October 2004
Grape Expectations
Believe it or not, there's more to Munich than beer
Overdone it at the Oktoberfest? Feel as if the thought of another Mass of beer is just too much to stomach? A few chilled hours at one of Munich’s wine bars may just be the antedote you need...
You may as well face the truth. There are so many restaurants in Munich that you’re unlikely ever to try them all, which makes it all the more important to establish a set of criteria as to where you go—and where you don’t. Mine goes something like this: never set foot inside a place that a) has pictures outside showing the food, b) has pictures outside showing what a good time people inside are having, c) is within sight of the Central Train Station or d) looks dark and gloomy. It is surprising, therefore, that I ventured into
Geisel’s Vinothek, which fulfils the two latter. But that did not appear to have deterred others. All but one table was reserved, many for customers who were not first-timers. As non-regulars ourselves, however, we took our time to pore over the menu—some three pages of which are devoted to food and the remaining 40 or so to the 400 plus wines on offer. From a glass of Riesling for € 3.50 to a six-liter Impériale of Bordeaux for € 700, the choice is spectacular. With so much emphasis on liquid refreshment, you may wonder whether the food can match it. But you won’t be disappointed. Dishes on the regularly changing menu are competitively priced (pasta and risottos cost between € 8 and € 10, and mains € 13 to € 21) and creative—the chef seems to have a passion for “foams” (it’s the new “jus”) and for variations on a theme. For example, you could start with a
Zweierlei (two varieties) of quail, followed by a
Dreierlei (three varieties) of lamb, rounded off with a
Dreierlei of crème brûlée. We chose the mixed crostini to start, followed by a tomato and rocket risotto with turbot and goat’s cheese ravioli with a pepper foam, which was, as you’d expect, light and foamy, and melted away on the tongue. On a mission to discover Europe’s best crème brûlée, my husband couldn’t resist the selection of three—chocolate, caramel and vanilla. We raised our teaspoons in anticipation of that glorious crack when the crispy golden crust gives way to the silky creaminess below ... only for our spoons to sink, without a sound, into a layer of soft sugar. Words cannot describe the disappointment, the only consolation being that the cream was as good as they come. But even that would not put us off returning. Geisel’s was a real treat, and perhaps it’s best that it maintains its gloomy look—it’s difficult enough to get a table here as it is.
Geisel’s Vinothek
Schützenstrasse 11, Tel. (089) 55 13 71 40 www.geisel-hotels.de
Ever been out for a few drinks and got a craving for something sweet? We’re not talking a whole belly-busting dish of
Kaiserschmarren here, just a bit of chocolate perhaps, a spoonful of mousse or some tangy
Rote Grütze. If so, that’s reason enough to pop into the cellar wine bar at the
Vinorant Alter Hof restaurant, which serves girl-sized desserts in delicate wine glasses for € 1.50. What a good idea, I hear you saying. Who wants to pay four times as much for a plateful of afters that’ll leave you feeling stuffed, when all you’re after is a little sugar rush? But don’t just go there for the dessert. A selection of finger food, cooked on little skewers, is also available, with each mini-kebab costing less than € 2.50. This should leave you plenty of space to enjoy the bar’s main attraction—its wine. Forget any preconceptions that the only wine worth drinking in Europe is from France, Italy or Spain and open your eyes to the selection of local Franconian tipples on offer for as little as € 2.80 a glass.
If you’re still hungry for more, the restaurant upstairs can also be recommended. A regularly changing selection of imaginative dishes, such as melon salad with
Landjäger sausages, is available at prices that would be competitive anywhere in Munich, never mind here, just a few steps from Marienplatz.
Vinorant Alter Hof
Alter Hof 3, Tel. (089) 24 24 37 33www.alter-hof-muenchen.de
I once went to a wine-tasting with real pros. An unnerving-experience, believe me. After a dozen or so experts had quaffed, slurped and given their views on the tipple in question, I was invited to share my thoughts. I took another sip, licked my lips, and said: “It reminds me of caramelized carrots.” This prompted a variety of delighted responses along the lines of “absolutely, couldn’t agree more, that’s it!” A lucky shot on my behalf. But if you’re after some real lyrical genius, head to the
Walter & Benjamin wine dealership and bar on Rumfordstrasse and pick up one of their flyers, where the wines are so poetically described (the blurb for a summery white starts “Sunday afternoon, London, Hyde Park, 30 degrees, Burberry picnic rugs, children playing, butterflies all around…) that you barely need to taste them. Of course, with such variety on offer, it would be a shame not to. Each week, around 30 bottles from the shop’s selection are available for tasting in the bar at a cost of between approximately € 2.50 and € 10 per glass. This may sound expensive for a glass of wine, but it’s a great opportunity to try some really high-quality stuff, without forking out for an entire bottle. The menu is simple—from gazpacho for € 5 to Pata Negra ham for € 9—and the music very new age chill. And should you hit upon a gem, there’s nothing to stop you buying a bottle, polishing it off at home—and letting those adjectives flow.
Walter & Benjamin
Rumfordstrasse 1, Tel. (089) 26 02 41 74
