Göttingen: Zero Waste

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

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

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

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

The second and much larger organic supermarket in the inner city belongs to the Alnatura chain. Although it doesn't have an explicit focus on zero waste the staff at the bakery cum cheese counter is happy when you come with your own boxes and bags, and there's a good selection of products in deposit glasses and bottles. There are no cafe tables and chairs, but you can take out coffee drinks and tea (in deposit mugs) and choose from a great selection of sandwiches. Even in the evening hours you will usually still find a sandwich.

Geismar and Diemarden

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

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

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

Non-food

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

Tea

In the 1990ies owner-driven tea shops offering a great selection of loose-weight teas, herbal and fruit blends were quite a thing, and fortunately they have been surviving in Göttingen so far. With the years, their assortment of organic teas has increased, and I haven't found one who refused to fill my tea boxes (even though you may ask for it verbosely).

The Teehaus Kluntje isn't just a nice shop for teas and everything you need for tea ceremonies or small recreational everyday tea breaks, it also serves you a good cup of tea. However, it's a bit too focused on being a gift shop if you prefer tea shops with a reduced atmosphere.

Personally I prefer the wooden interior of Teehaus Schmidt which nicely brings out the timber frames of the old house. Here the focus is clearly on tea and spices. An interesting fact: The place was a students' start-up in the 1970ies.

In a city with as many tea lovers you won't be surprised to find a branch of the Tee Gschwendner franchise. Just like other franchises of this brand they sell more conventional than organic teas, but the shop assistants will show the right types when you ask for "bee-o" (bio) teas and place your tea box on the till.

Fortunately Göttingen still has many cosy carefully curated owner-driven shops. When I tried to visit the traditional confectioners' shop cum delicatessen Alfred Ewert on recommendation by locals it was too late to find it open, and the products on display in the shop's windows weren't organic. So I decided not to list it here. However, pink@norden.social recommended it as a veritable loose tea shop, so I suggest that you pay a visit and check for organic labels and the "bio" keyword.

• Naturalia Naturkost, Kurze Str. 17, Mon-Fri(Sat) 10–18(13)
• Bioladen an der Burgstraße, Burgstr. 18, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8:30(8)–18(14), Sun 9:30–11
• Alnatura, Lange-Geismar-Str. 61–64, Mon–Sat 8–20
• Der Gemüseladen, Bäckergasse 1b, Geismar, Mon–Fri(Sat) 8–18(13), Sat in July/August 8–12
• Le Bol, Mitteldorfstr. 9, Tue–Wed,Fri–Sat(Thu) 9(15)–12(18)
• Naturmilchhof Gartetal, Schwarze Gasse 6, Mon–Sat 8–18
• Waschbär, Kurze Geismar-Str. 5–7, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10–19(18)
• Teehaus Kluntje, Lange-Geismar-Str. 33, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9:30–18(15:30)
• Teehaus Schmidt, Barfüßer Str. 6, Tue–Fri(Sat) 10–18(15)
• Tee Gschwendner, Kornmarkt 9, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10–18(17)
• Alfred Ewert, Weender Str. 84, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9:30–18:30(14)

Closed

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

Göttingen: Organic coffee bars and restaurants

Cities with major universities have had organic shops long before the arrival of the big organic supermarkets, and Göttingen doesn't make an exception: Probably the eldest still existing organic cafe in town is Café Inti, serving soups, salads and bowls. Needless to say that they offer Italian-style fairly traded coffee drinks (with organic milk from a local farm if you like) and yummy cakes, and what's even better: They serve breakfast until 2pm, and the waitress proudly ensured me that everything was organic. A welcoming place all day around if you like places with a liberal collegiate atmosphere whereof there are quite a number in the city.

At the market place Am Wochenmarkt climb the stairs up to lokal neun, a dinner restaurant using preferably organic ingredients from the region. It serves organic burgers and steaks, but also vegan dishes. A pleasant place to enjoy a summer evening on the roof terrace, but unfortunately the cocktails aren't organic. Note that the kitchen already closes at 9pm.

