Il Piccolo Principe - our unbeatable favourite Italian
in short…
a piece of Italy at Dreimühlenviertel
run by Federico's family for over 30 years with a great love for good ingredients
our tip for sweet tooths - you'll never find better tiramisu, anywhere
It’s only fair to warn you that we can hardly write about Il Piccolo Principe with any degree of neutrality - we are completely in love with this place.
This small, family-run restaurant in Dreimühlenviertel has been around for over 30 years.
It doesn’t try to follow the latest trends, nor does it aim for perfect Instagram appeal.
What truly matters here is a deep love for exceptional food, wonderful wines, close connections to producers and the joy of being a gracious host.
“The true joy is the joy of others,” as it says in the book The Little Prince.
If that’s true, then at Il Piccolo Principe, the joy is undoubtedly mutual.
Sixteen-year-old Francesca came from Abruzzo to Munich in the 1980s and decided to stay.
To our great fortune, because in 1992 she opened Il Piccolo Principe in a cozy corner space on Kapuzinerstraße, bringing a touch of genuine Italy to our beloved Bavarian capital.
Federico, who has since taken over for his mother, spends almost every free weekend seeking out new culinary gems.
With every visit, he passionately shares stories of an Italian winemaker, a traditional butcher or a classic cheese producer he’s recently discovered. And we get to try the finest prosciutto or a fabulous olive oil he’s brought back.
With such carefully selected ingredients, it’s no surprise that everything at Il Piccolo Principe tastes extraordinary.
While we often find vitello tonnato or tiramisu boringly unremarkable elsewhere, they’re a true delight here.
Paper-thin, slow-cooked veal with a flawless tuna cream and Italian capers arrives at the table with freshly baked bread.
The tiramisu is incomparably light and airy, far from the heavy mascarpone blocks and soggy ladyfingers we’ve seen elsewhere.
The antipasti, of course, are all homemade, displayed in the glass case for guests to choose their favorites.
And the homemade pasta is always a top choice for us too.
When it comes to wine, we happily let Federico decide, knowing he’ll surprise us with his best new discoveries.
If we’re lucky and Mama Francesca has made a crostata in the forenoon, it’s a must to finish with that.
Especially in late summer, when she tops the crispy shortcrust with a layer of plum jam, it couldn’t get any better.
Paired with the excellent espresso we’re in Italian heaven.
