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At Sedlmayr On Saturday evening, my companion and I went to the Bavarian restaurant "Beim Sedelmayr." I'd often noticed it from the outside while walking by and always associated it with a typical, traditional Bavarian restaurant. A colleague from work recommended I try it out. Thanks again for the tip, but unfortunately, we weren't very lucky that evening.
We entered at approximately 9:10 p.m. and were immediately struck by a strong smell of food. The restaurant's interior is very rustic and Bavarian. It features light-colored, old wooden furniture, rather harsh and uncomfortable lighting, and is almost exclusively populated by older patrons. Initially, two equally elderly waitresses—which is perfectly fine, of course—completely ignored us. One of them eventually approached us and suggested we take a seat wherever there was space. Almost all the tables were occupied, and we found a spot at the very back, next to the kitchen, at a table that didn't look particularly inviting. It was designed for about eight people and, like all the tables, lacked cushions or any other semblance of comfort.
So, there we were, both very hungry, when a waitress came over, laid the menu in front of us – consisting of two densely printed white pages in clear plastic sleeves – and said: "You'll have to hurry. The kitchen closes in 10 minutes!" Meaning, food is only served until 9:30 pm at "Beim Sedlmayr." In hindsight, we would have been better off going somewhere else and not getting anything at all. Just for fun, the waitress then added, "You have 5 minutes to choose!" but then she was standing in front of us three minutes later.
To cut a long story short: On the Menu The menu consists exclusively of meat and fish dishes – except for Käsespätzle (cheese spaetzle). We opted for pike-perch with potatoes and salmon with potatoes and a side salad, as the spaetzle seemed too heavy for that time of day. Our ordered Diet Coke and juice spritzer arrived first, followed immediately by the salad – literally just five carelessly torn leaves of lettuce, far too large, with nothing else and an oil dressing. No salad could be better, and certainly not as embarrassing! Anyway, we dutifully finished our greens and waited for the fish. The pike-perch was my choice, and I specifically ordered it cooked all the way through. It arrived slimy, without any sauce, dip, or anything else, accompanied by one and a half halved potatoes. Very uninspired, and at €16.50, an absolute rip-off. At Nordsee, I can get the same thing with more potatoes and a choice of sauce for half the price! My companion's salmon was also underwhelming on the plate and, in our opinion, with the three slices of mushroom as a garnish in the sauce, resembled a slightly better-quality roadside meal. The salmon tasted okay and was tender, but at a hefty €15.50, it was far too expensive and not worth the money. My companion was kind enough to swap his salmon for the pike-perch, which I found inedible, so I was able to try both dishes. Unfortunately, neither was particularly great. Perhaps it was our mistake to order fish in a Bavarian restaurant, but I would have expected more from such a well-known establishment as "Beim Sedlmayr." 🙁
Furthermore, I was strongly advised to try the apple pancake (for €8.50) on the menu. My companion asked the server directly when ordering whether we could order it after finishing our main courses or if we should order it with them. The server took our dessert order immediately, as the kitchen was closing. Even while we were eating the fish, I noticed the waitress constantly checking to see if she could bring us the dessert now – as if to say, "Hurry up!" I think this had something to do with her shift ending, or perhaps the chef's. The apple pancake was served to us before we had even finished our main courses. Overall, a rather unprofessional performance. We were already hurrying with our meal – as we weren't particularly enjoying ourselves – but the dessert arrived at the table along with our fish. By the time we started eating it, it was already a bit cold and not very tasty! Not bad, very similar to Kaiserschmarrn, but neither necessarily worth ordering nor worth the money.
The service at "Beim Sedlmayr" wasn't exactly unfriendly, but it wasn't particularly attentive either. Rather rushed. We paid 50 euros including tip, and my companion later remarked, "50 euros down the drain!" which, aside from the fact that we were both full, pretty much sums it up. The ambiance is nothing like a cozy Bavarian inn; it lacks any rustic charm and isn't exactly enhanced by the numerous pictures of past "Bavarian celebrities" on the walls. Perhaps we just caught them on a bad day. If you'd like to see more, you can check out the pictures. The fact that the kitchen stays open until 9:30 pm is rather unusual for a restaurant right in Munich's city center – it's usually open later. Card payments are accepted.
I'll be back: Perhaps for a meat dish or a Bavarian snack.
Place visited: At Sedlmayr
Address: Westenriederstraße 14, 80331 Munich
Website
Pictures:
Bine
That's an absolute outrage!