

Another option to mingle with natives is a homely shabby chic neighbourhood cafe cum gallery in the neighbourhood of Au, on the Eastern shore of river Isar near Deutsches Theater. The audience of Café Käthe is mixed, coffee, milk, tea, rolls and cakes as well as most of the softdrinks are organic. They don't serve hot food, but you can have breakfast, sandwiches, cereals, salads and - of course – cake all day. Many but not all ingredients are organic, so ask if you care but be prepared that the service personnel isn't prepared to answer on the spot.

A crowded neighbourhood coffee bar in Obergiesing, Shotgun Sister allows you to meet people from the former working class borough which has been popular among both, students and families alike. All food including the cakes are home-made, with organic fruit and veges, often from local biodynamic agriculture. The cakes are fully organic. If you cannot spot the place at once watch out for the branch of the organic Hofpfisterei bakery chain which is located next to it, a five minutes walk from Giesing station. If you like splash out a coffee on an unknown – as the sister participates in the Hey campaign for fellow citizens in need. Needless to say that vegan and gluten-free options are readily available.

Big enough to almost guarantee a free seat for the visitor-by-chance is Cafe Katzentempel in the Maxvorstadt university quarter. You must however not suffer from a cat allergy as this rather special vegan place is inhabitated by six cats, and the once nice wallpaper on the wall with the scratch pole facing the entrance has already become rather shabby. Most of the softdrinks are organic as are all soy products and the cow milk (on request used for non-vegan coffee and tea-based drinks). The place offers an impressive range of organic nuts and grain milks to be ordered for your latte. The food and home-made cakes may include additional organic ingredients, although they aren't generally organic, just of local origin if possible. Students and apprentices are entitled special prices Tuesday through Friday, and free wifi is available. Depending on your table you may find the slightly aggressive sales presentation of the Katzentempel brand t-shirts disturbing – overall a place to either love or detest.

Further along Türkenstraße you'll find Mr. Ben – a small coffee cum snacks place offering (herbal) tea and soft drinks in organic quality. Unfortunately neither the coffee artisanally roasted in the neighbourhood of Giesing nor the milk and oat milk are organic. There's a small selection of Italian-style piadina sandwiches and freshly home-made cake which occasionally may contain organic ingredients. The croissants used to come from an organic bakery a longer bicycle ride out of town but they were sold out (just like the veggie piadina) when I was there. Orders should be placed at the bar, but you will be served, and return to the bar for payment, preferably (and if the sum is smaller than ten euros only) in cash.

If you prefer strictly vegan places for a coffee break try Siggis which I reviewed here.

Self-service coffee house and deli bars

For the no-frills coffee with WLAN or on the go a number of nation-wide operating self-service coffee house chains serve Italian and American-style organic coffee often with organic milk and some more organic items like tea, soft drinks or fruit and nut bars. The market in Munich is quite volatile: The once dominating franchise San Francisco Coffee Company filed for bankruptcy during the covid-19 pandemics and does no longer have stores in Munich. Black Bean never expanded and survived, and Coffee Fellows is now ubiquitous, serving coffee at (among others) fuel and train stations.

Once booming MyMuesli chain, a German web order shop for organic cereals and porridges with offline branches throughout the German-speaking countries also had to close a lot of its shops after a rapid, unhealthy expansion strategy. On the Eastern edge of Viktualienmarkt, a few steps from Marienplatz you'll still find their flagship store which includes a decent coffee bar. No cakes to be had here but Italian style coffee drinks, juices, and of course mueslis, porridges and cereals in case you are a little hungry or in need for an organic breakfast. The major aim of the shop is of course to sell their products but for a quick WLAN or coffee break in the busy heart of the city the functionally styled place isn't a bad option.

My favourite in this category is a small organically certified Munich-based chain: Deli Star brings the spirit of New York-style deli and coffee bars to town, but with a strong focus on the environment: No plastics here, all take away stews and salads come in returnable glass jars, and the coffee on the go in a Recup deposit cup if you don't bring your own. Not every ingredient in their bagels, sandwiches, stews and salads is organic, but all regular organic items are clearly marked BIO on the menu: the cakes (though not the muffins and brownies), most meat products, yogurt, Lemonaid and Adelholzener fruit and soft drinks. Other ingredients like veges and cheese may or may not be organic. The coffee isn't organic, but the milk comes in huge reusable containers from a local organic farm. In general they use a lot of products grown and produced in the region and/or from small-scale manufacturers. Both branches are located in students' hotspots in Maxvorstadt: near the University and at the entrance to the Englischer Garten park.

Mingle with the working crowd

Campus canteens and coffee bars frequented by those working nearby are excellent places to get in contact with locals – with the disadvantage of opening hours following office hours.

On the eastern side of the railway tracks of Ostbahnhof train station, a few minutes north of the newly developed Werksviertel you'll find day cafe Louka, a friendly no-frills place mainly catering for the office workers and craftspersons working nearby. What you get here: coffee, home-made cakes and sandwiches, a daily changing soup and main course, often vegetarian. If you want to taste simple German everyday standards like Kässpätzle and Schupfnudeln, or the Russischer Zupfkuchen ("Russian pluck cake") cheesecake, this is the place. Not everything is organic here, but both, the coffee, the milk and the plant-based drinks, the eggs, often the veges and the meat are.

Steinhausen is most certainly not a neighbourhood you will have on your travel agenda, but if you come to the Berg am Laim urban train, bus and tram stop the coffee bar on the ground flour of the Süddeutsche Zeitung publishing house is nearby and open to the public. It offers organic organic soft drinks and sweet pastries at very competitive prices. The rolls used for sandwiches are also organic, but the new (as of June 2024) caterer "Kochmanufaktur" stopped using organic milk and plant-based drinks for coffee drinks. Persist on having a recup returnable coffee mug if you want to take out the coffee. If you wish to mingle with journalists, developers, printers and all those involved in the production of Germany’s most respected daily newspaper this is the place despite the surroundings.

