Thanks to a recent comment from Nat, I was inspired to try out the vegan restaurant Saf im Zerwirk today. Saf is in the middle of downtown Munich, just steps away from the Hofbräuhaus.

I coaxed a new friend to go try Saf for lunch. The restaurant had a very clean, modern interior, and the waiters were friendly and helpful. The menu (which, by the way, is available in English) was rather short, but given that everything on it sounded delicious (and was vegan!), I didn’t mind that a bit. After much deliberation, I settled on the artichoke appetizer followed by truffle ravioli with pine nuts and tomato sauce, while my friend had the lunch special of buckwheat risotto with sundried tomatoes and dandelion greens, served with a potato vegetable soup and a mixed salad.

The food totally exceeded my expectations. It was delicious, especially the ravioli. And I say this as a complete Italian food snob who won’t even set foot inside an Italian restaurant that isn’t physically located in Italy. The fact that this dish didn’t even contain cheese completely amazes me. Well done, Saf!

My scrumptious lunch didn’t quite come cheap: appetizer, main, and a drink came to 24 euros. My friend’s lunch special and drink was only around 11 euros, though. All in all I’d call Saf a great value. If you find yourself in Munich looking for a yummy vegetarian/vegan meal, this place should definitely be on your radar.

Finding Saf: the Munich restaurant is at Ledererstrasse 3, on the second floor (or third floor, if you’re counting American-style) of the building, up an unassuming staircase. Not in Germany? You can find Saf in England and Turkey, too! See Saf’s website for more info.

Post from: Blisstree

Saf, or have I mentioned how much fun it is to be a vegetarian in Munich?

Who knew Munich was such a vegetarian-friendly city? For Valentine’s Day (thus the rose petals on the table) my husband surprised me with reservations at Cafe Ignaz, a vegetarian restaurant we hadn’t tried yet.

The menu was extensive, with both vegetarian and vegan items well-represented. Specialties included pastas, pizzas, gratins, gnocchi, crepes, and stir-fry. I ordered a grünkern (green spelt) risotto with mushrooms and arugula, while my husband had spinach ravioli in cheese sauce. The food was about as I expected – basic, heavy, and satisfying. While I wouldn’t recommend Cafe Ignaz if you’re looking for a fancy fine-dining experience, it will definitely fill you up with tasty vegetarian food.

A generously-sized main dish runs about 8 euros at Cafe Ignaz. Take-away dishes are only 4.50. The restaurant is small, so dinner reservations are advisable. During the week Ignaz offers breakfast and lunch buffets; on the weekends brunch is served from 9:00 to 13:30.

Cafe Ignaz
Georgenstr. 67
80079 Munich
Tel. 089/2716093
http://www.ignaz-cafe.de/
closed Tuesdays

Post from: Blisstree

Cafe Ignaz: more vegetarian fun in Munich

This was my lunch one day two weeks ago: soy medallions in an oyster mushroom tomato cream sauce (that’s oyster mushrooms, not oysters and mushrooms) with arugula spaetzle. It was awesome. I can’t wait to go back!

Post from: Blisstree

Prinz Myshkin: my new favorite vegetarian restaurant

Most menus we encountered had a vegetarian section with at least three or four choices, and often one or more of the daily specials was vegetarian, too. I rarely have so many options at a typical restaurant in the US or Switzerland.

But here is the BEWARE part of the story: while walking around town examining every restaurant menu I encountered, I found a few dishes listed in the ‘vegetarian’ section that were not actually vegetarian. Luckily I know German so I was able to spot the offending bacon cubes or shrimp in the descriptions, but what if I had been somewhere where I couldn’t understand every word? I hate to think how many naive, trusting vegetarian tourists have adventurously pointed at one of the ‘vegetarian’ options on the menu only to be brought something that doesn’t meet their dietary requirements.

Obviously the best way to avoid unwanted surprises in your food is to eat at a vegetarian restaurant. Barring that, ask your waiter for details about a dish if you can’t understand or are unsure about the menu’s description. In Munich, English is widely spoken, so even if you don’t speak German you will probably be able to communicate your wishes and questions.

I resisted the urge to march into the offending restaurants and teach them the definition of vegetarian, and instead opted to eat at places that didn’t seem to have problems understanding the difference between what comes from a dead animal and what doesn’t. And I ate extremely well.

[This post was featured in the Carnival of Dining Out IV, in their all-new vegetarian section. Check it out!] 

Post from: Blisstree

Munich: vegetarians delight and beware