Theatre, comedy, concerts – the Apex near Deutsches Theater stages an interesting blend of cultural entertainment, predominantly in German. From the street the place run by a non-profit association is barely visible if you aren't aware of the address, and I was surprised to find such a spacious rustic restaurant (instead of the small theatre bar I had imagined) after passing the hallway.

The place is neither fully organic nor certified, but many ingredients come from organic farms and producers in the region. Where else would you expect to find a comforting home-made chicken soup (made from organic chicken)? On the menu of the week I was there, I also found wild boar or the yummy shashuka with organic eggs and tomatoes (which I had). In addition to the weekly changing seasonal menu there's a bunch of rustic German or Mediterranean starters and main dishes served regularly, some of them suitable for vegans. The tasty home-made white bread made from organic wheat tasted home-made rather than made by a professional artisanal baker. There's a selection of organic drinks, unfortunately none of the wines. The service (many of them seemed like students) was swift and attentive, and the guests mainly local, of a broad range of ages, my guess would be between 30 and 70.

Film enthusiasts will love the Méliès arthouse cinema inside a former Baptist church on Bürgerstraße. But whether you want to have a snack prior to the film or a simple mediterranean dinner the Bistro Cichon im Méliès is the perfect place if you like cafe bars decorated by film lovers. During the warm season you can sit in the beautiful garden – when it's raining there's also a small greenhouse to keep you dry, You will be served but you better place your order inside. There are two entraces to the bistro: one through the cinema from Bürgerstraße or a flight of stairs at the rear of the house when you come from Gartenstraße via a parking lot. The stairs at the rear facing the garden lead to the kitchen.

While the (vegetarian) food, sweets and non-alcoholic beverages are predominantly organic the selection of organic wines is surprisingly small. The focus is on snacks from the Mediterranean, tasty but not necessarily authentically spiced. If you go for the soup of the day you will be served a filling and comforting serving at a more than fair price. Unfortunately the place – just as the "lokal neun" – does neither serve food nor coffee on Sundays and Mondays. However, also on these two days in keeps open to sell prepackaged organic sweet and savoury snacks and cold drinks before the film screenings.

Another vegetarian, vegan-friendly place is the P-Café in the backyard of St. Nikolai church. Here they are highly attentive to allergies, lactose intolerance and gluten-free diets, and wheelchair users are kindly asked to ring the bell at the main entrance facing the narrow lane part of the Nikolaikirchhof. And the best of all: it's 100 percent organic – warm and cold drinks as well as the cakes, breakfast items, salads, soups, sandwiches and wraps. The pleasantly decorated place hosts game nights (Göttingen has quite a tradition for playing board and card games in good old analogue fashion) as well as small concerts and musical sessions, readings and other cultural events. During the warm season you can sit outside, enjoying the church yard. And the best: The place keeps open on Sundays.

Coffee places

If all you want is a coffee shot head for the city's only organic coffee roasters', Contigo. This fair-trade shop not only sells colourful gifts, fashion items, jewelry, organic coffee and chocolates, but sports a beautiful cafe corner serving organic coffee drinks and refreshments. If you choose a capuccino, flat white, latte or espresso macchiato with cow or oat milk, the milk comes in returnable cans from the Naturmilchhof dairy farm about half an hour by bike away.

The farm also supplies milk to the Christian charity cafe Hope or Cafe Hoffnung next to St. Mary's church (Sankt Marien). You can also have organic fruit and soft drinks, but the cakes do not contain organic ingredients. Be aware of that there's an evangelical denomination behind this place.

Personally I prefer the Weltladencafé fair-trade shop cum café near St. Nikolai church: a little shabby and focused on being a social meeting place it doesn't offer as much handicraft as other fair-trade shops. Even without an own roastery it's more café than shop, a homely-bohemian living room with outdoor seating on the footpath when the weather is nice. The place is run by a collective of volunteers, so be nice even when the service isn't swift: They aren't paid to serve you.

Come by for a recreational coffee break with coffee from a steam-driven espresso machine. You may choose between milk, soy or oat drink, all organic. Occasionally home-made vegan cakes are being served: Since they are home-made by volunteers I wouldn't expect that they are always made from predominanly organic ingredients. Unfortunately they don't serve savoury snacks, but you may of course buy some fairly traded nuts or chips and consume them at the café.

