Hello Munich! The holiday season just started and I am making a stop in the third biggest city in Germany to visit friends and family here. A part of my relatives live here in the south of Germany. And of course, even with the hectic rush around Christmas, I could not resist visiting a coffee shop I would like to introduce to you.
I am talking about Man Versus Machine. The roastery opened its doors in 2014 at Müllerstrasse in the district Glockenbach. Since then, they attract lovers of “Speciality Coffee”, also called the Third Wave Coffee. What is that? “Speciality Coffee” is a movement from the last years, where coffee lovers call it a speciality and dedicate themselves with lots of love and devotion to the preparation of coffee. You could even call it a celebration of coffee roasting! Coffee is more varied than most people think. For example, coffee contains more different aromas than wine! Representatives of the Third Wave Coffee are, amongst others, in Hamburg the dear barista Linus from Tørnqivst, who may told you before that coffee is a fruit. And there is also the less political at Schanze.
The spirit of the “Speciality coffee” has fully arrived and found its followers here in Munich too. But watch out, especially in the weekends, it can be really busy at Man Versus Machine! With its clear and minimalistic interior and lots of high quality wooden furniture there are enough seats – at least after a short wait. The design of the logo and the packaging from Man Versus Machine are just as important and were designed by the graphic designer Jon Contino. The crocodile logo he created cannot only be seen inside. You can see it also on the outside of one of those big windows, which allows the inside of the café to be flooded with light.
The roaster, which is placed behind the counter, fills the whole room with a slight scent of coffee. The roaster is still operated by one of the founders himself. One of the baristas told me that the founder of the coffee shop is a married couple. I was not able to learn more about the background story, so another reason for me to come back!
I was so delighted of the coffee I drank there, that I bought a pack of it to take home with me. For lovers of good Flat Whites, filter coffee and espresso, the couple opened another shop at Maxvorstadt. This will be my next stop when I am back in the heart of Bavaria . Also, I will revisit Man versus Machine in 2017 when the sun is shining and I can have a lovely seat outside in front of the shop. Perhaps I will order one of those sweet French breads, which are to my excitement also available here in the south at Man Versus Machine.
Man Versus Machine
Müllerstraße 23
80469 München