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Brezelina am Marienplatz Brezen mit Salz bestreuen

After salting, it goes into the oven.

BREZELINA at Marienplatz | A look behind the scenes – A while ago I told you BREZELINA at Stachus I was introduced to the newer branch at Marienplatz in more detail. Even after that, it was clear to me that I would also visit the newer branch. Now the time had come, and to make things a little more exciting – for you as readers – I arranged with the BREZELINA team to take a look behind the scenes. What does a typical day look like in the two pretzel stores/shops, and what stages do the pretzels, pretzel sticks, and potatoes go through before becoming the finished snack or mashed potato with various toppings? So, it was an early start and a chance to look over their shoulders. A heartfelt thank you to the lovely BREZELINA employee and the entire BREZELINA team for this opportunity. Here we go…

BREZELINA at Marienplatz

The BREZELINA shop on Marienplatz has been open since the end of October 2015. Since then, countless pretzels have been sold there every day, all freshly baked, spread, and topped from morning till night – so there's quite a bit of logistics and work behind BREZELINA. They offer pretzels, braided lye rolls, croissants – all plain or with various toppings – as well as mashed potatoes with different toppings and coffee. Moments without a hungry customer in front of the BREZELINA counter are extremely rare. I had the opportunity to witness this joyful spectacle from the other side for a day.

Brezelina am Marienplatz fertig gebackene Brezen

freshly baked pretzels

On your marks, get set, go!

In detail, the figures mentioned above mean that at BREZELINA on Marienplatz, pretzels, lye sticks, and croissants are baked and freshly prepared for you continuously from opening in the morning (6:30 a.m.) until closing (8:00 p.m.). Each oven compartment holds two trays with 12 pretzels each. So, with its five oven compartments, one batch of pretzels can bake 120. They are baked for approximately 18 minutes and then expertly sliced with large knives. In the morning, plain and butter pretzels are made first, as these are naturally the most popular. Then it's time for the main event: the filled pretzels with cress, arugula, honey mustard, Emmental cheese, Obatzda (a Bavarian cheese spread), soft cheese, Leberkäse (a type of meatloaf), ham, turkey, and other toppings. By 6:30 a.m., everything is available and can be purchased for €1.20 to €2.90. Production is only stopped in the evening, shortly before closing time.

There's practically no variety I haven't had in my Brezelina bag. My favorites are the honey-mustard pretzel, the classic butter pretzel, and the one with Leberkäse (Bavarian meatloaf) – nice and Bavarian, really. A plain pretzel costs €0.65 at Brezelina, while the butter pretzel – generously and properly spread right to the edge, as I recently observed – costs €1.20. If you stop by in the morning or need a little caffeine boost during the day, they also have a butter pretzel cappuccino special for a reasonable €2.50. You'd be hard-pressed to find that price anywhere else. I also really appreciate that Brezelina pretzels are generally lighter, fluffier, and softer (see the first article linked above for details) than usual.

Brezelina am Marienplatz fertig belegter Laugenzopf

A tomato mozzarella pretzel braid with basil cream

Pretzel braids with various toppings

Pretzels are my personal favorite (though not exactly diet-friendly) treat behind bakery counters. That's one of the reasons I've been a big BREZELINA fan from the very beginning. When I'm really hungry, I often treat myself to a filled pretzel. Whether with salmon (€3.90), egg (€3.20), salami and cheese (€3.30), tomato and mozzarella (€3.70), or even – very trendy – pulled pork (€4.20) – they all taste great. Because the tomato and mozzarella combination is especially popular, I watched them being made and learned that all the ingredients used on the pretzels are fresh and high-quality. Freshness and good quality are generally very important to BREZELINA. The cress (for the cress pretzel), for example, is packaged and delivered still in the ground, and the team on site only cuts it when it's placed on the pretzel. The tomato mozzarella braid features a delicate basil cream with a subtle flavor beneath the alternating layers of tomatoes and mozzarella. This makes the snack even more moist. Each item is generously topped – across the entire range – and you get a truly satisfying snack for a very fair price. The pretzel braids, like the regular pretzels, are wonderfully soft, don't crumble when you bite into them, and taste absolutely delicious. A plain pretzel braid costs €0.95, while one topped with toppings and cheese costs €1.95.

Brezelina am Marienplatz gekochte Kartoffeln im Topf

Ready for pressing – the cooked potatoes

Mashed potatoes: From potato to delicious snack

A staple of BREZELINA is our freshly prepared mashed potatoes with eight different toppings, made right before your eyes. First, the potatoes, which arrive partially cooked, are finished in the oven for about 45 to 60 minutes, lightly salted, and then placed in warm pots in the display case. There, they await further preparation, or rather, they are taken fresh and in portions to be layered and mashed in small cups – ideal for 'to go'. After half the potato layer per serving, one of your chosen two toppings is added. The mash is refined with butter, (optionally lactose-free) milk, and nutmeg. After mixing and adding the second layer of mashed potatoes, the other topping is placed on top. The result is piping hot, creamy, and super fresh in the cup. Toppings offered include Emmental cheese, Mediterranean toppings, cucumber, fried onions, arugula, sour cream, ham, chives, and – especially at Marienplatz – pulled beef. My favorite combination is definitely the latter with fried onions. Delicious and very filling for a snack on the go. Of course, you can choose many more toppings (for an additional 40 cents each). My tip: Don't overdo it, because the mashed potatoes themselves are so good that the pure potato flavor shouldn't be completely masked. (Plain: €2.90 | Set with a chilled drink and two toppings: €4.50). The "Mashed Potato Pesto" (€3.95), made with olive oil, basil, Grana Padano cheese, and pine nuts, is also fantastic.

Brezelina am Marienplatz Croissants aus dem Ofen

freshly baked croissants

Aside from that….

Both BREZELINA shops also offer plain pretzel croissants (€1.40), those with ham and cheese (€2.20), or even (mmm!) Nutella (€1.95) – if you're in the mood for something sweet. The BREZELINA location at Marienplatz is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturdays from 8:00 a.m., and closed on Sundays. They currently sell 12 different types of filled pretzels, including a specialty: a liverwurst pretzel. They also offer six different filled pretzel braids. Catering is available, so BREZELINA can deliver pre-ordered quantities of pretzels for your meetings, events, breakfasts with friends and family, and so on. I don't know about you, but I (luckily) have an appointment in town today and will be making a small detour to Marienplatz. Try the pretzels and the mashed potatoes. I'm curious to hear what you think. Oh, and... bring your own container or mug – you'll get a discount as a reward! 🙂

Location: BREZELINA at Marienplatz
Address: Marienplatz | Mezzanine Level | Marienplatz 1 | 80331 Munich
(Stachus: Karlsplatz underground station | Stachus Passages | Karlsplatz 9 | 80335 Munich)
Opening hours: 6:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Saturdays from 8:00 a.m.
Details: Various pretzels, braided lye rolls and croissants with different toppings; mashed potatoes with various toppings, as well as various coffee drinks.
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