Bremen: Organic restaurants and fast food eateries

Bremen offers plenty opportunities for an organic lunch ranging from a cheap and simple meal at a refectory to the posh organic business lunch. For dinner there's significantly less choice – you may opt for fast food or a friendly place to meet friends, but to have an organic candle light dinner will be difficult. Don't expect highly sophisticated international cuisine – Bremen restaurants are best when it comes to local dishes based on regional ingredients (which are totally different from e.g. the meat-centric Bavarian cuisine) and rather adapt international influences than aim at an – whatever the definition may be – authentic experience of a foreign cuisine.

Indian

The food served in "Indian" restaurants in Germany usually does not have much in common with the food served in India – and the Punjabi food served at the – to my knowledge – oldest organic restaurant in Bremen, the Krishna a short walk from the Southern end of either Wilhelm Kaisen or Bürgermeister Smidt bridge is also adapted to this idea of how Europeans are likely to like Indian food. This is probably not a surprise since the restaurant generates its main business from its delivery and take-away service. The good news about it – there's always a spare table in the restaurant which now after more than ten years looks a little worn, resembling restaurants in India.

Since the main ingredients of the pakoras, curries and tandoori dishes – meat, dairy products and vegetables – are organic the food is much more palatable than in conventional "Indian" restaurants. You can choose between rice and naan bread as a side dish, and each curry comes with a salad (dressed with a balsamico-based dressing) in advance. The menu hasn't changed much in all these years – lamb, chicken, fish, cheese (paneer) and/or vegetables in a gravy, and as a recent addition gravy with tofu as a vegan alternative.

You may wish to start your meal with an (organic) yogurt drink (lassi) and finish with a cup of chai or hot saffron milk. There's also a selection of cold organic drinks. If you have the chance have a chat with the friendly Punjabi owner, but do not expect much flexibility from his staff which often even cannot remember the dishes and will ask you for the number on the menu when ordering. Note that the restaurant is open evenings only.

Italian

For an organic pizza slice, a chili stew, sometimes pasta and fairly traded organic coffee sailed from Honduras to Europe and transported by bicycle pay a visit to the Biten food truck at the farmer's market at the Domshof in front of Markthalle 8. Mind you that the truck leaves early in the afternoon and some days simply won't be there.

Clean and raw

Formerly located inside the Markthalle 8 food court Noras Deli took over the location of the Lei in the Viertel neighbourhood and now is simply dubbed Noras. The place was refurbished in lounge style, and although the menu starts with two savoury dishes – a very palatable Buddha Bowl and a properly spiced chickpeas curry – it's more of a cafe during daytime turning into an American bar in the evening. It offers coffee drinks, breakfast, pancakes, smoothie bowls, freshly made juices and shots as well as healthy sweets without refined sugar (don't miss the filled dates by the piece), both to eat here and to take away. There's a small range of carefully choosen wines and fully organic cocktails. You can sit outside and indoors.

Regional – International

For a coffee or lunch break you have another opportunity in the vicinity: the Bio-Biss im Alten Fundamt, a recreational place which has been offering organic food for many years, formerly under the name "Mundart im Alten Fundamt" and now in the second generation of tenants, as "Bio-Biss". In summer it's a pleasure to eat outside in the large backyard, with a kindergarden and a home for the elderly as neighbours. The menu changes daily and offers tasty seasonal food using predominantly local ingredients from their own farm or other organic farms nearby. The dishes are based on local food traditions or derived from Italian or Oriental cuisines, and always served both, as a regular and a small portion. You may also have an organic ice-cream from the Kaemena farm.

A less sophisticated yet filling organic lunch for a cheap price can be had at the Leckerbiss refectories run by the Bio-Biss caterers on the Radio Bremen campus in Vahr and within the refectory of the Bremen Senator for Children and Education in the city center. On weekdays you can choose from two wholefood dishes, one of them vegetarian, and a soup. In addition there is coffee and some snacks. Not all ingredients and drinks however are organic. The Bio-Biss refectory on the University campus opposite Universum unfortunately was closed in 2020.

