A good cure for homesickness: new arrivals talk about where to find a taste of home in Munich. Episode 3: France. Hélène Badault from Paris (aufildelene.com) talks about popular pastries, chatty restaurant owners, and lamb that tastes of summer.
“When it comes to breakfast in France, we’re happy to keep it simple: a croissant, or a small baguette known as a “ficelle”, a bit of butter, some jam and a coffee – that’s all we need. But in Munich, this combination is not so easy to find. I recommend Bonjour Munich (Oskar-Schlemmer-Strasse 3).
Pâtisserie Amandine (Bergmannstrasse 44) feels like a French bakery, with its fresh croissants, baguettes and brioches – the pastries are great, too. But you have to get there early if you want the best stuff – the counter sells out pretty quickly.
The baguettes and croissants from the Dompierre chain of bakeries (one branch at Schellingstrasse 10) are pretty good, too. Okay, maybe we are not so easygoing when it comes to food. It’s just that we know exactly what we want, and we love talking about food too.
"Okay, maybe we are not so easygoing when it comes to food. It’s just that we know exactly what we want, and we love talking about food too."
I love the creative cooking at Le Berlu (Wittelsbacherstrasse 16). The last time I went I had a piece of meat with scallops and vegetables, all arranged like osso buco – simply unforgettable! For a really special occasion, I like to go to Le Refuge (Neureutherstrasse 8), where they serve Provençal dishes: to me, they are the taste of summer. I would particularly recommend the grilled lamb with fine herbs and spices.
Oh yes, if you fancy lobster and mussels, then Chez Fritz (Preysingstrasse 20) is a good spot. Back at home in Paris, my friends and I would generally go to wine bars – a glass of wine, a little snack, what more do you need for a pleasant evening? If I’m feeling homesick in Munich, I go to Déjà bu? (Buttermelcherstrasse 2a). In terms of cheese, I was a bit of a late starter. I didn’t like cheese at all when I was younger, but now I’m addicted.
My favourite is blue cheese from Papillon cheesemongers, which unfortunately I haven’t been able to find here in Munich yet, though I do go to Chalet du Fromages (Elisabethmarkt, stand 11). It has a huge selection and a great comté – a hard cheese made from unpasteurised milk – which also goes great with a wine from southern France, which I buy from Caves du Midi (Wilhelmstrasse 32).”
