SODA – Maxvorstadt – international

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Yesterday we had breakfast at Soda on Türkenstraße. Relatively large and housed in a lovely building, Soda initially felt rather cold and unwelcoming. The huge dining area, dark – very basic – wooden furniture, and white, small-tile tiles gave it a rather uninspired and uninspired feel. We were shown to a small table relatively quickly, or rather, offered a choice of two, even though almost everything was free. When we arrived, there were no tables occupied in the outdoor seating area either – when we left later, the situation inside had hardly changed, but all the tables outside were taken.

I ordered breakfast, my companion ordered lunch.
We chose kombucha and quince, and a mango juice spritzer as drinks. The menu offers a variety of dishes, such as pizzas, pasta, salads, sandwiches, freshly squeezed juices (very expensive! – €4.20 for 0.2l), Thai soups, and various breakfasts or breakfast extras. We ordered two drinks, a pasta Veneto, a goat cheese salad, and for me, a Bircher muesli with fresh fruit and a bagel with fresh salmon. Which brings us to the problem – fresh salmon is definitely something else. Unfortunately, it was cut very thick and had dark spots. The attentive waiter did order an extra slice of salmon for me on a separate plate, but I still had to cut out dark bits from every slice – even the one that was brought to me. I left half the salmon bagel and turned my attention to the – thankfully – very tasty Bircher muesli. The pasta for €5.60 was ample, fresh, and delicious. The large goat cheese salad for €5.50 also tasted fresh and crisp. In total, we paid a very reasonable €33 for our meal at Soda.

The atmosphere at Soda is truly unpleasant and cold. Not a single picture on the walls; the cold, white tiles and old, wobbly furniture give it a bit of a "factory hall" feel. On the plus side, there was a wide selection of magazines and periodicals available for guests – but even if I'd been sitting there alone, I wouldn't have felt like sitting down and reading. Soda has a great layout and could certainly be easily and effectively spruced up with a few improvements. Only a large, hanging mirror in the dining area serves as a decorative element. The restrooms – I tried in vain to wash the salmon smell off my hands after my "salmon dissection" – are very unhygienic and unsightly. (Better avoid them!). The staff is okay; on the positive side, I was immediately offered a new salmon after my companion pointed out the dark, unusual spots to the waiter.

Aside from the salmon and the cool atmosphere, the visit to Soda was fine. Very good value for the amount of food. Pizzas cost no more than €6.90, and pasta is €5.60 per type – really reasonable. The service wasn't particularly friendly, but it wasn't bad either. Soda accepts card payments.

I wouldn't completely discourage you from going to Soda, but don't expect a cozy atmosphere or beautifully presented dishes. It's just ordinary food at incredibly low prices – for Munich, anyway. Reservations weren't necessary for breakfast on Saturday morning.

Place visited: soda
Address: Türkenstraße 51, 80779 Munich
Website

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