If you happen to strand in the urban desert of office blocks between the tube stops of Karl-Preis-Platz and Sankt-Martin-Straße head for the Neue Balan campus, a former industrial area where in the past Siemens produced semiconductors. Quite centrally you'll find Balan Deli, a modern yet comfortably furnished day cafe run as a not-for-profit company providing fair employment for an inclusive team of people with and without handicaps. The cafe was founded by the nearby inclusive Montessori school and designed by a Hamburg based artist. You can have a healthy lunch, partially based on organic ingredients, or simply an organic coffee, tea, wine or soft drink, often sourced from local producers, in a pleasant environment. The bread for the sandwiches comes from a local organic bakery. Unfortunately the service staff is not very knowledgeable (yet) about organic and sustainably produced food (when I enquired about the milk they told me it was organic although they actually use the cheaper conventional product of the Berchtesgadener Land dairy which also offers an extended range of organic dairy products), but was happy to ask the kitchen staff about the origin of the chicken in the Thai curry (which was not organic).

Tea houses

For those seriously into tea the ultimate target in town is Tushita Teehaus in the Glockenbach neighbourhood, near the Western exit of tube station Fraunhofer Straße (and a five minutes walk South of Gärtnerplatz). To taste their around 150 organic and often fairly traded tea and tisane varieties (which aren't exhaustively listed on the menu) can take some time, but you can buy them to take with you. With every order the staff will hold a microscopic tea ceremony for you, and hot water for a second extraction is served in a small thermos aside. In the past they often used too hot water for some of their delicate green teas resulting in a bitter beverage, but this fortunately had changed to the better at my last visit. In addition they serve small vegan dishes as well as yummy home-made cakes, all organic, and there's a Japanese touch to both, the decoration, the food and the subtle focus on Japanese tea and matcha. Consequently the place is frequented by visitors of Japanese origin as well as the occasional Indian gentleman or the German hippie or university professor reading their daily. Given how frequented the place often is there's a quiet, pleasantly concentrated atmosphere to it.

• Kaffeerösterei Viktualienmarkt, Abteilung III/Stand 3/26, Mon–Sat 8–18
• Sorry Johnny, Preysingstr. 42, Mon(Thu) 7:30–17(20), Fri 7:30–22, Sat(Sun) 10–22(17)
• Coffee Box, Steinstr. 9 , Tue–Fri(Sat) 8:30(9)–17
• Alrighty, Speicherstrasse 28, Werk 13, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8:30(9:30)–17
• Café Josefina, Augustenstr. 113, Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 7:30(9)–19
• Brotraum, Herzogstr. 6, Mon–Fri(Sat) 6:30-16(14)
• gROOSartig, Donnersbergerstr. 8, Mon (Thu–Fr) 9–17(18), Sat–Sun 10–18
• Etisch, Kazmairstr. 38, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8(11)–18
• Café Plaisir, Balanstr. 12, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10(12)–20
• Kosy*s, Pariser Str. 50, Thu–Sat 10–19
• Iunu, Wörthstr. 30, Mon–Sat 9–17
• Zimtzicke, Elsässer Str. 25, Mon–Fri 8–18, Sat(Sun) 10–16(15)
• Café Käthe, Gebsattelstr. 34, Tue–Fri(Sat–Sun) 8(9)–19
• Shotgun Sister, Deisenhofener Str. 40, Mon–Sat 8–18
• Café Katzentempel, Türkenstr. 31, Tue–Fri 11–20 Sat(Sun) 10–20(18)
• Mr. Ben, Türkenstr. 67, Mon–Sat 7–19
• Black Bean, Pündterplatz 1, Mon–Fri(Sat,Sun,PH) 7(8)–18
• MyMuesli München, Viktualienmarkt 7, Mon–Sat 10–19
• Deli Star, Amalienstr. 40, Mon–Fri(Sat,Sun,PH) 8(9)–18(17)
• Deli Star, Kaulbachstr. 41, Mon–Fri(Sat,Sun,PH) 8(9)–18(17)
• Louka, Friedenstr. 36, Mon-Fri 7:30-17, PH closed
• Balan Deli, Balanstr. 73/house no. 31, Mon–Fri 8–16
• Kaffeebar im SV-Hochhaus run by "Kochmanufaktur", Hultschiner Str. 8, Mon–Thu(Fri) 7:30–17(16)
• Tushita Teehaus Klenzestr. 53, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9(10)–20

More to try

In the Westend, a few steps from Theresienwiese Café Gollier is a pleasant neighbourhood day cafe, popular for breakfast and hearty lunch. They promise to use regional, preferably organic products according to availability, but so far I have not had the chance to eat here.

• Kuko, Westendstr. 87, Wed–Fri(Sat) 11(10)–18
• Café Gollier, Gollierstr. 36, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8(9)–18:30, Sun 10–15

Closed

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

• Contains Coffee, Celibidacheforum
• Echt jetzt, Barer Str. 48 (web shop remaining)
• Emilo im Glockenbach, Buttermelcherstr. 5
• Emilo Westend, Gollierstr. 14
• Emilo am Odeonsplatz, Odeonspl. 14
• Emmi's Kitchen, Rosenheimer Str. 67 (vegetarian cafe cum eatery)
• Epique Raw, Max-Weber-Pl. 11 (vegan patisserie shop-in-shop)
• Fritz Brotbar, Nymphenburger Str. 154 (bakery cum cafe)
• Fritz Mühlenbäckerei, Müllerstr. 46 (cafe cum eatery, re-opened in 2020 as bread bar w/ show bakery)
• Himmelherrgott, Waldfriedhofstr. 105 (cafe)
• Die Kaffee-Küche, Weißenburger Str. 6 (cafe)
• Kafehaus Karameel, Nymphenburger Str. 191 (Viennese-style coffee house)
• Lolas Eckcafé, Metzstr. 37
• Kaffee Sonnenschein, Gietlstr. 17
• San Francisco Coffee Company, Nymphenburger Str. 151 (cafe)
• San Francisco Coffee Company, Innere Wiener Str. 57
• San Francisco Coffee Company Ostbahnhof, Orleanspl. 5a
• San Francisco Coffee Company Riem-Arcaden, Willy-Brandt-Pl. (cafe)
• San Francisco Coffee Company Maxvorstadt, Türkenstr. 47 (cafe)
• San Francisco Coffee Company Odeonsplatz, Theatinerstr. 23 (cafe)
• Black Bean, Amalienstr. 44 (cafe)
• MyMuesli München-Pasing w/in Pasing Arcaden, Josef-Felder-Str. 53 (muesli shop)
• MyMuesli München OEZ w/in Olympia-Einkaufszenrum, Hanauer Str. 68 (muesli shop)