Missing a traditional Italian coffee? At the Preferita ice-cream parlour the coffee tastes authentic, even though the place isn't run by Italians. Ordering a caffè affogato (espresso with cream ice-cream) doesn't require an explanation. The owners plan to extend the place to a pizzeria, but were still looking for a pizzaiolo in September, 2024.

Tourists do not necessarily frequent the Südstadt of Göttingen, but if your bus stops at Lotzestraße you may decide to leave it for a coffee at the Cichon Wein & Delikatessen delicatessen and wineshop. Not everything here is organic, but the owners take pride in carefully selecting artisanal wines, cured meat, cheese, oil, vinegar, preserves and more. You may also by buy organic sweets and chocolates. It's the same people who run the Bistro at the Mèliès cinema.

At the main train stations of bigger German cities you will usually find a franchise serving coffee drinks made with organic milk, either a "Coffee Fellows" shop or, as in Göttingen, a branch of the organic porridge brand "Haferkater". If you have sufficient time insist on having your coffee in an earthenware cup on the spot; returnable cups for a coffee on the go unfortunately require registration with an app. The shop's comparably liberal opening hours make it a good last resort for a healthy sandwich on Sundays, early mornings or weekdays after 6pm. However, if you have sufficient time on a weekday, you may rather opt for a without doubt 100 percent organic sandwich from either, the Bioladen in der Burgstraße or Alnatura.

• Café Inti, Burgstr. 17, daily 10–18
• lokal neun, Kurze-Geismar-Str. 9, entrance Am Wochenmarkt, Tue–Thu(Fri–Sat) 17–23(24)
• Apex, Burgstr. 46, Tue–Sat 17:30–24
• Bistro Cichon im Méliès, Bürgerstr. 13, Tue–Sat 17:30–21, in August 18–20
• P-Café, Nikolaikirchhof 11, Tue,Wed,Sun(Thu–Sat) 10–18(22)
• Contigo, Lange-Geismar-Str. 51, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9:30–18:30(18)
• Weltladencafé, Nikolaistr. 10, Mon–Sat 10–18
• Cichon Wein & Delikatessen, Lotzestr. 23, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10–19(18)
• Hope, Groner-Tor-Str. 29a, Mon–Fri(Sat) 9(10)–17:30(18)
• Haferkater, Bahnhofspl. 1, Mon–Fri(Sat–Sun) 6(8)–20

Closed

• Dabis Kaffeestube, Rote Str. 39 (coffee house)

Kassel: Organic eateries and restaurants

If you are on the outlook for a cafe serving at least a limited selection of organic drinks and have no idea where to go, modern and art museums usually are a good bet. This algorithm also works in Kassel: The cafe cum restaurant of the Grimmwelt, a museum dedicated to the lifes, works and influence of the Brothers Grimm, dubbed Falada (like the horse in the fairytaleThe Goose Girl) serves coffee drinks with organic milk, organic burger from the local Biometzgerei Armbröster, and organic eggs. Their home-made cakes are also made with organic eggs and milk. You can have an organic white or red wine, tea, organic gin (by The Duke) and fruit juices with sparkling water ("Schorle"). The place is organically certified; breakfast is being served until noon.

Come hungry if you want to have a burger as a big helping of fries is included. The fries actually are chips (half-slices of potatoes) and very nice. The chicken burger was made with organic chicken, but unfortunately the juicy meat had a dry and hard (instead of light and crispy) cornflakes coating.

During the warm season and when the weather is nice the museum sports a beautiful beergarden, Grimms Garten, run by the same caterer. Unfortunately the 2024 season is already over.

If you want to eat outdoors on nice weather days in autumn, the fully organic pizzeria Solo has garden tables on the footpath in front of it. Traditional Italian pizze or carefully selected modern topping combinations like salmon, zucchini and pine nuts on extremely nice (that is: both, soft and crispy) pizza bases make up for about half of the menu, and the pizza arrive in minutes after I placed my order. The other half of the menu consists of Italian starters (soups, salads or antipasti) and pasta. The menu also offers one traditional Italian second course, served in the German tradition with fixed add-ons. Even if you aren't hungry simply step by for a relaxed coffee or aperitivo.

