Café Luitpold (Munich, GERMANY) ★★★☆☆

After a very disappointing dinner at Rocco Riviera, they decided to take a slow walk along Brienner Straße, the vibrant cultural, academic, and artistic heart of Munich. Situated just steps from the grand Odeonsplatz public square, the neighborhood is best known for seamlessly blending luxurious, neoclassical 19th-century architecture with a lively, trendy urban energy.

We ended up stopping by Café Luitpold, a historic coffeehouse and checked out their chocolates, gourmet cakes, and more. Opened in 1888 during the Gründerzeit era, this iconic café combines a grand cafe setting with a mix of traditional and contemporary offerings.

The pastry counter at Café Luitpold draws on storied royal traditions, reimagined with a contemporary flair.

We originally came here for their French-style Schwarzwälder Kirsch — a refined, elevated twist on the classic Black Forest cake but we ended up finding something else instead.

Himbeerkuchen (€5.9) — The raspberry cake is a light, classic German fruit tart featuring a shortcrust pastry base, rich vanilla cream filling, and a dense topping of fresh raspberries that looked as if they have been caramelized.

It was surprisingly good, with a perfect balance between sweetness and acidity.

When I was reading online reviews about Café Luitpold, service consistency seemed to be the main reason it received a poor rating despite its exceptional pastry reputation. Reviewers pointed to a few recurring complaints about how staff handle patrons. To be brutally honest, I could see the same from my personal experience tonight. While the service wasn’t totally unfriendly, I thought it could be more courteous and cheerful.

Food Rating: 6.3/10

Price: €€€

Address: Brienner Strasse 11, 80333 Munich, Germany

Closest Metro Station: Odeonsplatz

Tel: +49 89 2428750

Website: http://www.cafe-luitpold.de/

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 8:00pm (Mon), 8:00am - 10:00pm (Tue - Sat), 9:00am - 8:00pm (Sun)