Munich: Organic supermarkets

Organic supermarkets can be found on almost every second street corner in Munich but density varies from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

• Supermarket chains
• Independent full-retailers
• Zero-waste supermarkets
• Co-operatives with membership schemes
• Sunday-open groceries

Organic supermarket chains

In addition to a local organic supermarket chain, Vollcorner (consisting of about twenty markets in Munich and around), Munich hosts several branches of Germany's biggest organic chains Alnatura and Denns (both with more than 10 markets each within the city boundaries). The decline of the Basic chain (see below) which formerly dominated the city centre lead to the opening of a new centrally located Denns supermarket on the premises of a former Lidl branch in May, 2024 (the first Denns supermarket in the city centre did not survive tucked away in the basement of a mall).

Until mid of 2023 Munich was the home of the Basic supermarket chain with 11 markets – early in 2021 this chain restricted its activities to South Germany and Austria and sold all other nation-wide branches. However, these measures did not stop the decline of the company driven by management failures, resulting in an insolvency. The Munich shops were taken over by the conventional supermarket chain teGut. Under the new management only the original Basic shop near Isartor and a second one near Nordbad are surviving as organic supermarkets, at least until the end of 2024. After this grace period the company plans to evaluate whether 100 percent organic supermarkets will be part of their concept. The bakery and butchers' counters inside the former Basic headquarter in Bogenhausen are still 100 percent organic as is its greengrocers' section.

TeGut is not the first conventional full retailer experimenting with fully organic supermarkets: With the Naturkind supermarket in Harlaching the Edeka co-operative is also running an experimental organic supermarkt in Munich, their first and only in town.

With Basic on the verge, there are two regional full retail chains left in town: Landmann's with branches in several Bavarian towns, but only one within the Munich city boundaries (including an artisanal butcher's counter run by the Biometzgerei Pichler), and Vollcorner which does not have branches outside the Munich S-Bahn network. In addition there are still many small independent supermarkets, often using a Biomarkt sign, and even some homely, surviving corner shops.

Vollcorner has been making notable efforts to support zero-waste shopping for a long time, and burried many of them due to low customer acceptance. Shopping here you can however be sure not to (indirectly) support huge, globally operating multinational concerns as Vollcorner consistently delists organic brands sold to such companies. So you will find neither Logocos brands (Logona, Lenz, Sante, Heliotrop, Fitne) anymore since the company was bought by L'Oreal (which is partially owned by Nestle), nor Pukka tea (Unilever). Wine-lovers may also collect the corks made from natural cork and return them for recycling at any Vollcorner shop.

On weekdays most organic supermarkets keep open between 9 am and 8 pm, Vollcorner markets open at 8 am. Saturday opening hours vary, the big retailers and Vollcorner close at 8 pm. All groceries except the Biokultur supermarket in the basement of the central train station are closed on Sundays.

Apart from these full range retailers there is a small local food only chain, not offering any toiletries or detergents: Herrmannsdorfer specialises in meat products, bakery items and beer produced in the Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten in Glonn, somewhat outside Munich. The shops close quite early, but if you come during daytime they stock sufficient dry food, dairy products, fruits, veges, sweets and more to spare you the trip to a second shop. Unlike the Basic chain Herrmannsdorfer allows you to buy meat in your own containers.

In 2015 a branch of the hyped Italian Eataly delicatessen chain opened within the architectonically interesting glass and iron construction of Schrannenhalle near Viktualienmarkt. It's true, they offer a good range of organic products, and organic food items are labelled as such on the shelves, but it's nevertheless a disappointing experience: Almost no fresh organic fruit and veges (not even the fresh herbs are organic), only pre-packaged organic meat (forget about the well-assorted meat counter), and the organic wines and spirits in the basement are not marked "bio" on the shelves, so it's very hard to find them.

Independent full-retailers

If you want to support the local economy, both Vollcorner, Munich-based Basic and Herrmannsdorfer shops are all fine, but you may prefer to support independent markets where the owners are actually running the stores and create a homely and personal atmosphere. Often you will find products not on sale by the big chains.

When traditional Grüner Markt chain closed down end of September 2014, their main house in the Altperlach neighbourhood made an exception. Housed in a vault it has a pleasant italophilic, somewhat venerable atmosphere, definitely worth a visit. The perfect surroundings when shopping for delicatessen, and a must-go during the Christmas season. It's now dubbed Mohrhof Perlach.

The other big independent is Schmatz ("smack") in the Glockenbach neighbourhood. Step by if only for the lovely decoration of their bodycare section. Kids are invited to play in an old-fashioned corner shop, and selected items are lovingly set on display. It's the only organic supermarket playing music in the background. By the end of 2018 they issued a ban on fresh herbs in plastics packing, and in 2022 there's a dedicated unpackaged shelf with dry food in deposit glasses.

