Three charming restaurants in Munich for non-German/Bavarian food

There is no doubt that we enjoyed the beers and the Bavarian cuisine that were served at the Munich beer halls and at Oktoberfest 2018. But in between the heavy meat dishes and the delicious beer that flows easily, we also wanted to try other types of restaurants in Munich. Our research led us to several places with a pleasant atmosphere and served good food at an affordable price.  Of the lot, these were the best three top restaurants in Munich for non-German/Bavarian food: (1) Sophia’s Restaurant in Charles Hotel, (2) Vinothek by Geisel at the Excelsior Hotel and (3) Restaurant Le Sollberg. They are in or near the Munich old town.  Sophia’s is near the Hautbahnhof, Vinothek is at Kaizerplatz and Le Sollberg is close to Marienplatz.

Sophia’s Restaurant in Charles Hotel

The Charles Hotel is a 5-star hotel near the Munich main train station.  On the ground floor is an elegant restaurant – Sophia’s Restaurant and Bar.  It is an attractive, quiet place to go for lunch.

The main attraction for us was the weekly set lunch menu which is priced at 21 and 27 euros for a two or three-course lunch respectively. Here are pictures of Sophia’s lunch menu.

We had a three course lunch and also tried the “create your own salad” option.  One of the things we noticed from our recent visit to Munich was the wonderful bread that is often served at the start of the meal.  The sourdough at Sophia’s restaurant is reason enough for us to want to return.  It is a nice change from the potato dumplings!

The first course of our set lunch was fried prawns, papaya salad and glass noodles. It sounded like a Thai influenced dish.  The prawns were fresh and perfectly cooked. The mildly Asian taste of papaya and coriander was refreshing.

The fish pot-au-feu main course was also enjoyable. Two thick slices of fish simmered in a light sauce with vegetables.

Unfortunately we were not so enthusiastic about the salad. It was just a large pile of greens on a plate. The toppings that were separately ordered were small and rested at the bottom.  We will stick with the set lunch options at our next visit.

Sophia’s Restaurant
Charles Hotel
Sophienstrasse 28
80333 Munich,  Germany

Operating Hours:
Breakfast:
Monday to Friday: 6.30am to 10.30am
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 7.00am to 2.00pm

Lunch:
Noon to 2.30pm

Dinner:
6.00pm to 11.00pm

Vinothek by Geisel 

Those who like wine and wish to have a break from the beer will probably like Vinothek by Geisel.  It is a small restaurant at the side of the Excelsior Hotel, Munich. Furnished in a traditional decor, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming.

Vinothek by Geisel also enticed us with an affordable set lunch menu that was priced at 19.50 euros. It includes a bottle of San Pellegrino water and coffee.  Learning from our experience at Sophia’s. we both opted for the set menu. It turned out to be a wise move.

Here are pictures of the menu of Vinothek by Geisel, Munich and a couple of pages from the wine list.

Our meal started with some bread and glasses of white wine that was recommended to us.  At 4.60 euros per glass, this was wine drinking that won’t break the bank.

The first course of lunch at Vinothek by Geisel was a plate of freshly sliced prosciutto ham and olives.  This a simple and tasty starter which was best eaten with the bread provided.  It is the kind of snack that goes well with wine as well.

Our main course was fillet of salmon trout cooked in a light vegetable broth. Together with the zesty white wine, we thought that it was a clean tasting, healthy lunch that we did not leave feeling bloated.

Vinothek by Geisel

Schützen Str. 11, 80335 München

Opening Hours:

Monday to Saturday
12:00 noon till 1:00 am

Sunday
6:00 pm till 1:00 am

Website

Le Stollberg

The final restaurant in our list of the top restaurants in Munich for non-German/Bavarian food is a French restaurant.  Le Stollberg is a small restaurant which is a couple of minutes’ walk from Marienplatz.   It is a located in a quiet corner, far away from the hordes of tourists in the popular stretches of the Munich old town, yet only a short walk away.

Le Stollberg is simply but tastefully decorated.  The dining room is simply done up with few decorative details. We appreciated the nice thick table linen.  We had a table next to a window.

Here are pictures of the Le Stollberg menu and a couple of pages from the wine list.  There was a choice of a set menu or the a la carte.  We decided not have any “main course”  as we find main course items to be often boring – being mostly pieces of fish or meat.  Instead we opted for a selection of starters and “interim items” from the a la carte menu.

As in the case of the previous restaurants in our list of the top restaurants in Munich for non-German/Bavarian food, we were presented with a basket of bread to munch on as we wait for the real food to arrive. This time a dollop of tomato flavoured butter was also provided.

The complimentary amuse bouche was a pleasant start to our meal.

Seared scallops with wasabi peanuts and avocado (17 euros). The scallops were fat and juicy. We liked the combination with avocado and wished that the wasabi was stronger.

The fish soup (14 euros) did not sound or look interesting, but well-made fish soup, French style can be a wonderful thing. This was the case here. It was an extremely rich soup with concentrated seafood flavours. The soup contained chunks of fish meat.

The foie gras (19 euros) was creamy and not too strong-tasting.  Eaten with the walnut bread and regular bread, it was a luxurious and filling “interim course”.

A selection of white wines by the glass kept us going throughout the meal at Le Stollberg. The service was friendly and very helpful.  It was dark by the time we finished our dinner.

We hope you found our list of restaurants in Munich for non-German/Bavarian cuisine useful. Cheers!

Restaurant Le Stollberg
Stollbergstrasse 2
80539 Munich
Tel. 089-24243450

Mon – Fri : Lunch  from 11:30 to 14:30
Mon – Fri : Dinner from 18:00 to 23:00
Sat :  12: 00-23: 00

Website