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Expat Life #2 – Munich’s Cafe Culture

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When I first moved to Munich, one of the first items on my to-do list was to suss out some of the cafes in the area. Over the years, I have definitely bought into the cafe culture: the atmosphere, cosy interiors and of course excellent excuses for a tasty treat all appeal to me! For me, there’s no better place for a catch up and long-awaited DMC with your pals.

When I go travelling, I make it my mission to find the quirkiest and most obscure cafes and it’s no different here in Munich! I’m slowly making my way around some of Munich’s best cafes and have many more to discover – here are a few of my favourites so far…

Breakfast at Mary’s coffee club

Hungriges Herz

Where: Fraunhoferstrasse 42, by the Isar

A cafe full of love – I would come here just for the free chocolate heart when you order a hot drink! Hungriges Herz is in a great location, just up from the river Isar – a great break spot after a walk along the river. They have a wonderful range of breakfast dishes on offer (think avocado vibe) and there is always a sociable buzz around the place. If you visit later in the day, you can even try one of their heart-shaped pizzas from the in-house stone pizza oven: perfect!

Mary’s Coffee Club

Where: Turkenstrasse 86 A (near Universitat)

With a pretty interior, this is one for good old Insta story. Mary’s coffee club was a new discovery this year, recommended by a friend. A popular cafe tucked away in a little courtyard, tables fill up quite quickly. Top marks for presentation alone, drinks are served in the cutest ceramic cups and taste just as great as they look! Mary’s coffee club offers a range of healthy breakfast options, as well as a mouth-watering cake display just to tease you!

KaffeeKuche

Where: Weisenburger Strasse 6 (Rosenheimerplatz)

A huge favourite for me! Kaffeekuche is a small coffee shop, packed with a vast selection of delicous food and drink. Positioned in the popular Rosenheimer area, you can enjoy your coffee and cake of choice in the outside area when the sun is shining! Dishes change regularly so definitely a place to revisit. They also offer a range of milk alternatives.
Recommendation: try the Milchmadchen – a vietnamese style coffee made with condensed milk!

Cafe Glockenspiel

Where: Marienplatz 28

It’s worth visiting for the view alone. Perched opposite the famound Rathaus at Marienplatz, Cafe Glockenspiel definitely stands out for ‘drinks with a view’. Due to its location it tends to fill up quickly, so be prepared to wait a while. A great selection of lunch options and a very tasty hot chocolate!

Konigin 43

Where: Koniginstrasse 43 (nice and simple! Universitat)

Another new discovery this year, Konigin 43 (or Queen 43) is perfectly positioned on the edge of the Englischer Garten. Lots of space both indoors and outdoors on the terrace so it’s normally not too long to wait for a seat. A wonderful selection of breakfast options – they certainly know how to jazz up an omlette!

Cafe Weiner Platz

Where: Innere Weiner Strasse

Another cafe where most of the staff recognise me by now… although Cafe Weiner Platz isn’t the number one cafe on my list for coffee, it tends to be my go-to when entertaining visitors for brunch. A wide variety of food options for anytime of the day, it’s normally a difficult choice between the maple syrup pancakes and sweet French toast for me! They also offer additional drinks during the festive season – perfect winter warmers!
Recommendation: if you are more savoury then sweet, try the Mexican breakfast – hats off to anyone who can finish it!

Cafe Noel

Where: Metzstrasse 8

I seem to have become a bit of a regular here in recent months. Noel is a bright and cheerful cafe bursting with life! Every time I visit I notice another item from their quirky interior – my favourite has to be the circular tables made out of large Roman clocks. A great selection of hot chocolate and coffee twists, with mouth-watering cakes and some of the jolliest staff i’ve me so far in Munich!
Recommendation: try the Mexican hot chocolate for a mocca-style drink.

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Erdbeere cake at Cafe Noel

Arzmiller

Where: Salvatostrasse 2 (Odeonsplatz)

An old-fashioned cafe with style. Tucked away through a little archway just off from Odeonsplatz, Cafe Arzmiller has one of the best cake selections in Munich (yes, I do have a sweet tooth). From cheesecakes to strudel, you are definitely spoilt for choice. It is also the top of my ‘acceptable attempt at English tea’ list – they don’t even give you funny looks when you ask for tea with milk!

Just a small selection from a city bursting with wonderful cafes – if you get the chance to visit any of the above cafes, let me know if you agree!

Happy coffee drinking! K x

 

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Copenhagen Calling

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Copenhagen – home to probably the most photographed setting in Europe…I was lucky enough to visit this beautiful city last Easter. Competing with Amsterdam for the city of cyclists, Copenhagen has a bustling culture and is great destination for a long weekend. Here are a few favourites from my travels…

The famous Nyhavn

Places to go

Nyhavn
If you didn’t take a picture of Nyhavn, did you even go to Copenhagen? The old port has a row of beautifully coloured buildings (the best food and drink spot), waiting to pose for the perfect picture. There’s a great ice cream and waffle parlour (Vaffelbageren) on the corner next to the road bridge – enjoy a scoop (or two) as a reward from all your picture posing!
Top tip: Walk down towards the harbour front and turn right – it might seem like you are walking away from all the action, but hidden away along the front are some mini trampolines: great fun after a day of sightseeing!