For the picturesque yet upmarket farmshop feeling in the city aim for Stemmerhof on top of the Sendlinger Berg. Once upon a time a wealthy village farm opposite the village church the nicely restored houses are now the home of an organic supermarket and a range of small owner-run shops. The supermarket's butcher's cum delicatessen disk will happily sell lunch snacks to eat on the spot or to take-away. The same enterprise also runs a second branch in the suburb of Grünwald, just a street crossing opposite of Alter Wirt hotel and restaurant.

In the posh Lehel neighbourhood near the Eisbach river within the Englischer Garten park you'll find an independent organic supermarket with a touch of a spice and greens bazaar, the Bioparadies Biomarkt. Its friendly staff was even willing to open after closing time, to sell me a left-over bread on a Saturday afternoon. The serviced bakery and cheese counter is also the place to refill your spice jars with loose-weight herbs and spices. The supermarket is conveniently located opposite the tram stop "Paradiesstraße".

The former Erdgarten supermarket a ten-minutes walk away from Pasing train station (or two minutes from Pasing Marienplatz square) reopened as a branch of the local Vollcorner chain September, 2019 and continues to serve organic and vegetarian wholefood lunch as well as coffee and cake. They also have a nicely decorated bodycare section. Whether they'll continue to serve knitters with a fine selection of organic wool I am not aware of.

If you by chance happen to strand near the Klinikum Harlaching hospital, don't dispair: two tramstops in North-Eastern direction on the left side (just follow the tram line along Grünwalder Str.) you'll find Biowelt, a crammed independent organic supermarket with a superb selection of both, bodycare and frozen convenience products: All you need if visiting a friend or relative in the hospital in urgent need of a proper meal. Starting with lunch time they offer a helping of organic soup and a small selection of snacks. You may ask for a sandwich made on the spot. The shop also has a zero waste corner with dispensers for legumes and a small selection of other dry food as well as an assortment of dried fruit. Make sure to step by check-out to weigh your containers before you fill them.

Attending a conference at one of the huge Bogenhausen hotels near Effnerplatz? Your lunch break should be sufficient to follow Bülowstraße in Western direction to Herkomerplatz. Here you'll find not only a Herrmannsdorfer butcher's shop cum grocery cum eatery and the Hofpfisterei bakery branch next to it, but also a pleasant family-owned organic supermarket dubbed Biovolet. The Riemensberger family placed some bar tables in the entrance area to have a snack, and there is a second branch in Eching (formerly a Grüner Markt branch). Pay with your EC (VPay) debit card, and they donate a few cent to the BioBoden co-operative which buys farm land in order to lease it to organic farmers. On Thursdays you will receive a 10 percent discount if your shopping cart is worth more than 50 euros.

In the neighbourhood of Schwabing one of the oldest organic groceries in town is located, these days rather boringly dubbed Echt Bio Markt which is the brand of a network of small-scale independent organic supermarkets. The pleasant, traditional shop in Tengstraße offers refill for organic household detergents.

However. not all supermarkets of this brand have been long established: The independent owner-run Echt Bio Markt in Nymphenburg was opened during the lock-down of the covid-19 pandemic: As its name suggests Bio am Romanplatz is the perfect place to shop for provisions at the tram hub at Romanplatz.

There's only one Sunday-open organic supermarket in Munich, the Biokultur in the basement of the main train station. It's sister branch in the newly developed neighbourhood of Riem on the plot of the former Munich airport can be found inside the Riem Arcaden shopping mall, sporting the only organic cafe in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately neither the cafe nor the supermarket are open on Sundays or public holidays.

If you happen to take the S7 urban train in southern direction to the municipality of Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn take the time to visit Roberts Bio-Genussmarkt on the premises of a former farmyard. The spacious, pleasantly refurbished and nicely decorated barn with its dark wooden shelfs makes it easy to spend some time on a coffee and cake in the included cafe area. When the weather is nice sun-shaded outdoor seating is provided. The former village of Höhenkirchen is part of the Mangfall bicycle route from Munich to Rosenheim, and this is a pleasant place for a break.

Waste-free supermarkets

By 2016 the first wrapping free supermarket made it into town: Check the zero-waste post for reviews.

Co-operatives with membership schemes

In the 1970ies and 1980ies many organic neighbourhood shops in Western Germany were co-operatively organised and sold to members only. In the 1990ies most of the surviving shops like the "Abakus" in Bremen opened to the general public, with discount schemes for members. To my knowledge, there's no such surviving shop in Munich, but recently established co-operatives such as "Deine Alternative" in Zorneding continue this inclusive approach.

As community supported agriculture (CSA) has an increasing appeal to city dwellers (the biggest one in Munich is the Kartoffelkombinat), the concept of an organic supermarket for members only came back to town in 2016, with the Ökoesel ("eco donkey"), by now a small, yet full-fledged organic supermarket in Nymphenburg near Leonrodplatz, focussing on package-free food.

When the founders of Munich's oldest organic supermarket, Lebascha in Haidhausen, were to pass over the shop to a younger generation in summer 2022, the Ökoesel folks stepped in. Although both branches focus on a membership scheme, they are neighbourhood groceries open to everyone. As a non-member you'll simply pay non-subsidised (i.e. higher) prices.

In summer 2021, another approach followed with the establishment of the Foodhub co-operative in Giesing, next to the lovely cafe "Shotgun Sister" and an organic bakery shop.

If you live in the vicinity you may consider joining this special organic food co-op which runs on the principle of solidarity: every member works three hours per month for or in the project and what's sold in the supermarket (predominantly regional produce) is decided democratically by its members. The shop concentrates on pre-packaged food, household and toiletry items, with the exception of loose weight fruits and veges, a small number of dry food gravity bins offering grains and nuts, and the self-service bread and rolls section. The household cleaning and bodycare shelves are filled with products in environmentally friendly packaging and focus on re-use (like the bamboo paper kitchen paper which can be washed and thus used several times) or little packaging through bigger volumes. There are plans for a zero-waste station to refill cleaning agents.

