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)

Bremen: (American) bars

An evening out with organic dinner and later a civilized drink at a bar? While in other cities it can be quite challenging to find an organic drink outside of restaurants Bremen has dedicated American-style bars where you can have fully organic drinks and at least partially organic cocktails until late at night.

What about a (late) summer night drink with a view on the Weser river? The pop-up bar Papp at the South-Eastern side of St. Pauli bridge (the prolongation of Wilhelm Kaisen bridge) isn't as pop-up as its location in a shack near the river shore might suggests as it has been there since summer 2015. There's a spacious square under trees in front of the tiny bar, sometimes with live concerts or electronic music. During the day time you may come here and have a coffee (and cake), a soft drink or even a bottle of beer.

In the Viertel neighbourhood, near Sielwall the Heldenbar ("Heroes' bar") comprises the entrance to the Cinema im Ostertor where films have been shown continously since 1959. Before the covid-19 pandemics the rustic craft beer place had been notorious for its Wednesday quiz nights. While it is advisable to ask for organic alcoholic drinks (there's at least one organic gin and organic cider) most pre-bottled soft drinks are organic and fairly traded (as is the coffee).

If you prefer a lounge atmosphere or want to be sure that your drinks are 100 percent organic, simply proceed around the corner to Noras, however: this place closes too early to be a respectable bar – although pleasant it won't save your late evening.

For a no-frills outing in the park you may also step by the Kukoon food, no wait: drinks truck which, for the remaining summer of 2023 is located at Leibnitzplatz in the Neustadt. Unfortunately organic drinks aren't marked as such on the menu (Lammsbräu beer is safe as are some of the soft drinks), so you have to specify that you insist on an organic drink. During the cold season head have an organic wineor beer at their "headquarter" about 200 metres from here.

• Papp, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 1 Sun(Mon–Sat) 12–19(23;open end depending on weather)
• Heldenbar, Ostertorsteinweg 105, Tue–Sat 18–1 (open end)
• Kukoon im Park food truck, Leibnitzplatzpark (Neustadtwallanlagen), Tue–Sun 12–22:30 until Sep 17th, 2023

Vienna: Hotels serving organic breakfast

To find a hotel serving at least partially organic breakfast is nowhere easier than in the Austrian capital – a simple search on the web, and off you go. To book a room in the impressive ivy-covered zero energy building of the Boutiquehotel Stadthalle however, may prove more difficult during holiday seasons. The certified Bio-Hotel serves 100 percent organic breakfast and offers rooms both, in a renovated villa and a modern recently build passive house, right in the vicinity of the Westbahn train station.

With family-run hotel Gilbert (formerly known as "ViennArt") there's a second hotel with a green plant-covered facade next to the Museumsquartier art district. They not only offer organic breakfast but also sport a fashionable restaurant using organic produce.

Eco-consciousness isn't enough to make the world a better place – so why not stay at a place which actively works on the transformation of the economy? Henriette Stadthotel in the city center, located on busy Praterstraße boulevard, is the first Austrian hotel certified as Economy for the Common Good (ECG) company. The family-run boutique hotel formerly known as "Hotel Capri" offers predominantly organic breakfast, and the staff is genuinely, not only professionally friendly and helpful – looks like they really enjoy their workplace. All rooms are decorated individiously, with each floor sporting a different aspect of Viennese culture – and a bench or two seats illustrating the theme, e.g. with nicely restored historic seats from Viennese teatres or garden chairs from the beginning of the 20th century. There's complimentary organic tea and instant coffee on the room.

Even the standard rooms are spacious and un-perfumed, decorated with dried flowers. All bedclothes are made from natural, organically certified materials, and the rooms are eco-friendly cleaned with steam-cleaners. Liquid soap and shampoo are certified eco-friendly, but neither certified natural nor organic. Defininitely a place to recommend.

Social responsibility combined with eco-consciousness are also the pillars of another centrally located hotel: Magdas. The name of this place, opened in 2022, is a pun: "mag das" means "I like this", and Magda is a common female name. If you love being surrounded by people and furniture of all colours, this is the place for you: The hotel offers work and qualification for refugees, and the entire place is equipped with upcycled furniture. There's a garden instead of a parking lot, and organic, partially fairly traded food and drinks at the restaurant where you, in a positive sense, can "eat the world". Needless to say that locally generated renewable energy is part of the concept. Do not be confused if you find sources stating Laufbergergasse as the (no longer valid) address: The place was located in the Prater until it re-opened at its present location near the University of Music and Performing Arts.

