When I googled "things to do in Munich at Christmas" I was surprised to find several sites that suggested taking a short trip over to Salzburg, Austria. When I searched for pictures of Salzburg I was in awe of the beauty of the small town. It was like looking at photos of a 1950s town with folks literally towing their Christmas trees and gifts on sleds. If you make this trip, and I highly suggest that you do, be warned: Salzburg is nothing like the area around the train station. That seems to be the dodgy area of town--don't panic like we did! Keep walking. You'll soon find yourself on narrow cobblestone streets bedecked in Christmas merry with beautiful twinkle lights, wreaths, and swags overhead. All roads seem to lead to the main event--the Salzburg Christkindlmarkt. Nestled below a castle and a beautiful church, this is the be all and end all of Christmas markets. We spent several hours there, wandering with our 2 Euro mugs of mulled wine, tasting our way from vendor to vendor. The highlight for me was finding a stand that had vegan Bavarian pretzels! Though they had flavors like hummus and strudel, I opted for the traditional, served with spicy mustard. It was carb heaven.
When we'd had our fill of the market, we walked 10 minutes east to The Green Garden, which from our online searching appears to be Salzburg's most acclaimed vegan restaurant (and also one of the only vegan restaurants). The restaurant is cozy to say the least. There could be more than 12 tables in the whole place. Each table is on one of two platforms that line the aisle of the restaurant, giving your table a feel of separation from where the waiter bustles through as he took orders and ferried food. Yes, I said one waiter. He was also the bartender. It's a small place. But where it lacks in size, it makes up for in flavor. Everything on the menu looked good, so we defaulted to the waiter's suggestions (which I recommend you do whenever you try a new restaurant). With our waiter's help, we started with what was basically a vegan sashimi--pureed sweet potato topped with radishes and sprouts, served with flash fried zucchini on the side. The next course was a mint pea soup, beautifully plated in a shallow bowl with a wide brim. For our mains, Ryan had the falafel burger with sweet potato wedges and I had a Buddha bowl. The Buddha bowl included all the ingredients you usually find--quinoa, falafel, assorted veggies, avocado, etc. But instead of a tahini sauce, this bowl came with a bright mango sauce, a sweetness that was beautifully balanced by the unexpected tartness of pomegranate seeds. I tried the elderflower prosecco and Ryan tried the rosemary gin fizz. Both cocktails were served with simple but thoughtful garnishes and they were some of the best cocktails we had throughout our trip to Europe. This restaurant is a must if you happen to find yourself in Salzburg!
Downtown Salzburg and the Christkindlmarkt
The Green Garden:
When we'd had our fill of the market, we walked 10 minutes east to The Green Garden, which from our online searching appears to be Salzburg's most acclaimed vegan restaurant (and also one of the only vegan restaurants). The restaurant is cozy to say the least. There could be more than 12 tables in the whole place. Each table is on one of two platforms that line the aisle of the restaurant, giving your table a feel of separation from where the waiter bustles through as he took orders and ferried food. Yes, I said one waiter. He was also the bartender. It's a small place. But where it lacks in size, it makes up for in flavor. Everything on the menu looked good, so we defaulted to the waiter's suggestions (which I recommend you do whenever you try a new restaurant). With our waiter's help, we started with what was basically a vegan sashimi--pureed sweet potato topped with radishes and sprouts, served with flash fried zucchini on the side. The next course was a mint pea soup, beautifully plated in a shallow bowl with a wide brim. For our mains, Ryan had the falafel burger with sweet potato wedges and I had a Buddha bowl. The Buddha bowl included all the ingredients you usually find--quinoa, falafel, assorted veggies, avocado, etc. But instead of a tahini sauce, this bowl came with a bright mango sauce, a sweetness that was beautifully balanced by the unexpected tartness of pomegranate seeds. I tried the elderflower prosecco and Ryan tried the rosemary gin fizz. Both cocktails were served with simple but thoughtful garnishes and they were some of the best cocktails we had throughout our trip to Europe. This restaurant is a must if you happen to find yourself in Salzburg!
Downtown Salzburg and the Christkindlmarkt
The Green Garden:
