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Over the weekend, my companion and I ate at Schuhbeck's Orlando am Platzl in Munich. (Orlando, in this case, refers to the famous Renaissance composer.) We weren't quite sure what we felt like eating that day, so we spontaneously decided on this restaurant. I'm already familiar with Schuhbeck's Orlando from previous visits and birthday celebrations. It's located on the very well-known "Platzl" in Munich (near Odeonsplatz, or rather between the Viktualienmarkt and Maximilianstrasse), where you'll also find the Hard Rock Cafe, Schuhbeck's itself, the Munich Hofbräuhaus, the Pfistermühle restaurant, and so on.
The restaurant is very well located and offers countless seats outside, right on Munich's always bustling Platzl, thanks to numerous tables with huge dark green umbrellas. When I was there recently with my companion, Alfons Schubeck himself was even present and greeted his guests. Unfortunately, although we had reserved by phone in advance, after entering and being acknowledged, we weren't shown to our table for two or three minutes, nor was it indicated that a waiter would be attending to us. I ended up having to give my last name to three different people before a more organized-looking waiter (or rather, a somewhat higher-ranking gentleman) finally hurried forward, specifically asked for my name, and showed us to our table in the back.
Schuhbeck's Orlando can definitely be described as opulent: enormous dormer ceilings with magnificent, intricately detailed gilded stucco, gilded decorative elements throughout the walls, huge chandeliers, marble floors, a marble bar in the back, reddish-brown leather banquettes and upholstered chairs with matching tables, daffodils on the tables with white tablecloths, elaborately arranged curtains, a very inviting cake display case in the entrance, huge flower vases and arrangements in large, ornate vases, large mirrored walls in the front area, and overall a very harmonious, if not modern, but nonetheless impressive overall impression. For a better sense of the ambiance, take a look at the photos I took.
We received the loose menus, consisting of a folded A3 sheet of paper, from a rather elderly gentleman – in general, only male waiters are employed there, all of whom I would estimate to be over 50. The menu was in a red cover. It wasn't particularly extensive, and some of the dishes listed online differed from what was actually on offer. (For example, a chestnut soup was advertised, which turned out to be truffled potato soup. I was pleased with this change, as I love truffles.) My companion and I each ordered one of these soups (€6.90 each), but I overlooked the fact that the soup contained "Schuhbeck's Griller" sausage, so we were served a soup with sausage. The waiter wasn't happy when I asked him to remove the sausage for me, as I'm a vegetarian. We explained that we hadn't realized it was sausage, or rather, hadn't noticed – and he was much nicer to us after that. 🙂 The soup itself was delicious. Although I received it on my second attempt without parsley or any other garnish (there were actually red flakes or something like small croutons in it), it was still excellent, and I could have easily eaten another portion. My companion chose the Orlando Gröstl as a main course, which included chicken breast, kabanos sausage, meatloaf, vegetable-champagne-red pepper slaw, fried potatoes, and a fried egg for €15.80. It sounded like a great combination and looked wonderful when served, but it tasted rather bland, and the fried potatoes were more like potato chips. The meatloaf was okay, but overall it was rather bland and fell short of expectations. The pepper slaw, for example, was practically tasteless. For drinks, we ordered an apple spritzer (very delicious!) and a Cocomint aperitif for €5.90 – you absolutely must try it. It's really worth going there just for that. Coconut syrup, mint syrup, pineapple and orange juice mixed with lemon juice. Very delicious! The bread served with the meal was okay, but nothing special – there is better bread.
Otherwise, the Menu A really good mix. For example, soups (potato soup or fish soup), French or Italian dishes, daily specials, of course a selection of Bavarian dishes, as well as numerous different desserts. I've also taken a photo of this for you to give you a general idea.
As mentioned, the staff is a bit older, but definitely friendly, not exactly quick-witted, but adequate. We noticed that a young couple sat down next to us and simply weren't served for over 20 minutes. Out of curiosity, I asked if they had been seated or had simply sat down – perhaps unnoticed. They were shown to their table and then ignored, then got up and left. Not a good advertisement and another indication of somewhat sluggish staff. We also observed a woman in a wheelchair trying to use the accessible toilet. The door is like a normal room door that has to be pulled outwards. It took the woman in the wheelchair almost two minutes to get inside, turn around, and finally get into the toilet. My companion eventually got up and helped her close the door – a very poorly designed solution!
The soup and aperitif were delicious. The staff was very attentive, though a bit slow, and had to double-check what we wanted to order. Unfortunately, the food wasn't as good as we expected, or as one would typically associate with Schuhbeck's. The prices are relatively average, though you'd intuitively expect them to be higher considering the ambiance and atmosphere. We paid €43 for the main course, two soups, and two drinks, including tip. Schuhbeck's Orlando is open from 9:00 AM to midnight. Food is served until 11:00 PM, with lunch starting at 11:30 AM and breakfast from 9:00 AM. A daily changing lunch special (11:30 AM - 3:00 PM) is available for €9.80. Right next door is Schuhbeck's Bar, his spice shop, and Schuhbeck's ice cream. If you're ever in the city center, you could take a detour to Münchner Platzl and see for yourself. You absolutely must try the aperitif, but not the Gröstl (a traditional Austrian dish).
I'll be back: I'd rather try something new first. My companion's main course wasn't very good, unfortunately.
Place visited: Schubeck's Orlando
Address: Platzl 4, 80331 Munich
Website
Pictures:
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