On the other side of the street you'll find the city's organic butcher Armbröster. I haven't been there during the shop's opening hours, but I suspect that you can get a sandwich or even lunch there: Most artisanal butchers server sausages or grilled meat with bread or potato salads. Whether you'll find something suitable for vegetarians or vegans, I however don't know.

Most organic supermarkets of the Denns Biomarkt chain offer freshly made sandwiches and coffee drinks from their bakery tills in the entrance area. But the Biomarkt at Königsplatz is something special: The supermarket is located on the premises of the former Kaskade-Filmpalast cinema, a protected historial monument from the 1950ies, famous for its illuminated fountains in front of the screen. The cinema was revived for a short time during the documenta (13) contemporary art exhibition in 2021. Now you can have a view at both, the cinema's gallery, and the fountain pipes protected by a glass floor, in the rear of the supermarket. You may also take your coffee, sandwich and (in the summer) pre-packaged Cortina ice-cream upstairs to a cafe area with a view at the cinema's chairs and ceiling. The stairs are located opposite the bakery till, to the right from the entrance.

Travellers arriving at or leaving from the long-distance train station Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe will find a small farmshop cum delicatessen only a few steps from the station: The Urgeschmack-Hofladen Jausenstation offers organic cheeses and other dairy products, but first of all cured meat and sausages from a farm run according to the principles of organic agriculture but not certified organic. Unfortunately the shop was closed when I found it, but it seems to provide you with picnic food and travel provisions as long as you are an omnivore.

• Falada, Weinbergstr. 21, Tue–Thu,Sat–Sun,PH(Fri) 10–18(20), closed Jan, 1st
• Grimms Garten, Weinbergstr. 21, Tue–Fri(Sat–Sun,PH) 15(12)–22, closed during the cold season starting Sept 8th, 2024 and bad weather
• Solo, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 118, daily 11:30–21:30
• Biometzgerei Armbröster, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 143, Mon–Fri(Sa) 8–18:30(13)
• Denns Biomarkt, Königsplatz 53, Mon–Sat 9–20
• Urgeschmack-Hofladen Jausenstation, , Tue–Fri(Sat) 10–18(14)

When I tried to get myself a coffee from the Danish cafe Frokost hos Line (Norwegian/Danish for "breakfast at Line's") I found the place busy but closed for the general public. So I cannot say how much organic ingredients they use in their Danish sandwiches ("smørrebrød") and cakes. They used to have organic coffee and milk, and I hope that Line is going to continue with a strong organic focus after re-opening.

• Frokost hos Line, Wolfsschlucht 19

In the course of my upfront research I found the following place which I did not had time to visit. Let me know if you can confirm or deny its existance.

• Heidehof Bauernmarkt, Zentgrafenstr. 132, Tue–Thu(Fri) 10–15(18), Sat 9–13 (organic butcher's shop also offering organic cheeses, dairy products, eggs, bread and more organic food; organic lunch for a small price on weekdays from 12 am)

Dresden: Sustainable shopping

Dresden's Wilhelminian neighbourhood of Neustadt is dominated by independent shops and venues, many of them run by female entrepreneurs as documented by an art project of local photographer Christine Starke. So it comes as little surprise that it is here where you have the best chance to discover a lot of gems, driven in accordance with the personal principles of the shop keeper which often include social and environmental aspects. Keep your eyes open, and you will discover a lot more than I have to suggest here.

• Herbalists and beauty
• Bicycles
• Jewellery
• Fair trade
• Fashion
• Babies and toddlers
• Closed shops

Herbalists and beauty

The old town does not have much to offer in terms of independent and surprising shops, and the Altmarkt-Galerie mall is as boring as these shopping centres usually are. A notable exception is the Sonnentor shop directly located at the mall's entrance at Postplatz, next to the tram-stop at Wallstraße. Franchises of this Austrian producer of organic and fairly traded herbs, teas, condiments, bodycare products and spices are usually located in malls or main shopping areas, neatly designed heavens offering products that are good for both, you, and the farmers and producers involved when you're in the mood for shopping.

