+ + + Advertisement + + +
Recently, my companion and I had dinner at Bodega Dali – a Spanish restaurant in Munich's Maxvorstadt district. My colleague Stefan recommended it – many thanks for the tip, even though we weren't entirely satisfied. Bodega Dali is a Spanish bar, or rather a rather dimly lit restaurant with dark furniture, a maze of layouts, a small bar, and numerous simple tables for two, four, or even larger groups. There's little ornamentation on the walls, mostly small Dali paintings in wooden frames – true to the name – subtle wall lighting, simple furniture, candles on the tables, parquet and tile floors, and many wine bottles on wooden shelves.
We tried to make a reservation by phone all afternoon and early evening – unfortunately, no one answered. Only after numerous attempts did we finally get through to someone who informed us that the only available table was in the hallway, as they were otherwise fully booked. Since neither my companion nor I had ever dined at Bodega Dali before, we couldn't really imagine what to expect in the hallway. 😉 Nevertheless, we went (U-Bahn line 2 – Josephsplatz station) and were greeted immediately upon entering the short staircase by a friendly – I'd guess Spanish – server. After mentioning our reservation, we were seated at one of the two tables in the rather dark hallway. The servers – all young women – were exceptionally friendly and attentive. For example, 10-15 minutes after we were seated, we were informed that another table/seat in the bar area had become available and asked if we wanted to move – but we stayed where we were and perused the menus. The menu is already displayed outside the restaurant in an illuminated display case, including the short, rather concise weekly menu with just four dishes, including dessert (currently: black pudding with tomato salsa for €6.50, eggplant and zucchini rolls filled with cream cheese, served with Ibérico ham for €8.50, halibut with pearl barley risotto and green asparagus for €16.90 (my choice!), and for dessert, a dark chocolate mousse with banana for €4.90). The regular menu consists of two printed pages with various dishes. Vegetarians will find virtually no options here. Fish lovers can opt for the halibut or fill up on tapas. (For tapas, we opted for tortilla española – a Spanish potato omelet, optionally topped with goat cheese for €6.90 (far too expensive!) and patatas fritas – fried potatoes with two sauces for €5.90 (also too expensive and too salty!). To drink, we chose two glasses of wine (Viña Heredad (Penedès) 0.2l/€5.60) (which tasted okay, though a bit too acidic for my taste) and a bottle of still Plose water. We had to order a liter for €5.90, as the 0.5-liter bottle wasn't available despite the menu listing it. Six euros for a run-of-the-mill still water – oh well. My companion chose "Puchero" as her main course – a Spanish stew with chicken, pasta, vegetables, and chorizo for €8.90. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what we'd expected. Certainly not Poorly prepared, especially if you're into stews, and generally quite full of ingredients, but the consistency just wasn't satisfactory for my companion. You can get an idea of the stew from the photo and decide if it's something you like. 🙂
Otherwise, the menu offers a good mix of Spanish dishes. For example, spaghetti with almond-saffron sauce for €7.90, or €13.40 if you also want gama (squid). Fish dishes (salmon or hake), various paellas for €13.50/€14.50 with your choice of chicken or seafood, several soups and stews, and a variety of salads are also on the menu. Unusually for me, I opted against the mixed salad with fried goat cheese (€12.20) and chose the halibut listed on the weekly specials. This was served with pearl barley risotto and green asparagus. I was quite hungry and ate rather quickly, but I also noticed fairly soon that the relatively small piece of fish tasted rather bland, and after a few bites of the side dish, a rather oily taste developed in my mouth. I wouldn't order this food again; although my dish was definitely not bad, it wasn't worth €17 and didn't fill me up. The main courses and one of the two tapas platters arrived at the same time, so we were able to eat simultaneously.
In total, we paid €60, including tip, for two 0.2l glasses of wine, two different vegetarian tapas, and two main courses, neither of which were particularly impressive. Definitely far too expensive. Afterwards, we discussed how we felt even half the price – €30 – would have been overpriced. Even if you consider the tapas individually and perhaps only eat tapas, the prices are still too high. Above all, Bodega Dali definitely doesn't exude anything chic or special. The location is certainly pleasant for an evening with friends to sit and chat and grab a few snacks – but a satisfying meal at reasonable prices? Forget it!
The ambiance, while somewhat cozy thanks to the rather subdued lighting, doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, we didn't stay longer than necessary for our meal. Perhaps it was because we weren't seated in one of the three separate rooms with the simple wooden furniture or by the bar, but rather in the hallway. There are also two small alcoves with individual tables that are somewhat separated from the other seating areas. The restaurant is open daily from 5 pm to 1 am, with the kitchen open until midnight. I wouldn't really come back, even though the service was impeccable. The food is, after all, the most important thing. Give it a try; you might be more convinced. 🙂
I'll be back: Not right now. Far too expensive for mediocre food. Maybe if I want a more relaxed atmosphere with friendly service.
Place visited: Bodega Dali
Address: Tengstraße 6, 80798 Munich
Website
Pictures:
Leave a Reply