When I visited the shop at their open day in autumn 2021 I was surprised to not find a serviced fresh food counter given the fact that Karl Schweisfurt of Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten is one of the three legal heads of the co-operative, most likely due to the fact that such a counter needs to be staffed.

No membership fee is required for becoming a member of the on-line market platform Marktschwärmer. There's a Marktschwärmerei pick-up hub in the neighbourhood of Milbertshofen. If you decide to join, you can order food, beverages, sweets and more from predominantly organic producers in and around Munich.

• Vollcorner, usually Mon–Fri(Sat) 9(8)–20
• Vollcorner Bogenhausen, Warthestr. 1, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Vollcorner Haidhausen, Innere Wiener Str. 52, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9(8)–20
• Vollcorner Westend, Kazmairstr. 26, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9(8)–20
• Basic, Westenrieder Str. 35, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Basic Schleißheimer Str., Schleißheimer Str. 158–162, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Naturkind, St.-Magnus-Str. 34, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Landmanns Biomarkt, Barerstr. 54-56, Mon–Sat 9–20
• Herrmannsdorfer
• Alnatura
• Denns
• Denns Biomarkt, Zweibrückenstr. 8, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Eataly, Schrannenhalle, Viktualienmarkt 15, Mon–Sat 9:30–20
• Mohrhof Perlach, Ottobrunner Str. 133, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Schmatz, Holzstr. 49, Mon–Sat 9–20
• Biomarkt Stemmerhof, Plinganserstr. 6, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–20(16)
• Biomarkt Grünwald, Südliche Münchner Str. 2a Grünwald, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8:30–19(14)
• Erdgarten, Planeggerstr. 9a reopened as Vollcorner, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Bioparadies, Lerchenfeldstr. 10, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–19:30(16:30)
• Biowelt, Autharipl. 8, Mon–Sat 8–20, during covid-19 regulations also Sun 12–18
• Herrmannsdorfer Bogenhausen, Bülowstr. 3, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–18:30(13:30), eatery open Mon–Fri 11–15
• Biovolet München, Herkomerpl. 2, Mon–Fri(Sat) 7:30–20(19)
• Biovolet Eching, Schlesierstr. 2 , Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–20(19)
• Echt Bio Markt, Tengstr. 31, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–19(14:30)
• Bio am Romanplatz, Notburgastr. 19, Mon–Fri(Sat) 7(8)–20(14)
• Roberts Bio-Genussmarkt, Rosenheimer Str. 4c, Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9(8)–19(14)
• Biokultur Riem-Arcaden, Willy-Brandt-Pl. 5, Mon–Sat 9–20
• Ökoesel, Helene-Weber-Allee 17, Mon,Wed,Fri(Sat) 10–19(15)
• Foodhub München, Deisenhofener Str. 40, Tue–Sat 8–20 (members only)
• Marktschwärmerei Milbertshofen, c/o Gärtnerei am Hart, Rothpletzstr. 57, Thu 16–18 (pre-order required)

Formerly organic supermarkets

As part of the "teGut" chain the following, former "Basic" supermarkets still offer a reduced assortment of organic products:

• teGut Bogenhausen, Richard-Strauss-Str. 48, Mon–Sat 8–20 (as of summer 2024 still with organic butchers' and bakers' counter)
• teGut Neuhausen, Nymphenburger Str. 82, Mon–Sat 8–20
• teGut Laim, Agnes-Bernauer-Str. 73, Mon–Sat 8–20
• teGut Altstadt, Müllerstr. 45, Mon–Sat 7–20
• teGut Neuperlach, Thomas-Dehler-Str. 45, Mon–Sat 7–20
• teGut Ludwigsvorstadt, Luitpoldstr. 3, Mon–Sat 7–20
• teGut Schwabing, Belgradstr. 59, Mon–Sat 7–20
• teGut Victoriaviertel, Rheinstr. 1, Mon–Sat 8–20

Closed down

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

• Alnatura Innenstadt, Sonnenstr. 23
• Alnatura Aschheim, Theodor-Fontane-Str. 10, Aschheim
• Biochicco, Ohlmüllerstr. 19 corner Zeppelinstr.
• Biomarkt CM, Schlüsselbergstr. 13 (Berg am Laim)
• Denns w/in Hofstatt mall, Sendlinger Str. 12a, basement (city centre)
• Die Bio-Bäuerin, Peter-Wolfram-Str. 31 (Gronsdorf)
• Entenbach Naturkost, Schlotthauerstr. 16
• Johannisgarten Naturkost, Johannisplatz 21 (Haidhausen)
• Gut zum Leben, Motorama Ladenstadt, Rosenheimer Str. 30-32 (Haidhausen)
• Tagwerk-Bioladen Hofgut Riem, Isarlandstr. 1 (Riem)
• Marktschwärmerei Werksviertel, c/o Cafe Guatemuc, Atelierstr. 1
• Nicos Naturkost, Kazmairstr. 38
• Veganz, Baldestr. 21 corner Auenstr., including self-service cafe Goodies
• Radix, Thalkirchner Str. 88 (Isarvorstadt)
• Vollcorner Ludwigsvorstadt, Lindwurmstr. 80

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)

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; the scoop in 2023 went for two euros quit and is served in organic wafer cones. Since the shop participates in the Hey (formerly Brot am Haken) campaign you may buy a coffee, bread or cake voucher for someone in need as you go. 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.

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 in the wholesale market area of Sendling), and now that it's ready it turns out to be 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. Before 9 am you can order your breakfast at the counter and take a seat in the front part, service starts at 9 am.

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 in 2023 goes for 2.30 €. 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

Munich: Self-service eateries and streetfood

For an organic or at least partially organic lunch you have far more options than full-fledged restaurants or cafes with lunch options: There are a lot of eateries mainly catering for people working or studying nearby, shopping or travelling. You order your food and drinks at the counter, pay and find a place to sit down with your tray. However, if you come off the peak hours you will often be served, or the staff will offer to bring your coffee to your table after you finished your meal.