If you're on the outlook for herbs, remedies, bodycare and food items based on ingredients described by medieval healer nun Hildegard of Bingen pay a visit to the Marone herbalist shop on Bautzner Landstraße directly located at the east-bound tram stop Pulsnitzer Straße. Not all of the products on sale (which among others include chestnut products and a small selection of biodynamic wine) in this small specialist shop are certified organic though.

Leaving the tram tracks and entering the more pedestrian-friendly quartier natural and organic bodycare products can be found at the Touch of Nature beauty parlour cum shop in Böhmische Straße east of Rothenburger Straße. Note that this shop is closed on weekends.

Bicycles

A few steps from Touch of Nature there's a second hand bicycle shop cum workshop, Zwout! (formerly Elbcycles), where you can buy a used or recycled bike if you're staying longer, or get your own one fixed.

Jewellery

If you follow Böhmische Straße until it ends at Alaunstraße. A luminous blue wall indicates the location of the Geldschneider & Co. steam-punk workshop. Among others you will find beautiful jewellery made from recycled parts of abandoned analog wrist watches. The place has somewhat erratic opening hours, so step by when nearby (if you need to plan ahead: Saturdays seem a safe bet). If closed during regular German shop opening hours you may call the phone number given on the entrance door – except during the Tollwood festival in Munich where the Geldschneider usually runs a booth.

Fair trade

As in many other German cities the first address for colourful gifts as well as organic sweets, spices and condiments are fair-trade shops founded as grassroots activities by Christian parish members in accordance with the conciliar process of mutual commitment (covenant) to justice, peace and the integrity of creation (JPIC). As the host for pioneering regional ecumenical plenums in 1989 and 1990 the city of Dresden has been playing an important role in this process. The spirit of this movement lives on in local fair trade initiatives like Quilombo which for almost 25 years had run a fair-trade shop in the entrance area of Dreikönigskirche in Hauptstraße which played host to the first democratically elected local parliament in Saxony after East Germany's peaceful implosion in 1989. Today the initiative still has a shop in the neighbourhood of Löbtau while their former place in the "Haus der Kirche" ("house of the church") has been converted into fair-trade Cafe Dreikönig.

Sharing their roots with the Quilombo NGO the team of Cafe Aha opposite Kreuzkirche runs a fair-trade shop in the heart of the city. It is located in the basement of the cafe and offers an impressive selection of fairly-traded gifts, body care and dry goods. This initiative also runs a fair-trade ...

Fashion

... boutique, Aha Naturtextilien, on Hauptstraße, offering a great selection of fairly traded fashion made from natural materials. Here you will also find a good selection of stationary, jewellery, eatable fair-trade goods and more. By the way: the name "Aha" is an abbreviation for "trade/act differently" ("anders handeln" in German), and implies a huge effort in not only selling fairly traded goods but offering fair conditions to their own employees.

Another centrally located fair-trade shop specializing in fashion and household accessories as well as coffee and chocolates is Contigo near the central train station.

For more ethically produced and sustainable cocooning items visit Tranquillo, a likewise colourful fashion-and-things boutique cum fashion label in the Neustadt neighbourhood, at the crossroad Louisenstraße/Rothenburger Straße. They produce their own women fashion entirely made from organic textiles focussing on basic colours – if you like Aha Naturtextilien don't miss this one. There's also a sustainable furniture outlet cum cafe on the other side of the train tracks to Neustadt trainstation.

If you like loose-fitting clothes, either unicolour or with colourful patterns head to the Dresden branch of Mrs. Hippie. Their own brand is made in Poland, and all clothes are predominantly made from natural fibers, often organically certified, or rayon/viscose. However, they are not necessarily free of elastane.

Dresden's first fashion boutique exclusively selling fairly produced clothing from fairly traded, organically grown materials is dubbed Populi and can be found at the Western end of Louisenstraße, just before you reach the tram tracks of Königsbrücker Landstraße. Both, streetware, denim and designer labels can be found here, for men and women. The interior of the shop is to a great deal made from upcycled furniture.

Students and nerds find fairly traded organic cotton t-shirts and sweaters with unique scientific prints at Unipolar, and everyone else organic streetware for both, men and women. This small, Dresden-based fashion label is the brain-child of a former physics student. The original store between the Bahnhof Mitte train station and the "Carl Maria von Weber" College of Music does no longer exist. (But if you already are here: the VG warehouse next to this old location has a well-assorted organic fashion section upstairs.)

