George, described on the website as “the clumsy one,” takes a nap on one of the seats at the Katzentempel cat cafe in Trier, Germany, on June 8, 2024. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Trier is Germany’s oldest city, known for its Roman ruins and the Karl Marx House, but it is also home to the newest branch of a place filled with feline fun and quirky cat-themed food.
The Katzentempel cat cafe opened in April in the pedestrian zone of Trier. The franchise, which has 16 locations across the country, calls itself “the first restaurant in Germany where cats live.”
All of the “temple cats” come from animal welfare organizations, the cafe says. The five Trier cats — Alex, Christina, George, Izzi and Meredith — were named for “Grey’s Anatomy” characters. They’re young, and were a bit shy at dinnertime.
I know what you’re likely thinking: “But is it clean?” The kitchen is in an area the cats can’t enter and they have a private room in the back, where they can slink off for naps, meals and potty breaks.
Izzi, a tuxedo cat, takes a nap near the front window of Katzentempel, a cat cafe in Trier, Germany, June 8, 2024. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Izzi, a tuxedo cat, and George, a piebald gray tabby, play with a pen at the Katzentempel cat cafe in Trier, Germany, June 8, 2024. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
An employee plays with Meredith, a tabby, inside the Katzentempel cat cafe in Trier, Germany, June 8, 2024. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
The cafe does have a few rules for the safety of the cats and guests: No flash photography, don’t chase or pick up the cats, do not feed the cats, supervise small children and don’t wake a sleeping cat.
The cats are also given plenty of vertical space to climb and ledges to hang out on. That said, I did watch an employee move and lightly chide George, who attempted to sleep atop a table in the front window.
I was happy to see I share a first name — Christina — with one of them. But of course, she was MIA for most of my meal. She likely clocked out for a power nap. She’s just like me, for real.
The long food menu, offered in German and English, doubles as a bit of a manifesto. The chain is very proud to be not only vegan, but also sustainability focused and low-gluten. I appreciated their very detailed additives and allergen chart; it allowed me to avoid the specific tree nuts that trigger my allergies.
The “Cheezeburger” at Katzentempel in Trier is made with vegan cheddar-like cheese and comes with a side salad. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
The menu featured bowls, burgers, sandwiches and salads for lunch and dinner. There are all-day breakfast options which were heavy on carbs like bread and had beans or vegan “scrambled eggs” as protein options.
Everything is a bit on the pricey side, perhaps because Katzentempel doesn’t charge an entry fee and the organic cat food they use isn’t cheap.
My friend ordered a “Cheezeburger” and I got the Tiger Bowl, as I was very curious about the vegan approximation of pulled pork.
“It tastes like pork ... well, what I can remember of what pork tastes like,” said my friend, who has been a vegetarian for five years.
In the foreground is the Tiger Bowl and the pina y gato, a coconut pineapple mint lemonade, and in the background is the “Cheezeburger” at the Katzentempel restaurant in Trier, Germany, June 8, 2024. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
I agree, as the texture wasn’t too far off and the light barbecue sauce was flavorful. At first, I tried each element in the bowl and was underwhelmed. I expected the kimchi veggies to have a spicier kick. However, after a good mixing, the creamy hummus and the tart orange balsamic sauce worked well with the crunchy almond topping.
As for the burger, it was “messy, so messy, it’s like there’s too much sauce,” my friend said as the vegan cheese slid off during her third bite. The cheese didn’t seem to have much of a flavor on its own, which may be why they loaded the burger with barbecue sauce.
I paired my meal with the pina y gato, a coconut pineapple lemonade, which was sadly too sweet. I ordered a bottle of water just so I could dilute it a bit as I sipped it down.
The tiramisu at Katzentempel cat cafe in Trier, Germany, is made without eggs and dairy. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
I can’t have dinner without dessert, so I debated whether to get the tiramisu or a paw-shaped, chocolate-peanut tart on a stick. I picked the former. I didn’t miss the dairy in the whipped cream, but the edible flowers felt like eating tea leaves.
Reservations are highly recommended during peak times. I witnessed the host turn many potential guests away as the cat’s out of the bag regarding this eatery’s cool theme.
Patrons walk into Katzentempel cat cafe in Trier, Germany, on June 8, 2024. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
T-shirts, tote bags and other merchandise is for sale at Katzentempel cat cafe in Trier, Germany. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Katzentempel
Address: Brotstrasse 6, 54290 Trier, Germany
Hours: Mon-Thu: 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat: 9 a. m.-9 p.m., Sun: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Prices: 10 euros to 12 euros for most salads and burgers, 16.50 euros for bowls, desserts 6 to 8 euros, daily lunch special for 11-13 euros
Information: Phone: 0651 99166190; Online: katzentempel.de/standorte/trier, 16 locations across Germany
