Plant-based brunch in the company of a clowder of rescue cats? There was no way I was going to miss the opportunity when, on a recent European sojourn, I passed a new branch of the German vegan cat cafe chain Katzentempel.
The branch in Cologne, which opened in August 2023, is the 15th Katzentempel to be established in Germany over the past eight years. It is in the heart of Chlodwigplatz, a charming old area of southern Cologne with a small market in the shadow of a 12th-century city gate and myriad quirky little stores and other eateries.
Founders Kathrin Karl and Thomas Leidner, who manage the Munich branch and are responsible for issuing the franchise licenses, say: “The Cat Temple is more than our job – it is our calling and the fulfilment of our dream to make the world a little better.”
It’s a lovely idea, part of the profits are donated to animal charities, and the pair have made a real success of it countrywide. The menu across all the cafes is totally vegan, a deliberate choice made primarily for ethical reasons by the pair.
“A vegan meal not only promotes animal welfare and rails against the usual system of factory farming; it also does wonders for the environment,” the founders continue. “For example, did you know that a full 90 per cent of the world’s soya bean harvest and 50 per cent of the grain and corn harvest does not end up on our plates, but in the animals’ feeding troughs?
“We now eat so many animals that keeping them consumes an unimaginable amount of resources and thus destroys our environment, especially the rainforests.”
Katzentempel offers a rich and varied menu consisting mainly of sandwiches, burgers and bowls, along with some tasty-sounding desserts. The meals are all served with a large rainbow of salad. I had the croissantwich brunch, which exceeded my expectations. This was a large croissant, filled with carrot ‘salmon’ and other salad vegetables, served alongside the real star of the show – the scrabbled tofu. The latter was really tasty with a great ‘eggy’ texture.
The service at the bright modern Cologne branch, which was kitted out with an array of ledges and high walkways for the five furry inhabitants to explore, was friendly and warm.
As for the cats themselves… they seemed totally unimpressed by the cooing paying customers around them. They just did that feline thing and pretty much slept through the whole experience.
Bardo Burner 