The Neustadt neighbourhood with its virtually endless Buntentorsteinweg is the home of a very Bremen place: the (sub-)cultural center Kukoon with its predominantly organic, vegetarian (vegan-friendly) and socially responsible restaurant. Hearty and healthy, yet filling one-pot dishes and pasta dominate the menu. Needless to say that the place is a popular coffee (and cake) spot and a good meeting point for an organic wine or beer. The majority of drinks are organic, notably all warm preparations. On Sunday evenings the kitchen closes at 6 pm, but you still can come here on a soup or potato or pasta salad – except during the warm season when the team can be found at various pop-up venues.

For a romantic evening out or whenever you are in the mood for fine (but not pretentious) Northern dining visit the Canova restaurant behind Kunsthalle. Many of their supplies come from organic farms in the greater Bremen area, among others from a gardener cultivating ancient and forgotten local herbs and vegetables. There are a few vegan/vegetarian and meat-based courses, but the focus is on responsibly sourced fish and seafood. The four-course menu was absolutely perfect after a leisurely day in the countryside; for the six-course menu you should probably come hungry. Of course, you may freely choose from the menu, too. During the warm season don't miss the pleasure to sit on their serene terrace.

The team also runs the Cafe Sylvette inside the art museum.

Speaking of fine local cuisine: After a visit to the Universum Science museum near the university, the restaurant Wels ("catfish") inside the hotel "Munte" serves fish from North-German shores and game from nearby forests, with organic vegetables. The vegetarian and vegan options also contain organic ingredients, but are usually inspired by international cuisines. The place, however, opens on Friday and Saturday evenings only.

Directly located at the Contrescape park, at the edge of the picturesque Fedelhören neighbourhood with its small owner-run shops Café Heinrich is a popular day cafe serving classic German dishes like potatoes in their jacket and internationally inspired ones like Flammkuchen, the Alsatian pizza, predominantly made with ingredients from the region. The menu lists organic soft drinks and promises organic cheeses, bread and salami, but you should probably take these promises with a grain of salt and ask beforehand: When I was there the milk from the free-ranging cows of a farm from the region turned out to be conventional supermarket-fare of the "Frischli" brand.

The place used to be open until 6 or even 8 pm, but staff shortness lead to early closing times in summer 2022.

Fastfood

If you rather opt for fast food aim for the city's central shopping area. Opposite the back entrance to the Kaufhof department store you can find 1885 Burger, a self-serving American-type diner using organic beef and bacon in their burgers. Start queuing at the left side and choose the type of patty and home-made bun you prefer. While the patty is being grilled before your eyes move to the right and specify the sauces, vegetables and condiments as well as your drinks (I'd suggest the organic Störtebeker beer). Some of the veges are organic, too, and most of them as well as the cheeses are sourced locally. Vegetarian cheese and vegan lentils patties are available, but you have to enquire whether they are organic. Pay at the till in the middle of the restaurant when you're ready to leave. Although the place is popular among supporters of the local football club Werder Bremen, it should be noted that there's no TV screen.

Another source of burgers with organic meat patties are the Simpleburger foodtrucks. The meat comes from Welsh Black cattle raised at an organic farm in Ahausen/Lower Saxony. They also serve coffee drinks, and the milk used here is organic, too. While it is generally nice that they serve vegan and vegetarian burgers, you may not like them as these patties are highly processed, long-travelled BeyondMeat ones – not exactly what one expects from a company emphasising the regional origin of their food.

Eateries attached to public swimming pools usually are a contradiction in itself: Why do they serve such tasteless, unhealthy and often evil smelling fast food at places dedicated to healthy physical exercises? The restaurant Novazena at the Hallenbad Süd is a notable exception: Their burger is made from organic meat, and there are organic soft drinks – a few more organic ingredients may be hidden in other dishes, some of them Ethiopian-style (but no injeera). Honest, filling canteen food, and if the weather is nice you may sit on a spacious terrace.

Vegan

The Plantenköök restaurant next to the entrance of the city library tries to appeal to everyone: You can have, both, either a filling meal or a sandwich for lunch – or celebrate dinner with a multiple-course vegan menu. Despite the announcements on their website: Don't expect fine dining. The restaurant is casual and pleasantly furnished with wood. The waitress during my visit was friendly and open, but not trained professionally. I opted for a mezze board which was nicely arranged, tasty and filling though not elaborated. The three types of rolls it came with were very tasty and still warm from the oven, however quite solid: The friendly cook in the open kitchen is definitively passionate about food, but clearly not yet an experienced baker with artisanal control of the baking process.