Just a few years ago this type of eating opportunity was almost exclusively offered by owner-run organic groceries, usually taking the form of hearty vegetarian wholefood and sandwiches. Nowadays it's a much more volatile market -- hip places come and go more frequent than in other categories. Many of them have opening hours matching those of the cornershops – closed on Sundays, in the evening, and often also on Saturday afternoons.

• Near the university (Maxvorstadt)
• City centre
• Near Ostbahnhof station (Werksviertel, Haidhausen)
• Bogenhausen/Englischer Garten
• Neuhausen
• Schwabing
• Ludwigsvorstadt and Sendling
• Hadern
• Westend
• Pasing
• Closed places

Near the university (Maxvorstadt)

The streets near the university buildings in Maxvorstadt are a natural place to look for places offering organic food, and they've seen a lot of shops popping up and closing down. Two long-established, though very different eateries are worth a try, both located in Amalienstraße: the Mutter Erde grocery offering vegan meals and the Pommesboutique grill. The latter was one of the first places in town to take no compromises with regard to meat, but it is following a more laissez-faire approach when it comes to the veges and condiments. So you have to ask about the origin of the latter if you care. All the sausages, burger patties, köfte and other (minced) meat come from an organic farm in the vicinity, and you can choose from a huge range of sauces. If you prefer your fries chewy – this is the place for you. Sometimes the tables are a bit too greasy for my liking, but with a little luck you come along when they have live music.

If you prefer your meat the Mexican way walk around the corner into Schellingstraße for Pureburrito, the second branch of a small climate-neutrally cooking local fast food chain serving burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. Unfortunately only pork and beef are organic, not the chicken, and you will find organic softdrinks of the Bionade brand in the fridge. There's another branch (much) farther up the street, near tube station Theresienstraße. All Pureburrito branches are closed on Sundays.

Build-your-own bowls and rolls with predominantly organic ingredients can be had at (and ordered from) Greens & Grains. Even if the concept can become a little boring after a while it's an easy way to bring vegans, vegetarians and omnivores together for a quick and healthy lunch. If you aren't very hungry it's a good idea to bring along a box to take leftovers home as the servings are huge. The place is self-serviced and doesn't allow anonymous payments, only cards. The second branch at Max-Weber-Platz does no longer exist.

City centre

To find organic food late on an evening out is a challenge in itself – night birds usually do not tend to be picky about the origin of calories at this hour. But if you enter the party zone Sonnenstraße (or spend an evening in one of the cinemas) the Bikini Mitte deli and bar comes to the rescue, conveniently located opposite a petrol station. During the day it's a decent, partially organic eatery offering bowls and sandwiches, usually made with organic veges, alongside organic soft drinks of the Proviant and Charitea brands. Bread and meat (apart from the occasional pulled pork) are not organic. Apart from Sunday the place keeps open until midnight, catering until the early hours Thursday through Sunday, and since the bar stocks locally produced organic gin, wodka and amaro (alongside a wide range of conventional spirits) your drinking can always be responsible. The place may be known as "Bon Valeur" to locals as this is its former name (and the name of the company running it).

Just a few steps away, you'll also find the newest Pureburrito branch in the basement of the Stachus-Passagen mall.

The multi-cultural quarter in the vicinity of the central train station with its special mixture of electronic and immigrant shops should be the natural place to find organic food from the Levant, but only in 2020 a happy crowd of young Bavarian chefs with different roots opened Servus Habibi, a pita, hummus and falafel place cum (outside corona) bar serving organic meat and home-made pickles. Unfortunately none of the drinks are organic. Note that the place is closed on Wednesdays. If you are in the mood for falafel on this weekday try Beirut Beirut in Sendling.

Another organic institution of old is Leo's Organic Kitchen near Isartor. It started as "Basic Bistro" in 2010, changed its name to "Byoo" when the organic supermarket on the first floor opened its own self-service eatery and changed it once again following its 10th anniversary, but the general the concept has not changed much since. So climb the stairs to this 100 percent organic place run by a friendly Vietnamese family, their extremely tasty, perfectly spiced (vegan) Saigon soup is worth it! Vegans, vegetarians and omnivores are all catered for with a happy fusion cuisine, often with an oriental touch. If you can't decide for one of the usually two soups and six main courses on the daily changing menu you can still pick from the antipasti and salads bar. A family-friendly place they will happily heap a helping of a side dish on your plate if you ask. They usually do not offer dessert, but you can have a freshly squeezed smoothie or an Italian-style coffee and cake, or simply a freshly brewed mint tea made from fresh herbs. Bring along your own jars if you you wish to take your food with you.

When taking a stroll through the Viktualienmarkt market gourmet restaurants like the Tian aren't your only lunch option: A few steps away (opposite Schrannenhalle) you'll find Yum 2 Take, an (evening open) Thai eatery and take-away serving organic meat.

Hearty, fully organic German lunch is being served at the Bistro ÖQ in the back of the Virtualienmarkt branch of the Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten organic butcher's. Usually you will be waited but better keep your eyes open whether it seems more appropriate to order directly from the open kitchen and at the end go and pay there. Naturally this is a place for omnivores and meat-lovers but there's always a tasty vegetarian dish available. The kitchen draws both, from German and Italian countryside kitchen traditions, serving mouth-watering risotti and pasta dishes as well as a piece of meat or fish with side-dishes, following seasonal availability and properly prepared. For the real Munich experience do not miss their potato salad (not suitable for strict vegetarians, though)!

