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Brunch at Bella Vista at the airport Stop number 10 of my Tasty Tour at Munich Airport didn't take place during the week as usual, but on a Sunday. And what does one do on a Sunday morning? Especially when it comes to food? Yes, exactly – brunch. Specifically, at Bella Vista in the municon at the airport. I was really looking forward to the test, firstly because I love brunch, and secondly because I had never experienced breakfast, let alone brunch, at the airport before. So, on Saturday evening, I planned to keep dinner light and go to bed a little hungry. Don't worry, I'm not one of those people who says, "Oh, a buffet! I'm going to pile everything on my plate!" ;-), but of course, I wanted to arrive hungrier than usual – also because I already had a bit of an idea of what to expect. So, I did. The next day at 10:00 a.m., I was there.
Shrimp in cocktail sauce with sweet pineapple
What can you expect at brunch at Bella Vista at Munich Airport?
Let me start from the very beginning. When I arrived – around 10:00 a.m. – my first glance, after the friendly greeting in the entrance area, fell on the buffet. A very extensive buffet. Only then did I notice the numerous occupied tables. About an hour later, almost every table was taken. Admittedly, I hadn't expected that. Especially since my visit (October 9th) was the first brunch after the summer break. So, I had to quickly take pictures of the buffet for you before it was all gone. I took a look around. The brunch offers everything you could wish for at a lavish buffet with a fixed price (€35 for adults, €17.50 for children between 6 and 14 years old, and free for children aged 0 to 5). It's set up in the middle of the room in the municon building, located on the eighth floor. The room is furnished with numerous tables, covered with white tablecloths, glasses, drink menus, and fresh flowers. A thoroughly cozy atmosphere. When we were shown to our seats at one of the numerous, sometimes round, tables, it was time for me and my companion to get started.
White sausages from our own local butcher
Food offerings on the buffet and selection
So many choices, so much to choose from! – There's hardly a more fitting statement to be made when taking a closer look at the buffet with a camera. "Tell me what you'd like to eat, and I'll show you where it is!" That's roughly how you can imagine brunch at Bella Vista at the airport. From around 11:00 a.m., various main courses are added, but until then, there's pretty much everything you could imagine: different types of bread (mini pastries, cocktail rolls, croissants, flatbread, and farmhouse bread), cheeses, cold cuts, and hams. Likewise, there were pretzels, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, white sausages with mustard, muesli with milk or yogurt, freshly cut or whole fruit, various desserts (crème brûlée, cakes, profiteroles, chocolate mousse), fresh salmon (poached whole), shrimp in a spicy cocktail sauce with sweet pineapple (delicious!), Mediterranean vegetable salad with chicken breast, veal rump with creamy tuna sauce, Keta caviar and grilled shrimp, buffalo mozzarella with vine tomatoes, various antipasti, beef salad with vegetables, and much, much more… A crusty ham on a self-service stand was also available from the start.
Part of ham and cheese
Since I knew that hot dishes would also be available around 11:00 AM – the empty containers were already set out – I held back a bit and waited. Gradually, hot dishes were served at the buffet. The selection included wild rice panache, grilled salmon fillet Mediterranean style, sautéed potatoes, chicken ragout with champagne cream sauce, seasonal cooked vegetables, roast veal in a herb and mustard crust, potato gratin, ravioli with ricotta and spinach filling, and even pink-roasted roast beef. Anyone who couldn't find something to their liking here must be missing something! 😉 After I'd finished admiring the spread, it was time to try it out….
Sweet sins from the buffet
Food review
The sheer variety of food – no matter how hungry you are – makes it impossible to try everything. What was important to me, however, was getting a good impression of the quality of the dishes. Not all brunches are created equal, and in Munich, they unfortunately often have a rather outdated reputation. But there are definitely some truly excellent brunches out there. In my opinion, Bella Vista sets the standard for how it should be: fresh, plentiful, and attractively presented. Ideally, the ingredients and produce are sourced locally. The white sausages, for example, come from their own butcher shop, and they prioritize transparency and short supply chains for everything else as well.
I sampled the fish, caviar, cheese, ham, sausages, bread, antipasti, and almost everything I mentioned above. I skipped the potato gratin and rice from the main courses – my companion indulged in both and was quite happy with them. The oft-repeated cliché about brunches, "Everything's just mediocre and not really good!", simply doesn't apply here. On the contrary, the buffet proved from beginning to end how well it can be done. If I had to offer any criticism, I'd perhaps wish for a wider selection of bread – after all, we are number one in the world when it comes to bread. Dark bread would have been nice, or simply a larger variety. Otherwise, everything – absolutely everything from A to Z – was fresh, delicious, plentiful, and well worth the money.
The premises
Ambiance and service
As mentioned before, it's cozy and bright. Depending on your seat, you have a great view of Munich Airport and its access roads. The floor-to-ceiling windows make it incredibly bright and inviting. The tables are nicely set, and the buffet is exceptionally appetizing. Buffets often descend into chaos, quickly turning into a mess. Not so at Bella Vista – everything was clean and appealing, no matter how many people were eating. The attentive staff kept a watchful eye on things, while also attending to guests at their tables, ensuring that anything no longer needed or eaten was quickly cleared away. I felt well taken care of, never watched, and nothing took long to arrive. After the buffet was set up, a young woman was on hand to serve the main courses, slicing thin pieces of veal or roast beef upon request.
Chicken breast with Mediterranean vegetable salad
Hard facts and personal information
Brunch starts every Sunday (from October 9, 2016 to May 14, 2017) at 10:00 AM and runs until 2:30 PM. (No brunch on January 1, 2017.) As you know from my other reviews, parking at the airport is free for three hours (with a minimum spend of €20). Bella Vista has thought ahead and allows its customers to park for free for the entire duration of brunch – even five hours! You just need to get your ticket stamped and you can leave for free. As my companion and I sat at our table, we decided we'd be back. What's a 20-25 minute drive when you're served so nicely, enjoy a truly fantastic brunch, and get such great value for money? Anyone who still argues, "I'm not going to the airport to eat!" is missing out. 😉 Every brunch (for €35) includes house wine. Red and white, and as much as you like. Isn't that great? The real highlight for families is the childcare right next door. I glanced into the room when I went to the restroom and saw lots of children playing and being looked after. It's a really fantastic place all around. I'll definitely be back. Don't forget to make a reservation, even though it can accommodate 130-140 people. Munich Airport employees get a discount of 10% with prior registration. There's even the option – if you'd prefer a more private setting – to have brunch in a separate room (with the same buffet) including service and a small surcharge per person. Cool, right?
In the case of my 10th Tasty Tour test, I can only say: thumbs up! Remember Bella Vista next time you're having brunch and stop by.
Are you interested in all my previous restaurant reviews? #biancastastytour Want to read through it? Then click through my Restaurants at Munich Airport - Page.
Place visited: Bella Vista in the municon
Tested: Brunch at Bella Vista
Address: Munich Airport, Description of footpath
Website
Pictures:
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Sandra Edelmeier
Great report! What about the selection of drinks? Do you also offer coffee specialties and non-alcoholic beverages?