Traditional Viennese hotel luxury certified against the eco standards of the Austrian Eco label for Tourism can be found at the hotels of the Schick family, Viennese hoteliers of the fourth generation and owners of Vienna's oldest hotel "Stefanie". Use of organic and fairly traded as well as local agricultural products in the kitchen are part of the requirements, but don't expect too much. Three of the five hotels have restaurants on premise: At Stefanie only the courses from the separate menu based on pork of the Labonca farm are guaranteed to include certified organic meat. In addition the wine menu offers a few organic ones. For other organic ingredients or drinks you have to ask the waiter/waitress. The gourmet restaurant Das Schick does not mark anything organic on its menu, but being a 3-toque restaurant one may expect frequent use of organic ingredients. The menu of the third restaurant, Wiener Wirtschaft marks an assortment of wines and a beer as organic, and use of Zotter chocolates hints a few more organic ingredients in the kitchen, but here you are on your own, too.

A carefully yet sparingly decorated, not over-designed semi-eco conscious modern business hotel a few steps from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof), the Zeitgeist is for you if you prefer a professional, suitably semi-anonymous design hotel with a small outdoor workout space and garden in the backyard (the green lawn however is artifical). The breakfast here offers organic bread, eggs, milk, coffee, tea and cheese (not the slices though, only the Austrian "bio" cheeses served in cubes) – neither organic yogurt nor fruit nor preserves. The Pergola hotel bar (open to the public between 12 and 23) allows you to combine four different gins and four different tonics, among them the Austrian O gin and the Red Bull Organics tonic which make for a 100 percent organic lightly herbal and refreshing combination. If you buy refreshments at the vending machines you'll find organic soft drinks of the Höllinger and Vöslauer brands. There are free bicycles, but check the brakes before setting out for a ride as the staff does not seem to.

For single travellers the three Ruby design hotels Sofie in the Weißgerber neighbourhood, Lissi in the inner city and Marie in Neubau offer zeitgeist-compliant luxury and probably still partially organic breakfast (the keyword "organic" disappeared from their self-descriptions somewhen between 2018 and 2022). Rooms can be booked on-line only, with credit cards as the only payment option, and even at the bar they won't accept cash. There are no family rooms available.

If you prefer to stay away from the urban buzz in quiet surroundings head for the family-friendly Umwelthotel Gallitzinberg about 40 minutes from Stephansplatz if using public transport. Take tube no. 3 to Ottakring and change to bus no. 46b in direction Wilhelminenberg to Hansl-Schmid-Weg. The European ecolabel certified hotel's organic breakfast buffet is open not only for hotel guests but also for those heading out for a walk in the Wienerwald, from 6:30 on weekdays and 7:30 on weekends and public holidays.

• Boutiquehotel Stadthalle, Hackengasse 20
• Gilbert, Breite Gasse 9, with restaurant &Flora, Breite Gasse 9, Mon(Tue–Fri) 7:30–18(24), Sat(Sun,PH) 8–24(17)
• Stadthotel Henriette, Praterstr. 44–46
• Magdas, Ungargasse 38, with restaurant Magdas Lokal, Mon–Sat(Sun,PH) 7–22:30(18:30)
• Schick-Hotel Stefanie, Taborstr. 12, with restaurant Stefanie, Mon–Fri 12–14:30, daily 18–22
• Schick-Hotel am Parkring, Parkring 12, with gourmet restaurant Das Schick, Tue–Sat 18–23
• Schick-Hotel Erzherzog Rainer, Wiedner Hauptstr. 27–29, with restaurant Wiener Wirtschaft, Mon–Sat 11:30–15, 18–23
• Schick-Hotel Capricorno, Schwedenpl. 3–4
• Schick-Hotel City Central, Taborstr. 8
• Zeitgeist, Sonnenwendgasse 15
• Ruby Sofie Hotel, Marxergasse 17
• Ruby Lissi Hotel, Laurenzerberg 2
• Ruby Marie Hotel, Kaiserstr. 2-4
• Umwelthotel Gallitzinberg, Johann-Staud-Str. 32

Temporarily closed

The bike-friendly hotel "Am Praterstern" is currently being transformed into an environment-friendly apartment house. It is expected to reopen as the Urban Jungle in June 2023, including a vegan-friendly vegetarian cafe which is expected to be using herbs and greens from vertical farming on premise.

