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Body and soul – I recently had dinner with my companion at Leib & Seele in Lehel. First off: definitely worth a visit, and for the Lehel district, the prices are perfectly reasonable. The restaurant was recommended to me some time ago, and at the same time, I discovered a voucher for Leib & Seele in a recently acquired restaurant voucher book. This voucher promised that if you ordered two main courses, the cheaper one was free – and it worked perfectly when I was there.
We drove there by car and were quite lucky with the parking, finding a spot right in front of the restaurant; normally, it takes a bit longer to find one. So, if you're not completely averse to public transport, I recommend taking the U4 or U5 subway lines to Lehel station. Even when we made the reservation, the gentleman on the phone was exceptionally friendly and told us to just drop by, even bringing our voucher. When we arrived around 5:30 pm, only the small beer garden, enclosed by a fence and shaded by sprawling trees, and the tables set up along the front of the building were occupied. Inside the restaurant, there was only a young couple and a man sitting on one of the simple bar stools at the dark wooden bar.
We were allowed to choose a small table in the corner, which we opted for because, in the somewhat dimly lit restaurant with its dark wood and dark wooden benches, the sunlight filtering in made it feel a bit cozy, and I'm a corner person anyway. 🙂 Well, we were seated, and the server came to our table relatively quickly – one of the friendliest servers I've ever encountered! She was genuinely happy to be there and, in the end, even gave us a slightly larger tip than usual. The menus at Leib & Seele are extensive and offer plenty of choices for both meat lovers and vegetarians. We debated for a while whether to choose the asparagus cream soup with a dollop of cream, listed on the daily specials menu, as a starter, or perhaps a more substantial main course. In the end, we both ordered a soup (€3.90 each) without cream and were soon served a huge bowl of soup – unfortunately, it initially came with cream, as the nice lady forgot to inform the kitchen. She apologized profusely, however, and we quickly received a new soup. This one was fantastic – very creamy, very smooth, intensely flavorful, and incredibly delicious. At €3.90, it was perfectly reasonable and actually quite filling on its own – but by then it was too late. 🙂 I left half my soup unfinished, as I would never have been able to finish my chosen main course otherwise. I opted for pike-perch fillet sautéed in almond butter with vegetables for €14.50. This dish was free thanks to the voucher. My companion ordered roast beef with onions, fried potatoes, and a generous side salad for €15.50. The server was kind enough to help me with the fish order, as I had pointed out that I didn't want a slimy fish, but rather a thoroughly cooked pike-perch fillet. She suggested I order it the way the kitchen always prepares it, as no one had ever complained and it wasn't slimy at all. The server also gave us tips regarding my companion's meat choice and highlighted the excellent taste of the onion roast beef, which we then ordered. To drink, we chose a small bottle of water for €2.60 and a Diet Coke (which turned out to be a Diet Pepsi) for €2.90 (0.33l). Including the tip – excluding the €14.50 for the pike-perch – we paid €32 by card. The regular price would have been just under €46.
When the main courses were served, we were very satisfied. The fish was very good, but for me it was just barely edible, as I would have preferred it a bit firmer – but that's entirely a matter of taste. The vegetables served with the fish were a bit too oily for my liking, and I left some of it because I was already quite full and couldn't manage the rest. My companion, on the other hand, thought everything tasted perfect. The fried potatoes were cooked to perfection, the meat was delicious, medium-rare but not too rare. The side salad was, as mentioned, very generous. The portion was also perfectly adequate for the price. We were both completely full – thanks in part to the soup.
Alternatively, the standard menu from Leib und Seele offers a variety of other dishes. For example, salads between €10.50 and €12.80 – optionally with strips of beef tenderloin, large prawns, lots of colorful summer vegetables, etc. Vegetarians can choose from filled pasta with pecorino tossed in sage butter (€9.50), or Wiener Schnitzel, Weißwurst, a large Brotzzeitbrettl (a Bavarian cold cuts platter), and several other options. A Wiener Schnitzel with fried potatoes and cranberry jam is available for a fair (for Munich) €14.80. Apple fritters, Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancake), or a cheese selection to finish are also available for €4.80 to €7.50 – but I simply couldn't manage any of them. 🙂
If you prefer breakfast, you've come to the right place. Leib und Seele offers a wide variety of breakfasts from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, ranging in price from €6.50 up to €22.80 for two people. Whether you're looking for egg dishes, cheese selections, Weisswurst, croissants and baguettes, mozzarella and tomato, a selection of ham and cheese, or the optional extras to complement the pre-made breakfast options (between €1.20 and €4.50 for, for example, a portion of yogurt with fruit or a portion of fruit salad) – you're sure to find something to your liking and can eat your fill.
What's particularly noteworthy about the restaurant is the exceptionally friendly service. The ambiance is decent, more like a typical Bavarian inn. Not exactly inviting or "griamig" (for non-Bavarians: cozy, the kind where you'd happily linger), but rather very classic: dark wood furniture, dark wood tables, Bavarian decorative elements, dark wood paneling on the walls, and lovely flowers on the individual tables with red napkins. Long grasses in vases adorn the corners, there are pictures on the walls, a neon sign above the relatively dark bar, a separate second dining room, and overall a rather simple atmosphere – but not unpleasant. If I were to come again, it would definitely be because of the quite fair prices and the warm service. In my opinion, the interior could be a bit brighter and more inviting, but the overall impression is still positive. It's open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Enjoy your meal and have fun trying it out if you're in the mood for Bavarian food.
Place visited: Body and soul
Address: Öttingenstraße 36, 80538 Munich
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