(Stress less, eat better)
‘Hypezig’ has a lot to live up to. Regularly on the podium for most student-friendly, most liveable and ‘least stressful’ city in Germany, Leipzig is growing into its reputation as the successor to Berlin’s cultural crown. However, where there is popularity and prosperity, rent is pushed up and good food is pushed out. Globalised chains and touristic catering now fill much of the city centre, and even the best guide books will direct you south for a quality meal. But before you reach for an e-scooter, here are three recommendations well worth supporting - and you won’t even have to leave the ring road.
Bohemian Kids
Tucked between the university campus and the city’s oldest erotic shop, Bohemian Kids is a near perfect distillation of the Leipzig vibe. Michael and Bara moved to the city as students, but, dissatisfied with the café scene, they abandoned their legal studies to show the locals how it’s done. Two years on, their menu has expanded from artisanal coffee and homemade Czech-Swedish cakes, to all-day breakfasts and creations that are neither Czech nor Swedish, but delicious nonetheless. Special mention goes to the banana and cinnamon loaded ‘Polish Porridge’ and to the Malteser cheesecake brownie.
Bohemian Kids is open for takeaway, and an online shop has been set up in the face of Germany’s second lockdown. If you’re sick of your own banana bread, their vegan variety and many other cakes are available for delivery throughout Leipzig.
60 seconds to Napoli
In late October, even the most central of Leipzig’s streets lay empty, but at 60 seconds to Napoli there wasn’t a spare socially-distanced seat in the house, nor a bench unfilled on the pavement. This pizzeria is one of only five in Germany to be certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana – the worldwide authority in pizza. At 60 seconds they rest their dough for 72 hours, bake it at 475°C, and use such an array of premium toppings that, no matter your diet, you’re spoiled for choice. The food is outrageously good, and the customer service is better still – I can only imagine pizza plays some role in their salary.
60 seconds is open for collection and delivery. This applies to their mains as well as their wines, starters and desserts. For those with a sweet tooth, I draw your attention to “60 seconds to Mars” - their take on a deep-fried Mars bar.
Macis
Just over a year old, Macis comprises a restaurant, a bakery, a patisserie and a market, but the fledgling empire can be summarised in one word; organic. If you’re hunting for a meal elevated in quality but not in price, be sure to make a reservation, because nothing short of a pandemic stops this restaurant getting fully booked. Next-door – as though with lockdown chefs in mind – the “Biomarkt” stocks all professional ingredients used in-house, from the wine to the quinoa and every spice blend in between.
All divisions of Macis are now offering delivery. So long as you have a Leipzig address, the market’s groceries, the bakery’s fresh bread and the restaurant’s homemade stews are only an email away.