Own coffee shop. Alexa von Harder also dreamed this dream. In 2019 she fulfilled it together with her husband Kevin Bintu. Since then her name has been above the small shop with the window and door frames made of dark wood on the outskirts of Haidhausen; Villa Stuck is directly opposite.
The fact that the two operators have thought carefully about how they would make their dream come true can already be guessed from who is standing in front of the bar. The shop window is lovingly decorated with flowers. A bench upholstered with white fur invites you to have a coffee outdoors. Some guests do that even on a cold winter day, because there isn’t much space inside.
Even on cold days you can have a coffee outside.
(Photo: Lorenz Mehrlich)
Alexa von Harder is a master confectioner.
(Photo: Lorenz Mehrlich)
She runs the café together with her husband Kevin Bintu.
(Photo: Lorenz Mehrlich)
There is only one large and four small wooden tables in the café, where colorful cushions and small flower vases set accents between the white walls. The furnishings are simple and stylish. She doesn’t distract too much from the counter with the sweet cupcakes that play a leading role here.
Alexa von Harder is a master confectioner. She learned her trade in Café Luitpold, after which she worked in a Swiss luxury hotel and in the Munich Hotel “Vier Jahreszeiten”. Before she set up her own café, she also trained in the art of making filigree sugar blossoms in London with Peggy Porschen, who is considered the baker of celebrities such as Elton John and Gwyneth Paltrow. These now also decorate their cakes, which can be ordered for weddings or birthdays.
In the café, guests can get a glimpse of how these multi-storey structures are made by sitting in a spot that overlooks the small bakery with the large mixers. Not only ordered cakes are produced there, but also everything else that Harder and her team sell. But soon you will be able to watch the confectioners and the trainees even better. Because the dream of Alexa von Harder and Kevin Bintu goes even further: They are currently building a glass-enclosed show bakery with a course room next door, to which production will soon be moving.
More space will also be urgently needed in the future, because there will soon be an offshoot of Harder’s Alexa in the Fünf Höfe. In the shop you will also get cakes, tartlets, pastries and coffee – but everything to take away. For a leisurely breakfast and a coffee break in between or after a visit to the museum in the Villa Stuck, the café with its relaxed atmosphere on Ismaninger Straße will remain the right address.
What is there and how much does it cost?
Harder’s Alexa combines fine patisserie with a breakfast menu that will not only appeal to lovers of sweet dishes. From the “Salty” category, for example, we recommend the avocado bread with fried egg for 11.50 euros. Two slices of bread from the Julius Brantner bakery are served with a pleasantly lemony avocado cream and two fried eggs on top. The club sandwich with vegetable chips (15.50 euros) made from homemade focaccia, grilled turkey breast, bacon, fried eggs and salad is a little heartier.
At breakfast you can choose between several sweet and savory dishes.
(Photo: Lorenz Mehrlich)
The fine tartlets play a leading role in the café.
(Photo: Lorenz Mehrlich)
For a sweet breakfast, there is a choice of Greek yoghurt with homemade cinnamon crumble (9.20 euros) or scones (8.20 euros) as well as fluffy pancakes, which are served with a not too sour berry compote and crème fraîche. If you want something a little less sumptuous in the morning, you can also order one of the croissants or pains au chocolat that come out of the bakery one by one in the morning. On Saturdays there are a few more dishes on the menu, such as an Egg Benedict (12.90 euros) or a waffle (8.90 euros).
Whether sweet or savory: the various types of tea, freshly squeezed juices or the coffee, which is served in handleless mugs that are comfortable to hold, go well with all dishes. And the tarts from the counter, which are also available to take away. Decorated with gold leaf or berries, these look like small works of art. The selection may vary depending on the season. But there’s always the New York Cheesecake tart, which is particularly popular with guests at Harder’s Alexa.
Alexa by HarderIsmaninger Straße 50, 81675 Munich, opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m