On the other hand my drink, a home-made kefir with lime and ginger, was a pleasant surprise with its refreshing and surprising spectrum of tastes. Just as Munich's Max Pett the place does not serve alcohol – very uncommon for evening-open restaurants in Germany.

In the kitchen they use organic ingredients, but the percentage may vary. If you have little money there's one so-called solidarity dish for which you pay between 2 and 10 euros depending on what you can afford. During my visit this was a chili sin carne. Overall a place I definitely recommend.

• Krishna, Große Annenstraße 53–54, daily 17–23
• Biten, Domshof, Tue–Fri(Sat) 8–14(15) (food truck)
• Nora's Deli, Sielwall 55/57, Tue–Fri(Sat) 12(10)–22, Sun 10–15
• Bio-Biss im Alten Fundamt, Auf der Kuhlen 1a, Mon-Sat 12–14, closed Oct 17 through 22, 2022
• Kukoon, Buntentorsteinweg 29, Tue–Sun 12–22:30 (usually closed during the summer holiday period, in 2023 until Sep 15th)
• Canova, Am Wall 207 (behind Kunsthalle), Mon,Wed(Tue,Thu–Sat) 9–18(22), Sun 9–20
• Wels, Parkallee 299, Fri–Sat 18–22
• Café Heinrich, Contrescarpe 45, daily 10–16
• 1885 Burger, Pelzerstr. 8, Mon–Sat 12–21
• Simpleburger, Ladestr. 12, daily 11:30–20
• Novazena, Neustadtswall 81 (next to Hallenbad Süd), Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 10(11)–23, kitchen closes at 21:30
• Plantenköök, Am Wall 201, Tue–Sat 12–15,17–21

More to try

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

• Gottlieb, Im Holter Feld, Mon–Fri 11–15 (partially organic, organically certified gourmet restaurant; organic products are tagged "BIO" on the menu)
• Cafeteria Leckerbiss, Kurfürstenallee 130, Mon–Thu 12–13
• Veganbar, Admiralstr. 97, Mon–Sat 12–21 (vegan döner, burger, falafel and more in Findorf; organic potatoes, iced tea and hopefully more)
• Finetime Oberneuland, food truck in front of Edeka Maaß, Rockwinkeler Heerstr., , Tue–Fri(Sat) 11–19(17:30) (partially organic grill)

Closed

• Alma, Alte Hafenstr. 30, (predominantly organic vegetarian restaurant and cafe, international cuisine)
• Bio-Biss im Lichthaus, Hermann-Prüser-Str. 4 (organic restaurant)
• Lei, Sielwall 55/57 (succeeded by Noras)
• Leckerbiss-Kantine Senatorin für Kinder und Bildung, Rembertiring 8–12
• Bio-Biss, Universitätsallee inside GW 1 (university refectory)
• Diverso, Münchener Str. 46 (since the covid-19 pandemics catering only)
• Kuss Rosa, Buntentorsteinweg 143 (resto bar, predominantly organic greens)
• Scharfrichter, Martinistr. 70 (hot dogs)
• Scharfrichter, Obernstr. 5-33, basement
• Veganissimi, Horner Straße 1a (vegan day cafe)

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

Organic Innsbruck: Eat and sleep

Innsbruck was a Saturday-to-Sunday overnight stop on the München-Venezia bike route, so this guide is far from complete! The only thing I can say for sure is that finding a (partially) organic place open on Sundays isn't easy.

My first impulse for an organic Sunday morning coffee was Cafe Crema in Welsergasse, a few steps from Landhausplatz, but the place turned out to be closed on Sundays. They promise to use a good deal organic produce from Tyrolean farmers. The coffee is only fairly traded, not organic. You may expect home-made cakes and a small range of savoury snacks for lunch or breakfast.

With option number two I was luckier: Although the Moustache looked like a decent (American-style) bar for an evening out and quite closed from its street address in the morning it turned out that the proper entrance was from Domsplatz, with pleasant outdoor seating. On Sunday mornings they do not serve the usual falafel and hummus sandwiches, but offer a generous brunch buffet, including very palatable hummus, pancakes and cake. About 90 percent of the food, so the promise goes, should be organic. Unfortunately I was too busy to try all the good stuff on the buffet that I completely forgot to scrutinise the bottles in the adjacent main room. But since the bar looked very well assorted I am sure the bartender will offer an organic gin or more if you ask.

