After spending the day exploring Hamburg, we needed some serious refueling. We went well out of our way to visit Vapiano, a fresh Italian food restaurant located in Hamburg’s downtown.
This restaurant was started by a former McDonalds franchisee in Germany..and yes, while it is German-based, it is Italian Food!
When you enter the restaurant, the host gives each adult an electronic card that keeps track of your bill.
You begin by picking the type of pasta you would like:
The pasta is all hand-made at Vapiano…
You tell the chef your menu choice…and wa-la! They cook it up before your eyes! You wave your card in front of the metal contraption on the left, and your purchase is recorded for payment later.
They also have pizza and salad options! I was dying to try a salad, but I also knew that we would have too much food even without me ordering that!
They have trendy seating throughout. We picked some low-lying benches and seats that were perfect with kids.
Jared and Maiya each ordered a pizza, and Ella and I shared a Pesto Rosso pasta dish (semidried tomatoes, tomato pesto, ricotta cheese, pine nuts).
It was the perfect blend of Italian goodness–and had an amazing kick (since it also included some red-hot chili peppers)!! I was in love!
On the way out, we handed our electronic cards to the desk, and paid our bill.
Instead of dinner mints, we were offered gummy bears. Yum!
Vapiano is stateside, now. You can find it in big cities in states like NY, VA, and even NC. If you see one…GOOOOOOO!!!!
