Today I woke up with a craving to try a new cafe. I glanced at my list and at random picked Café Blá. I suppose the originality and even strangeness of the name appealed to me.
Café Blá is nestled in a quiet street parallel to the Isar. Easily accessible from town or the Gasteig and just a stone throw away from the Deutsches Museum. Lately, I find myself often roaming over this side of Munich and have become quite fond of its charms.
I ordered a Colombian brew and sat down to catch up with some ideas. Soon Stephanie Bjarnason, the mind and hands behind the business joined me and I was set for an afternoon of friendly chatter and insightful stories.
Stephanie is a mechanical engineer who after taking a sabbatical at home – daring, don’t you think? – answered, honestly, the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” and kick-started the process that led to the opening of Café Blá last October.
The space is small. Geometric shapes and hues of blue unroll over the white walls creating a clean and pleasing decor.
Café Blá
Given its location, I’d say most of its clientele just stumble across the cafe by chance/luck or are the up to date coffee aficionados of Munich.
“Liebe geht durch den Magen”, believe the German and most of the world. So the top-notch quality coffee and waffle-based breakfast should ensure Café Blá a large crowd of hopelessly in love customers in no time.
Now let’s talk about coffee! The roasts Stephanie developed with one of the most knowledgeable roasters in town – Wolfgang Helmreich from Vits – is a treat for the palate. The quality of the beans are highlighted by a balanced body and acidity.
If you are the curious type and have a high tolerance for caffeine, ask for the Coffee duo or if you are feeling brave then go for the trio which consist of an espresso, a filter and a espresso based milky beverage. It will take your taste buds on a flavourful ride through the nuances of coffee.
I must warn you, once you start exploring all these facets of specialty coffee, there is no turning back into the dark side of the bean.
Inspired by the deeply-rooted coffee culture in Iceland – the owner’s home country – Café Blá celebrates the Nordic coffee culture and how coffee goes beyond the beverage itself. It creates experiences, inspire feelings and effortlessly bring people together.
As a captivated admirer of the bean, could not agree more!
Lilienstraße 34, 81669 München