More to try

I love food markets, and had I been in Innsbruck on a week- or Saturday I would have loved to have breakfast or lunch at the Klein und fein cafe in the Markthalle. Their lunch menu sports a mixture of international classics and Austrian dishes, predominantly vegetarian and made with local, often organic ingredients. They also offer ice-cream made from organic milk. Unfortunately the place is going to close mid of September, 2022. Whether their home-base shop is open to the public I cannot say, but it's certainly not a public restaurant.

As the original plan was to eat out late on Saturday night, I had the sister restaurant to the Salzburg burger grill Ludwig on my list. On Sundays the place is closed.

Next time I'll come to Innsbruck I hope to visit Oscar kocht, the vegetarian restaurant of a chef with Mexican roots promising to cook with predominantly organic ingredients. In summer 2022 Oscar wasn't here, and the female duo of Sloe was serving vegetarian/vegan dinner in this location, though not on Sundays.

When I checked for bicycle-friendly hotels on the München-Venezia bike route I found a hotel that I already had on my shortlist of overnight options offering at least partially organic breakfast: the Hotel Schwarzer Adler. Unfortunately our budget wasn't prepared for the price tag they called for that night (more than 300 EUR for the double room), and so the place remains unreviewed here. (The night was spent in a hostel offering organic tea and plant-based drink – not enough to qualify for this post.)

• Moustache, Herzog-Otto-Str. 8, Tue–Sat(Mon) 10(16)–2
• Crema, Maria-Theresien-Str. 49a, Tue–Sat 9–15
• Klein und fein inside Markthalle, Herzog-Siegmund-Ufer 1-3, breakfast/brunch: Mon–Fri(Sat) 9–11:30(13), shop/catering service: Maria-Theresien-Str. 42a, likely Mon–Fri 10–17
• Ludwig, Museumsstr. 3, Mon–Sat 11–22
• Oskar kocht/Sloe, Defreggerstr. 21, Tue–Sat 19–22
• Schwarzer Adler, Kaiserjägerstr. 2

Verona: Organic cafes, restaurants and eateries

Meat-lovers, be brave in Verona: All the places I found serving organic food are vegetarian or even vegan.

Piu Gusto Bio offers organic breakfast, health food for lunch as well as coffee and cake. They have outdoor seating on the main street, so unless the corona virus forces you to avoid closed rooms it's nicer to sit inside in the pleasantly decorated air-conditioned cafe. For lunch there are tasty sandwiches and daily changing plates with wholefood preparations inspired by the suggestions of the Havard School of Public Health for a healthy eating plate. Around 2pm choice was limited, but the broiled zucchini and fennel, the aubergine-bean mixture and the falafel-style bean balls were very nice and not as bland as health food often uses to be. All food is vegetarian, most of it vegan. While the coffee was nice (well, it's Italy after all), the chocolate cake was dry and crumbly.

More to try

Satisfied there was no need to proceed to the Ziga bar north of the Adige river, in the neighbourhood of Borgo Trento which promises a little more elaborated vegetarian, though only partially organic lunch and dinner, natural wines and organic beer.

For vegan sweets, coffee, a soup or savoury snack I have Dulcamara bakery cum self-service day cafe on my list, but my time between two trains did not allow for more than one lunch and an ice-cream.

For vegan organic pizza and pasta try La Laterna. Their signature dish is bigoli (thick "spaghetti-like" pasta) alla carbonara, and I'm curious how they interpret this rather un-vegan recipe in a vegan style.

• Piu Gusto Bio, Stradone Porta Palio, 36, Mon–Fri(Sat) 7:30(9)–15 until end of September, Sat closed in August
• Ziga, Via IV Novembre, 1/B, daily 11–15:30, 19–22:30
• Dulcamara, Via Francesco Berni 7, Tue–Sat 9–15
• La Lanterna, Piazzetta Portichetti 6, daily 12:30–15, 19–23

Probably closed

Some years ago I found the following pizzeria in Borgo Trento on the web, but all references to opening hours have been gone, so I suppose that the place shut down:

• Pizza al Tòcco, Via Giuseppe Cesare Abba, 13, formerly Tue–Sat 11–14, Tue–Sun 18–22