Carnivores and beer-lovers are also catered for a few steps away, in the mumble-jumble of Viktualienmarkt: The market stall of Kleiner Ochs'nbrater ("little ox grill") serves Munich fast food specialities, which naturally means beer and meat. Have a Leberkäs (meat loaf), sausage or pork roast (Schweinebraten) – (except for the beef and some side dishes) it's all organic, locally sourced and tasty – as are the Brezn (pretzel) and the drinks (beer, wine, softdrinks). It can be difficult to find a place to sit down, so watch out before you order a dish on a plate. Even though the Viktualienmarkt is a tourist hot spot, it's one where tourists and locals mingle (opposed to e.g. the legendary Hofbräuhaus). On nice weather days the grill may keep open a little longer than 6 pm. Note that it is closed both, on Mondays and Sundays.

The time of the vegan hotdog shop Organic Garden behind Heiliggeist church is gone, but the former chef of the male German football national team is now running the refectory of the Bavarian state ministry of agriculture, forestry and tourism the which is open to the public for lunch.

If you prefer low-processed plant-based food head for the Glockenbachviertel. Here Noams Deli offers filling bowls and hearty one-pot wonders as stews or curries predominantly (if not only) made with organic ingredients. Bring a jar if your appetite isn't huge, to take the remainders with you, as the clean-eating inspired dishes often are more filling than anticipated. On nice weather days the outdoor tables allow for people-watching while having a coffee drink and perhaps a banana bread, brownie, or raw sweet. The shop with its stylish, polished wooden interior isn't open in the evening, but on the other hand its focus on healthy food may be too much for the night.

There's a second Noams branch in the university town of Gießen.

Near Ostbahnhof station

On the East side of the railway tracks, inside the developing Werksviertel party, start-up, and cultural area there's a Pureburrito branch serving Mexican style street food with organic pork and beef (see here). Unfortunately party-goers will be disappointed since it stops serving food by 9 pm.

Haidhausen with its majority vote for the Green Party has several organic hotspots, and one of them is Elsässer Straße East of Bordeauxplatz. A few steps from Haidhauser Oase, next to an organic bakery and opposite the organic neighbourhood grocery Lebascha you'll find Erbil's, the only vegan doner kebap shop in town. Instead of meat you'll get organic seitan, and some (but not all) of the vegetables also are organic. Choose an organic softdrink or beer from the fridge, but have an eye on organic labels since not everything is organic. They also serve organic tea and tisanes and use organic oat drink for coffee drinks. Unfortunately they do not sell baklava for dessert during covid-19 restrictions, instead you can choose from a number of home-made cakes for take away.

More vegan lunch in the form of Israelian-style vegan mezze can be had just a few steps away at Oliver offering an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet at the very competitive price of 10 EUR. The friendly owner assured me that all of the ingredients except herbs and spices were organic. You can also borrow a blanket and picnic basket and take your lunch to the park at Bordeauxplatz. Lunch time stops when everything is sold, and you may of course use your own jars and boxes for take-away. In the afternoon and evenings step by for hand-rolled vegan ice-cream, freshly prepared while you wait: A plant-drink based "batter" is poured onto a freezer plate, stirred with fruit, berries, home-made cookies, nuts and other flavourings you specify, frozen to a thin sheet of ice-cream, rolled up and served in a bowl. When the weather is nice and warm the shop keeps open until 10 pm on weekdays except on Mondays when it is closed.

If you proceed in direction Max-Weber-/Wiener Platz (coming from Rosenheimer Platz or Ostbahnhof you may take the tram) to the tram stop Wörthstraße (and can resist beautiful, fully organic Cafe Reichshof on your way) you'll reach Würzbar. The name of this pleasant ayurvedic vegetarian eatery, cafe and spice shop is a pun derived from the verb "würzen" (to spice up) and "bar" (as bar) and the homonymous suffix "-bar" meaning "to be capable of something". The food is all organic (as are the drinks), but not all of the products for sale are certified. As of July 2022, there's unfortunately no gastro service, but let's hope the eatery will be back soon.

On busy Rosenheimer Straße, a few steps from the Ohne zero-waste shop the Heartbeet salad bar serves salads and bowls. All veges, the ice-cream and some (non-alcoholic) drinks are organic, and at an extra price you can get organic eggs on top of your bowl. It's a heaven for clean-eating lovers, but if you love spices this isn't a place for you. The concept had been a success story during corona delivery and take-away, leading to the opening of branches in Neuhausen and w/in the Feinkost Käfer deli near Münchner Freiheit, but they had to close again. Insist to get your food in deposit dishes if not bringing your own boxes. If you cannot fetch you order by bicycle yourself their delivery service will pedal it to you.

Located directly at Weißenburger Platz Spoon Up offers hearty soups and stews for lunch and promises to use regional, often organic produce. Unfortunately the only organic ingredient visible on the daily menu is meat which is marked as 'bio'.

Bogenhausen and Englischer Garten

There's a second Herrmannsdorfer Bistro ÖQ near Effner-Platz (also see here).

On the opposite shore of the river Isar, on the Eisbach not far from the famous surf wave near Haus der Kunst you'll find a former public convenience turned into a tiny cafe: Fräulein Grüneis offers no more than a handful indoor seats, during the cold season heated by a small wood oven, but as long as the weather allows for it you may prefer to have your lunch or coffee outside anyway, under the trees of the Englischer Garten park. For lunch you can have a soup, one-pot dish or curry, vegetarian or omnivore. The meat is always organic as is the beer, for soft drinks stick to the charitea brand. Apart from this the owners promise to use as much local and organic produce as possible, but if you want to be certain you have to ask. Avoid the ice-cream, the (small-scale local) Eizbach lemonade and the sweets by the piece, all of them without doubt conventionally produced.

Schwabing

The Yum 2 take Thai restaurant has a second branch on Hohenzollernplatz.

Ludwigsvorstadt and Sendling

A few meters from tube station Goetheplatz you'll find the mother branch of the Pureburrito chain.

Tube stop Implerstraße is the right direction for the best (and partially organic) falafel in town: The Beirut Beirut is not only a great place for take away, but also offers sufficient seating inside since they moved away from their old shop in Valleystr. While the Lebanese wine unfortunately isn't organic there's a choice of organic spritzers ("Schorle") from local producers. For more Lebanese food you may also pay a visit to their sister restaurant Manouche, now a few street corners away offering Levantine "pizza", coffee, sweets and other delicious snacks.