As of 2024 Unipolar consists of two shops on both sides of Rothenburger Straße in the Neustadt neighbourhood, one selling clothing, and the other shoes and sustainable household gear. Finding the shops is easy: Simply spot the bath tub opposite the tram stop.

More colourful organic streetware, less nerdy prints, and open late on Fridays and Saturdays – that's El Dorado Street Fair in Alaunstraße.

Before the arrival of noisy and cheap looking street food shops this street, the entrance to the Neustadt neighbourhood, was populated by numerous owner-run, carefully curated fashion boutiques and second-hand shops catering for a diverse crowd. Some of them have been surviving, and I'm more than happy that this shop venue, after the closing of El Dorado's predecessor, Invito, remained an organic fashion boutique.

Babies and toddlers

If you are on the look-out for beautiful, not overly sweet organic fashion for toddlers and smaller children or simply for beautiful organic garments step by Elvida in Louisenstraße approximately opposite Planwirtschaft pub and cafe. There you'll find the small flagship store of a Dresden-based sustainable kids fashion label – and a source for organic sewing things.

• Die Marone, Bautzner Str. 46, Mon,Tue,Thu,Fri(Sat) 10–18(13)
• Touch of Nature, Böhmische Str. 9, Mon(Fri) 10(12)–17(19), Sat 11–16
• Sonnentor, Altmarkt-Galerie ground floor, Webergasse 1 (entrance from Postplatz), Mon–Sat 10–20
• Zwout!, formerly Elbcycles , Böhmische Str. 3, Mon–Fri 14–18
• Geldschneider & Co., Alaunstr. 29, usually Mon–Sat later during the day

• Quilombo, Schillingstr. 7, Mon–Sat 9–19
• Laden Aha, Kreuzstr. 7, Mon–Sat 10–18 8
• Aha Naturtextilien, Obergraben 2 (corner Hauptstr.), Mon–Sat 10–18
• Tranquillo, Rothenburger Str. 43, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10–19(18)
• Tranquillo Furniture Warehouse, Marta-Fraenkel-Str. 1, Mon–Sat 10–18
• Mrs. Hippie, Görlitzer Str. 25, Mon–Fri(Sat) 10:30(11)–19:30(18)
• Populi, Louisenstr. 3, Mon–Fri(Sat) 11(10)–19(16)
• Unipolar Clothing, Rothenburger Str. 33, Mon–Fri(Sat) 11–19(18)
• Unipolar Shoes & Lifestyle, Rothenburger Str. 38, Mon–Fri(Sat) 11–19(18)
• El Dorado Street Fair, Alaunstr. 20, Mon–Thu(Fri–Sat) 12–20(22)
• Elvida, Louisenstr. 29, Mon(Fri) 10–18(15),Tue–Wed(Thu) 16(12)–18, Sat 11–14

Ceased to exist

The following places shut down, so don't be mislead when you find references to them on the web:

• Quilombo, Haus der Kirche, Hauptstr. 23 (fair-trade)
• Baum&Wolle, Alaunstr. 13c (fashion)
• Ex Animo, Martin-Luther-Str. 17 (fashion and things)
• Hüpenthal Boutique, Bautzner Str. 63 (bespoke tailor, I miss your beautiful collars, r.i.p., Herr Hüpenthal!)
• Invito, Alaunstr. 20 (fashion, suceeded by El Dorado Street Fair)
• Lipfeins Lieblinge, Rothenburger Str. 1 (organic lipcare, factory outlet – their products can of course be obtained online or (e.g.) from one of the VG supermarkets)
• LouisdoOr, Louisenstr. 4 (sustainable toys and baby clothing)
• Tranquillo Outlet, Louisenstr. 45 (organic fashion, visit them here)
• Unipolar Mitte, Jahnstr. 1 (streetware, visit them here)
• Un-Kraut, Martin-Luther-Pl. 12 (herbs and spices)
• Vivobarefoot, Hauptstr. 14 (sustainable barefoot shoes)

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)