Himmel can be either ‘heaven’ or ‘sky’ in German, which is apt given that the experience here can be holy. The quality food lends credence to this interpretation: everything is organic, and everything you can smell from the kitchen is, well, heavenly, if you’ll excuse my indulgence.
Allied to this is an extremely long tea list. There are enough options to boggle the mind. I finally plumped for a ginger and cranberry tea (see picture above) which nearly gave me a tea-gasm.
Sometimes I have the feeling that such ‘organic’ little restaurants place too much emphasis on pointless gimmicks and knick-knacks and subsequently lack substance in the menu. This is not the case here. Much like the best cooking, and thanks to being on a market, the fresh, ‘naked’ ingredients are utilised fully and simply. It’s my favourite type of cooking. I might be pernickety and add that I feel the prices are relatively high, but I suppose that’s the trade-off. Besides, what price is your health?
The decor is certainly cosy – a sort of living-room feeling pervades, and there are bookcases with cookery books and aprons hanging up. Very nice. Himmelblau sits on both the 40 and 41 tram routes (exit: Kutschkergasse), both originating from Schottentor; alternatively, it is a five minute walk from the U6 stop at Währinger Straße, and is within easy reach of all the main sights.
