Where Kandinsky Watches You Eat
The Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus is one of Munich's great museums — home to the world's largest collection of Blaue Reiter paintings, the expressionist movement that Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc launched from a studio in the Schwabing district just over a century ago. The museum's café, named ELLA after Gabriele Münter (Kandinsky's partner and fellow Blaue Reiter artist), is the correct place to pause mid-gallery visit and recalibrate over a properly cooked meal.
ELLA serves regional Italian cooking under chef Michael Hausberger, who has run the kitchen since the restaurant opened in 2013 and previously cooked at Munich's Königshof and Aquarello — house-made strozzapretti with rabbit ragout, a grilled Bistecca Fiorentina from Black Angus Prime beef with Tuscan gremolata, good antipasti, and Austrian and German wines poured with confidence. The kitchen keeps things honest: nothing here is attempting to compete with Munich's fine dining circuit, and that restraint is its strength. The 'Blaue Reiter Menu' — available with a museum ticket — offers a set lunch at under €15, making this one of the most civilised cheap lunches in the city.
The room is architecturally exceptional. The Lenbachhaus completed a major renovation in 2013 designed by Foster + Partners, and the result — a warm, light-filled extension attached to the 19th-century yellow villa — provides a dining space unlike any other in Munich. From the terrace, there are unobstructed views across Königsplatz, the neoclassical square that Munich's Wittelsbachian rulers built as a deliberate echo of Athens. It is the only restaurant in the city with this particular view. On a clear day, the effect is theatrical.
Service is unhurried and knowledgeable about the museum's collection — the staff understand that their guests are here for the art as much as the food, and the pacing reflects that. Museum opening hours apply: closed Mondays, open until 8pm on Thursdays, which makes a Thursday evening visit — gallery first, dinner in the ELLA as the crowds thin — one of the more elegant Munich routines on offer.
Why It Works for Solo Dining
Eating alone in a museum restaurant carries none of the awkwardness of other solo dining scenarios. You are, explicitly, a person who has come to absorb culture — the meal is simply part of that project. ELLA's bar seating and generous communal tables make the solo diner feel welcome rather than conspicuous, and the menu is short enough to decide quickly without deliberation.
The Blaue Reiter permanent collection is one of Munich's best hours. Combine it with an ELLA lunch — the Blue Rider set menu is the obvious choice — and you have a solo afternoon that justifies the entire trip to Maxvorstadt.
Not for a grand evening out or a late dinner — ELLA keeps the museum's hours, closes on Mondays and stops around 6pm most days (8pm on Thursdays), and it is a relaxed Italian lunch room rather than a fine-dining destination.
Frequently Asked
Who is the chef at ELLA in the Lenbachhaus?
ELLA's kitchen is led by Michael Hausberger, who took it over when the restaurant opened with the Lenbachhaus's Foster + Partners extension in 2013 and has been its sole managing director since 2020. He previously cooked at Munich's Königshof and Aquarello, and runs ELLA for the Käfer group.
What does ELLA at the Lenbachhaus serve?
ELLA serves regional Italian cooking rather than museum-canteen food: strozzapretti with rabbit ragout, a grilled Bistecca Fiorentina from Black Angus Prime beef with Tuscan gremolata, antipasti, and house pasta, alongside Austrian and German wines. A Blue Rider set lunch is offered from €14.90.
How much does ELLA cost?
ELLA sits in the mid-range for Munich: main courses run roughly €12 to €28, and the Blue Rider set lunch starts at €14.90, which makes it one of the better-value serious lunches in the city centre. A museum ticket is not required to dine.
Where is ELLA and when is it open?
ELLA is at Luisenstraße 33 in Maxvorstadt, inside the Lenbachhaus museum on Königsplatz, Munich. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, roughly 10am to 6pm and until 8pm on Thursdays, and is closed on Mondays in line with the museum's hours.