Metta is not only a term from Buddhism, but also a café in Maxvorstadt that opened in December 2023. Translated, the name, which stands for a type of meditation, means something like friendliness or goodness. “I just think the word is beautiful,” says Anna Rötzer, who runs the restaurant with two partners. Because meditation plays a significant role here, the name is not only beautiful, but also appropriate: Metta is a café, but also a yoga studio.
Through a large window front you can look into the room, which, among other things, because of the amount of exposed concrete, looks like it was taken straight from an architecture magazine. Students sit at the windows during the week, drinking a cappuccino (3.90 euros) or flat white (4.40 euros) – either with oat or nut milk – and typing hastily on their laptops.
During the day, the Metta is also used by guests as a place to work and study.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The chairs come from a primary school. Yoga ceremonies take place behind the curtain.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
There are a few tables with chairs in the room that are reminiscent of a primary school classroom: “We took them from a school in Augsburg,” says Rötzer. In general, a lot of the furniture is second-hand. The plants scattered around the room were gifts from guests, including a huge monstera.
All dishes are gluten-free, vegan and organic – but the portions are quite manageable. Classics such as cinnamon rolls for 4.20 euros or brownies for 3.90 euros are served on small plates. If you fancy something more unusual, you can choose between grilled sandwiches with tempeh and miso (8.50 euros) or kimchi and mayo (8.50 euros).
The separate area next to the counter is striking. The “yoga corner” is behind curtains. Rötzer, who is a yoga teacher herself, talks about courses and workshops that take place at Metta. “During the day it’s a café, in the evening it becomes a space for all sorts of things.” There will be a reading coming soon.
Behind the counter, coffee is made with plant-based milk.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
You can also get cinnamon rolls at Metta.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The gluten-free bread comes from the “Echt aktuell” bakery.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The numerous gluten-free breads that are delivered to Maxvorstadt by the Sendlingen bakery “Echt aktuell” ensure that many people come to Metta to shop, says Rötzer.
The restaurant is still in the process of growing and developing – in small and larger ways: In addition to the Bircher muesli (6.90 euros), there will be other breakfast options on the menu. The operators also want to prepare the outdoor area for the summer. And then there is the “toilet question”. By law, a shop doesn’t need one, but a café does. Although the Metta has a toilet, it is only intended for employees. Anyone who asks can still use it.
The Metta, Barer Street. 48, 80799 Munich, opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.