• Urban Jungle Apartments, Mayergasse 6

Salzburg: Hotels serving organic breakfast

Organic luxury combined with responsible corporate culture: My favourite hotel is Bio Austria certified, family-driven, family-friendly Hotel & Villa Auersperg in the old town. Before covid-19 almost all items on their breakfast buffet were organic, but in 2022 it seems that this has decreased. It's still possible to have a fully certified organic breakfast though.

When it comes to the contents of the mini-bar and the complimentary selection of tea and herbal tea on the room I was delighted to discover that some sweet and savoury snacks still are organic (though not as many as about five years ago), the same applies to tea bags and refreshments. The organic shampoo and liquid soap are produced by a manufactury in town, the towels are washed with ecological detergents, and the complimentary good-night chocolate on the bed is organic and fairly traded.

The hotel also has a gastro bar cum cafe dubbed A* bar where you can have a hearty meal or cake, organic coffee and organic wines, teas and juices. Its small, yet carefully selected daily menu caters for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike, with generous servings, until around 22:30 pm. With the relaxed atmosphere of a mundane hotel bar the place is also worth a visit when you're not staying at the hotel. Their assortment of spirits for a relaxed drink at the bar includes organic Gin Bien, a gin made by Salzburg-based organic bee keepers, and the O gin and vodka, both of Austrian origin. Speaking of bee-keeping: The hotel has its own bee cubes located in its pleasant garden.

The hotel which consists of two spacious adjacent houses (the "hotel" and the "villa") is driven in accordance with the Economy for the Common Good principles. What could have been a pleasant park in the backyard of the villa is unfortunately an embarassing parking lot for the guests' obese cars. Much more pleasant: Next to the Tesla charging stations you may fetch a bicycle for a city ride. Unlike the parking fee bicycle rental is however not included in the (by now honestly quite hefty) price for the night.

If you are inclined to spend a luxury night in the old town, but cannot afford Auersperg prices you may check out Hotel Stein: The hotel with its view on the river Salzach provides organic body care products, but since its beautiful (but independent) Rosencafe breakfast restaurant gave up in May 2022, I don't know whether you may expect a 100 percent organic start of the day.

Smaller purses should have a look at the budget self-check in hotel The Keep just a few steps from the main train station. It has colourful eco-conscious basic rooms, family rooms and appartments with upcycled furniture at very affordable prices. Their vending machine offers organic snacks, bamboo toothbrushes and vegan condoms, there's a community kitchen and a focus on reducing waste.

In 2022 they had a partially organic vegan Italian pop-up restaurant on their premises, the Vegitalian, but this is moving to another location. The hotel's website still promises a daily open restaurant serving breakfast and lunch, and dinner Wednesday through Saturday. Since it is announcing X-Mas opening hours, they probably found a new operator, but I cannot say who/what it is and whether it is organic.

About ten minutes away from the city centre, in the neighbourhood of Maxglan, you will find another family-driven Bio Austria certified retreat, the Green Hotels member Hotel Zur Post. It consists of three houses which are less luxuriously designed, but clean and comfortable, and the Villa Ceconi a little down the road. All rooms and apartments are equipped with organic cotton towels, organic soap from the local manufacturer mentioned above and organic tea bags. The hotel uses carbon neutral heating and produces its own photovoltaic electricity. You will be served fully organic breakfast, including yummy cakes and home-made vegan and vegetarian spreads (try the pumpkin seed oil one!).

Unfortunately the hotel does not have a bar, and although it is listed as a bicyle-friendly bett-und-bike hotel there's no bike shelter for guests.

In the Eastern neighbourhood of Parsch you may try the Heffterhof, another Salzburg hotel emphasizing on local, predominantly organic supplies in their kitchen. It has a focus as a conference hotel and offers fully organic breakfast. Let me know about your experience when you stay there.

If you prefer to spend your nights in the quiet of a natural park, far from the city's noise and yet only 20 minutes by bus from Salzburg's main train station, Stadthotel St. Virgil in the neighbourhood of Aigen is the place to stay. The hotel is part of a modern, sustainably driven conference and educational complex and as such serves Bio Austria certified organic breakfast and lunch, preferably with seasonal Austrian ingredients. Its Parkcafe also offers breakfast and lunch to passers-by, a nice and comparatively cheap option if you're out for a walk in the surroundings of the Salzburg hills. Unfortunately there's no lunch on Sundays, and on little frequented days the cafe may be closed.

If you plan a visit to Hellbrunn castle or the adjacent zoo, the Kaiserhof Anif is nearby. Their organic breakfast restaurant is open to the public, after pre-order by 8 pm the day before. Children up to five years won't be charged.

