A cloth serviette is neatly rolled up in a mason jar, and there is also an old porcelain sugar bowl with a flower pattern on the table. The chairs are thrown together, vinyl records lie on an old chest of drawers, jute bags dangle from birch trunks. And in the display? There are stacks of chocolate biscuits, energy balls and banana bread.
Everything vegan, everything as natural and packaging-free as possible. That is the claim of the Oh Circle, which claims to be the first less-waste café in Munich. And that also includes vintage crockery, second-hand furniture and washable napkins.
Before Katharina Freundorfer opened her café, she worked in the financial sector.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
Katharina Freundorfer has thus fulfilled her dream of a café with a circular economy. Materials and products should be reused, refurbished or recycled for as long as possible. The operator of the Oh Circle has long been enthusiastic about the topic of sustainability and tries to avoid waste in everyday life.
At the beginning of 2019, Freundorfer, who had previously worked in the financial sector, started founding her restaurant, which has been hidden at the end of the row of shops in Olympiadorf since she opened it in the middle of the corona pandemic. She had previously tested her concept in pop-up cafés and financed it through crowdfunding.
What is there and how much does it cost?
The selection at Oh Circle is manageable, but there is still something for everyone who values vegan food. Various sweets such as the moist chocolate cake are available for 3.90 euros, but vegan cheese and date cakes are also available. Those who prefer something savory can try the Kaspressknödel with vegan cheese and roasted onions, a perennial favorite among the café’s customers. We also recommend the grilled veggie sandwich (7.90 euros), which is served with a colorful salad. The food is freshly prepared, so it can take a moment for the plates to be on the table, but it’s worth the wait.
At the weekend and on public holidays, the menu is supplemented by apple pancakes or shakshuka with vegan eggs, Freundorfer’s personal favourite. But a grilled chocolate sandwich or a smoothie with ginger, orange, apple and banana are also on the breakfast menu.
Of course there are the classic hot drinks in the Oh Circle, but with homemade oat milk, and according to Freundorfer also the best plant-based cappuccino in town. The chai latte and the golden milk with turmeric and ginger also taste good (both 4.80 euros). In addition to tea, various organic spritzers and lemonades are served, and one or the other organic wine is also on the menu.
Who do you meet there?
The target group of the Oh Circle are young and young at heart Munich residents who are enthusiastic about sustainability, veganism and zero-waste, says Freundorfer. And, of course, the neighborhood from the Olympiadorf is also welcome, as they actively participated in the redesign of the rooms. The Olympiadorf cultural association and the Rehab Republic association’s Olytopia project use the café as subtenants. Therefore, not only can you enjoy a piece of cake in peace, but yoga and drawing courses or playing chess together are also offered.
In the Oh Circle you can not only eat cake, yoga courses or workshops on the topic of sustainability also take place here.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
In the Oh Circle, Olytopia organizes workshops and get-togethers on the subject of sustainability. In addition, clothes swap parties are organized and there is always the so-called savior brunch: food that has been saved from the garbage can and is still usable is then processed together into delicious dishes.
Oh CircleHelene-Mayer-Ring 14, 80809 Munich, opening hours: Wednesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m