The Neulinger bakery also runs self-services lunch cafes on their two locations near the Großmarkthalle (Munich's biggest market hall offering fruits and veges for retail) and in the meat packing district.

Hadern

A short walk from tube stop Großhadern you'll find a Vollcorner supermarket with a work day open, 100 percent organic breakfast and lunch restaurant, before the covid-19 pandemic known as Cucina, now dubbed Vollcorner Deli. Here you can choose between soups, stews, salads, bowls and sandwiches and of course have a coffee drink with a piece of cake.

Westend

The Vollcorner supermarket on Schwanthalerhöhe (next to Theresienwiese and hence good to know if you attend the annual Oktoberfest beerfest) has a deli cum cafe which invites for a small meal or snack.

For a more elaborated breakfast or lunch follow Schwanthalerstraße into the Westend neighbourhood and stop by Das Kulinariat. Whether you'll opt for a vegetarian course, a traditional Bavarian organic Weißwurst breakfast or their speciality – Eggs Benedict – chances are high that some of the greens on your plate have been grown right in the surprisingly spacious backyard. Additional veges come from a local organic farmer, and almost everything is organic here in this culinary gem with its light and modern, predominantly wooden interior.

Pasing

A second Vollcorner Deli opened 5th September, 2019 in the former "Erdgarten" organic supermarket near Pasinger Marktplatz.

• Pommesboutique, Amalienstr. 46, Mon–Sat(Sun,PH) 10(12)–22(20)
• Pureburrito 1, Lindwurmstr. 57, Mon–Sat 11–21
• Pureburrito 2, Schellingstr. 104, Mon–Sat(Sun,PH) 11(12)–22(21)
• Pureburrito 3, Schellingstr. 16, Mon–Sat 11–21
• Pureburrito 4, Atelierstr. 14 (Werk 3), Mon–Fri(Sat) 11(12:30)–21
• Pureburrito 5, Stachus-Passagen, Karlsplatz 11 (basement), Mon–Sat 10–20
• Herrmannsdorfer Bistro ÖQ am Viktualienmarkt, Frauenstr. 6, Mon–Sat 11:30–16
• Kleiner Ochsenbrater, Viktualienmarkt 11, Tue–Sat 10–18
• Organic Garden Kasino des Bayerischen Staatsministeriums für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Ludwigstr. 2, Mon–Fri 12–14
• Herrmannsdorfer Bistro ÖQ am Herkomerplatz, Bülowstr. 3, Mon–Fri 11:30–15
• Fräulein Grüneis, Lerchenfeldstr 1a, Mon-Fri(Sat-Sun) 8(10) until darkness falls
• Yum2Take, Sebastianspl. 8, Mon–Sat 11–22, PH closed
• Yum2Take, Hohenzollernpl. 1, Mon–Sat(Sun) 11(16)–22, PH closed
• Bikini Mitte, Sonnenstr. 17 (entrance Josephspitalstr.), Mon–Wed(Tue–Sat) 10–24(3)
• Servus Habibi, Schillerstr. 20, Tue–Fri 11:30–14:30, Tue–Fri(Sat–Sun) 18(17)–21(21:30)
• Leo's Organic Kitchen (formerly: Byoo), Westenrieder Str. 35 (1st floor), Mon–Sat 10–17
• Noams Deli, Holzstr. 19, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9–19(16)
• Erbil's, Breisacher Str. 13, daily 10–20
• Oliver, Breisacher Str. 4, Tue–Fri(Sat) 11:30(9)–20(15)
• Würzbar, Wörthstr. 11, Wed–Fri(Sat) 11(10:30)–18(15)
• Heartbeet, Rosenheimer Str. 109, Mon–Fri(Sat,Sun,PH) 11(17)–21
• Greens & Grains University, Schellingstr. 23, Mon–Fri(Sat) 11(12)–20
• Spoon Up, Weißenburger Pl. 5, Mon–Fri 9–16
• Beirut Beirut, Lindenschmittstr. 18, Mon–Sat 11:30–20
• Vollcorner Deli, Würmtalstr. 95, Mon–Sat 8–16 or until empty
• Das Kulinariat, Schwanthalerstr. 143, Wed–Fri(Sat) 11:30(10)–16(17), closed July 27 through 30, 2022)

Shut down

The following (partially) organic eateries are closed for good:

• Basic Biobuffet, Herzogstr. 129
• Buxs, Frauenstr. 9 (city centre)
• Greens & Grains, Max-Weber-Pl. 11
• Greeny's, Tal 42 near Isartor (city centre)
• Soupmama, Frauenstr. 2 opposite Viktualienmarkt (city centre)
near Viktualienmarkt (city centre)
• Brotzeit bei Herrmannsdorfer, Holzstr. 24 (Glockenbachviertel)
• Annapurna (former Ganesh), Wörthstr. 7 (Haidhausen)
• Grilly's, Rosenheimer Str. 117 (Haidhausen)
• Iss dich glücklich, Preysingstr. 42 (replaced by the Sorry Johnny coffee bar)
• Heartbeet, Nymphenburger Str. 84
• Heartbeet w/in Feinkost Käfer, Leopoldstr. 57
• Lecker-Bissen, Theresienstr. 27 (Maxvorstadt)
• Little Habibi, Fraunhoferstr. 32
• Organic Garden Signature Store, Heiliggeiststr. 1
• Organic Garden Eatery inside Mercedes Benz Studio Odeonsplatz, Brienner Str. 1
• So Ham inside Jivamukti Yoga studio, Buttermelcherstr. 11–15
• Sweekies, Wendl-Dietrich-Str.4 near Rotkreuzplatz (Neuhausen)
• Bio-Brüder, Ottostr. 67 (Ottobrunn)