Luckily, this foodie paradise in the heart of Munich counts as food shopping, and where it doesn’t, it mostly offers takeaway options, so has been able to stay open during lockdown. Most of the places I’ve tried weren’t actually discovered over lockdown, but I thought that in these strange times I’d pay homage to one of Munich’s culinary institutions, and do a special feature on my favourite spots within this all-round fabulous find (not really a find because I don’t think anyone who has ever been to Munich has not visited the Viktualienmarkt). It’s worth pointing out that one of the things I find so great about this place is that it really doesn’t feel like it’s catering to tourists. Instead of overpriced aesthetic street food, it’s a selection of high-quality, independent sellers with everything from fruit and veg stalls, to herb/spice shops, loose leaf tea, fresh juices, bakers, butchers, souvenirs, some crafts and, of course, a Biergarten.
Sevda’s and Sauere Ecke
Two of several mediterranean/middle-eastern deli stalls, both are right in the centre of the market and hard to miss. The huge buckets of olives, antipasti galore, and more spreads and dips than I’ve ever seen before in one place can’t fail to catch your eye, and the huge flatbreads alone are enough to make your mouth water. Perfect for a picnic lunch, great value and enough variety to keep you coming back for more.
Sababa
Self-titled the King of Shawarma, this place is a must for falafel lovers, with a huge range of dips and antipasti to accompany the main event. Located towards one end of the market where a few stalls are set-up as little tent-style restaurants, you might even get to sit in. They also have a great range of price options, from inexpensive jam-packed pittas and wraps, to whole selection plates.
Juice bars
Right in the centre of the market, you can’t fail to notice the brightly-coloured signs and vibrant buzz of the various juice bars, offering everything from smoothies to health shots. Not necessarily cheap, but some of them even have a fruit and veg stall as well, and you can literally see your juice being pressed. Alongside all the classics, there are some more adventurous combinations, and I found it a great way to enjoy the market’s fresh produce while also refreshing on a hot day.
Honey shop
The market isn’t just made up of food sellers, there are also several little shops, including Hönighäusl (‘little honey house’), which specialises in all kinds of honey products, from cosmetics, to gifts, to just plain old jars of honey. I was particularly impressed with their array of taster jars, small pots with loads of different exciting flavours - marzipan and hazelnut were perfect additions to my newfound love, the Hönigbrot.
Tee am Viktualienmarkt
As well as fruit, vegetables, and various other groceries, the Viktualienmarkt can also be your one-stop shop for loose leaf tea. For anyone else who relies on tea as a coping mechanism for life, I can’t recommend the huge array of flavours and types of tea on offer here enough. With the choice to buy 50g, 100g or 200g from a wide range of green, white, black and fruit teas, in classic flavours and again some more adventurous stuff (walnut green tea and amaretto fruit tea spring to mind), most of them don’t work out very expensive at all, especially not considering how long loose-leaf tea lasts.
Suppenküche
Very much a winter highlight, this unassuming little soup kitchen has a daily changing selection, featuring Bavarian classics (I thought they were joking when I read pancake soup), as well as curries and vegetarian options, all served with either rustic rye bread, semmel or, of course, a pretzel.
Caspar Plautz
This was potentially my biggest and most pleasant surprise of the Viktualienmarkt finds: introduced to me as a jacket potato place, it turned out to be a foodie delight, with innovative, unusual ingredients, that I’m still not sure I know exactly what they were, but I know they tasted amazing! Friendly on the vegan and veggie options, with a great selection and a cute little location with limited space to sit in, the dishes were presented beautifully, were colourful and delicious, and so much more than your average jacket potato!