And for the sake of completeness: The Motel One design hotel chain runs two houses in Salzburg (one centrally located near the main train station, one on the way south to Hellbrunn castle) and promises at least partially organic breakfast and fairly traded coffee. They are not an option when travelling as a family.

• Hotel & Villa Auersperg, Auerspergstr. 61, A* bar daily 6:30–24
• Hotel Stein, Giselakai 3-5
• The Keep, Schwarzstr. 50
• Grünes Hotel Zur Post, Maxglaner Hauptstr. 45
• Villa Ceconi, Maxglaner Hauptstr. 28
• Heffterhof, Maria-Cebotari-Str. 5
• St. Virgil, Ernst-Grein-Str. 14, Parkcafé daily 8–19
• Kaiserhof Anif, Salzachtal-Bundessstr. 135, Anif, breakfast Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun,PH) 7–10(11)
• Motel One Mirabell, Elisabethkai 58-60
• Motel One Salzburg-Süd, Alpenstr. 92-94

Not or no longer organic

I felt in love with Salzburg during a stay at Altstadthotel Wolf Dietrich which once upon a time was Salzburg's first organic hotel with a lovely organic restaurant. Unfortunately they turned into a conventional hotel almost ten years ago. You will likely find a few organic items on their breakfast buffet, but I haven't questioned them for the past eight years.

If you read my post on eating out in Salzburg you might be wondering whether the Hotel Stadtkrug in Linzergasse was offering (partially) organic breakfast. Unfortunately this is not so.

• Altstadthotel Wolf-Dietrich, Wolf-Dietrich-Str. 7 (former Bio Hotel)
• Hotel Stadtkrug, Linzergasse 20

Berlin: Organic hotels

Taste- and love-less, standardised conventional breakfast buffets are still league in Berlin, but if you have the chance to decide where to stay you can easily start your day in a way that's good for you and the planet: If you don't mind hotel chains the easiest bet are the hotels of the Motel One chain. All over Germany they offer partially organic breakfast for 11.50 EUR in addition to the room charge. They promise organic dairy products, plant-based drinks, jam, honey, apple juice, coffee, tea, apples and muesli at all hotels, and if you are lucky there may be more organic and fairly traded options.

But you can have it even more luxurious, at welcoming, owner-run boutique hotels striving for a fully sustainable overall experience. Both of them are located in the city centre, and you may even be surprised to find that they aren't necessarily more expensive than the chain.

If you do yoga or adhere to a minimalist lifestyle Hotel Almodóvar in Friedrichshain is a must-go (but neither of the two is a prerequisite to feel at home here). The reduced geometric minimalist chic in white and dark-brown, with carefully selected design objects to light the room, beanbags, and yoga mats generate a very special, focussed room atmosphere. All food and drinks here are organic: In the morning you wake up to a gorgeous vegetarian breakfast buffet with lots of regional produce and tasty home-made spreads and preserves at Bistro Bardot; on Sundays you can have brunch until 3 pm, with (among others) vegan curry "sausage" and scrambled "eggs". Given the pleasantly styled location it's sad that the bistro isn't a public bar in the evening, but as a hotel guest you can have a glass of organic wine to quit the day.

While the Almodóvar building is quite new (opened in 2013) the Guldsmeden hotel Lulu in the vibrant neighbourhood of Potsdamer Straße in Tiergarten/Mitte is located in a beautifully renovated 1850’s building. Part of a small Danish family-owned sustainable hotel chain which carefully and individually decorates the rooms you can expect the breakfast and bar service to be fully organic. The hotel restaurant and bar dubbed Sæson (Danish for "season") is currently closed. I haven't had the chance to stay here yet but given my absolutely positive experience with the Guldsmeden hotels in Copenhagen and Oslo I'm pretty sure you won't regret your stay here. All body care products there are organic, so I expect them to be so at the Lulu, too.

• Almodóvar, Boxhagener Str. 83 with
Bistro Bardot, Boxhagener Str. 83, daily 7–11, Sun 12–15
• Lulu Guldsmeden, Potsdamer Str. 67

Closed during the covid-19 pandemic

• Sæson restaurant & bar, Potsdamer Str. 67, breakfast Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 6:30(7:30)–10:30(11), lunch Mon–Sat 12–14:30, evening Tue–Sat 18–22

Closed

• Essentis Biohotel, Weiskopffstr. 16/17 (Oberschöneweide)