Tovehallerne

Whenever I book a holiday, one of the first things I do is look up the best food spots – especially if it involves anything sweet! Tovehallerne is a great indoor food market, with stalls selling a variety of food and drink – whether you’re the sweet or savoury type, you won’t be disappointed! It this tickles your taste bud, you can find out more at http://torvehallernekbh.dk.

Now, I know some of you may think I am crazy recommending porridge, but I can honestly say Grød (translating as ‘mush’) takes the porridge game to a whole new level! The trendy porridge bar has a few venues around Copenhagen – I visited their bar inside Tovehallerne and was happier than Goldilocks with my apple-caramel combo; definitely worth a visit.

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The famous grød!

King’s Garden

On my final day in Copenhagen, I had time to relax in this beautiful garden in the heart of the city. A perfect place to spend a chilled afternoon, King’s garden is the oldest park in the city. Puppet theatres and other events are often held here during the summer months; the park is also home to a range of statues, including the popular Hans Christian Andersen (who lived on the Nyhavn street!).

The extended to-do list:

  1. Tivoli Gardens – unfortuntely, I didn’t have the chance to visit the famous theme park, but i’ve heard it’s well worth a visit for any thrill seekers!
  2. Hire a bike – Live like a local and make use of the plethora of cycle paths around the city – it’s probably safer to ride than walk and get in the way!
  3. Amalienborg – The Queen’s Winter redidence; time it right and you can see the marching of the guards!
  4. The Little Mermaid statue – based on a character from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, you can find the mermaid perched on a rock along the water front. For me, I wouldn’t be disappointed if I had missed it, but it’s a popular sight!
  5. Freetown Christiania – a community that live by their own rules…
  6. Malmo, Sweden – Less than 30 minutes from Copenhagen airport, the Swedish coastal city offers the perfect day trip from busy city life! Plus, you get to tick off another country all in a day!

Copenhagen is the perfect city break and somewhere I would love to visit again one day. We managed to get very cheap flights from London through Ryanair so it’s worthwhile checking for any deals in the new year.

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Trampolines: fun for all ages!

Happy travels! K x

Adventures with Friends

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Travelling with friends can seem like a fantastic idea at first, but has the potential to turn into the biggest nightmare – great friends don’t always make the best travel companions!

A few years ago, my best friend from Unviersity and I decided to go travelling together for a month. A few friends asked me if I was worried: how could we possibly travel together for a full month without arguing?! Luckily, I had lived with my friend for the past few years and knew she would make the perfect travel companion. Here’s a few things to consider when choosing the Dora to your Explorer…

Sunsets and great friends

Holiday Expectations

Before deciding to travel together, it might be an idea to share your expectations for travelling; for example, my friends know to expect an action-packed itinerary (fitting perfectly with the teacher stereotype) with endless coffee stops if they travel with me – if you like to be up and out the door by 9am, it’s probably not best to go travelling with a friend that is never up in time for the free breakfast buffet!

Living Space

This is a must for anyone travelling for a longer period of time if you want to avoid driving each other insane! It’s one thing meeting up with friends for a meal and drinks, but a complete different ball game when you live in each other’s pockets for a month…sharing accommodation can be make or break for some travel pals. I was fortunate enough to live with my friend first, so we both knew we could cope with sharing the same space. My advice would be to know each other’s quirks and signs that they need a little space…it’s the little things that make a huge difference!

Budget bickers

A simple one but often overlooked: if you’re looking for a budget backpacker adventure where the hostels you end up in are an adventure of their own, then don’t agree to go travelling with a friend that expects a hotel with room service and swans sculpted from fresh linen towels…agree on a budget beforehand so there are no surprises along the way.

Travel goals

For me, there would be nothing worse than returning from a holiday without a single tick on the bucket list. Even for a slightly obsessed planner like me, I think it’s always important that you know what your partner also wants to see and do when travelling, so both of you can feel a sense of fulfillment! During our travels, my friend and I looked ahead to the next destination and decided on what we we wanted to do…by agreeing pre-arrival, we saved loads of time and had many adventures, from climbing the Great Wall of China, to a crocodile cruise in Cairns!

One thing we had both agreed on was that we wanted to do a sky dive: it had been on the bucket list for a while, but I knew I would never go through work it alone. It is quite possibly one of the best experiences of my life and I know I couldn’t have done it with anyone else!

So, pick a companion that you complement well and you know you can live with happily! Choose someone that has the same expectations as you and is happy to spend mornings wandering in search for the most hidden cafes! Most importantly, choose someone that will help you to tick off your travel dreams!

Happy travels with the Ant to your Dec,

K x