The “Siggis vegan & fresh food” is also something for meat eaters – but they prefer not to stay after the visit. Both the enjoyment and the philosophy of the restaurant contribute to this. Everything that is served here is vegan and out of conviction. You don’t have to do without anything.
Sigrid Lutz gives the restaurant its name. From the former “hotel restaurant and gas station eater”, she became a vegan seven years ago. She had been thinking about the world as she recovered from her burnout after 20 years in marketing and sales. She was particularly fond of animal suffering in food production. That is why she began to avoid animal foods. After a short time, her son Florian Högel was there too. He says: “We wanted to make the world a better place – and that is still the case today”. Soon more people should be able to participate in the new attitude towards life.
Because not only love but also conviction runs through the stomach, Lutz started her first small restaurant on Westenriederstrasse in 2017. Soon after, she expanded it to include vegan street food on the “Alte Utting”. You can no longer find vegan dishes in these two places. That’s what a food truck is now at Minna Thiel’s in Maxvorstadt. And the much larger project started last year, when Lutz dared to take the step: She opened a restaurant with a bar and everything that goes with it on Buttermelcherstrasse.
Only the pictures on the wall in the restaurant are animal.
(Photo: Robert Haas)
At first glance, it is reminiscent of a pub: an oval sign with the restaurant’s logo protrudes from the wall, while bell-shaped hanging lamps and wall lights spread warm, dim light in the interior. The furniture made of wood and iron makes a rustic and modern impression at the same time. Chocolate cake, apple pie and blueberry muffins are on display in the refrigerated display case immediately after the entrance; they look like grandma’s, but of course they do without butter, milk and egg.
“A lot of people stand at the showcase and ask us whether everything is really vegan,” says Florian Högel. That makes the junior chef a little proud, as the restaurant should demonstrate that you don’t have to go without anything vegan. Högel describes the offer as “vegan home cooking”. 95 percent of the ingredients are organic, as far as fairtrade goes.
The “Minga” breakfast has vegan meat loaf that could convince even non-vegans.
(Photo: Robert Haas)
What is there:
A hot coffee (3.40 euros) gives breakfast a lively start. If you like it creamy and with a lot of foam, order the Espresso Macchiato (4.40 euros). The Chai Latte (4.40) is mildly seasoned and not too sweet. The smurf latte with spirulina algae and vegan honey (4.90 euros) is more unusual.
With titles like “Famous” and “Not Mainstream”, the food has to be something special. The “Minga”, which non-Bavarians can recognize from the description, is one of the sonorous offers: For 11.90 euros there is a Munich snack with Leberkäs, cucumber-potato salad, cheese cubes and pretzel. Meat eaters may be surprised how close the Leberkäs is to the original. It is just as tasty and juicy as the real one, only the more compact consistency gives away the substitute product. Much easier to expose is the supposed Gouda, which has little to do with cheese. The mild but tasty potato salad is perfect for this.
The “Oriental” breakfast impresses with the crispy falafel.
(Photo: Robert Haas)
The falafels delight in the “Oriental” breakfast (EUR 10.40). Their sesame crust is not greasy at all, but crispy and crunchy when chewed. It surrounds a soft core of pureed chickpeas flavored with spices. In addition, hummus and tahini sauce are served. With the chickpea paste, the garlic comes out clearly, the sesame dressing refreshes with a hint of lemon.
Also on offer are pancake towers, lavish toast, vegan scrambled eggs or a brunch mix with various spreads and vegan bratwurst. For the curious who want to try out the variations of the plant-based cuisine, as well as for long-time vegans, the restaurant offers a rich selection. You won’t get under ten euros with a drink at breakfast, but you are definitely full.
Who goes there:
Most of the guests are students. You may well be able to overhear conversations about yoga classes and dietary supplements for vegans at the next table.
Siggis vegan & fresh food, Buttermelcherstraße 17, 80469 Munich, Tel. 089/24292033. Opening times: Wednesday to Friday 5pm to 10pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 10pm. It is closed on December 24th and open on December 25th and 26th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The restaurant is closed over New Years and New Years.