Pepenero Lehel (Italian Restaurant), Munich

Pepenero Lehel is a dog-Friendly Restaurant in Munich that has a modern vibe in terms of décor and style, but offers many classic Italian dishes that you would expect in an Italian restaurant. Like other Italian restaurants reviewed (Pompei in Tartu and Casa Nostra in Riga), we have only been to Pepenero Lehel once but thoroughly enjoyed it, and as they seem dog-friendly we thought a review could be useful. As for the dog-policy, on our visit we enjoyed lunch on their large terrace (where all dogs are welcome), but if memory serves, they said dogs are also welcome inside (I am 99% sure).

Now to the main event: the great food and drinks on offer. First, Pepenero Lehel offers a pretty extensive menu including a few Antipasti, lots of salads, a couple meat and fish Dishes, a plethora of pizzas and pasta, plus a few desserts (Dolci) so there should be something for everybody. Also, being Italian, there are clearly many vegetarian choices on offer. They also offer an extensive selection of drinks including cocktails, draft and bottled beers, wines by the glass and bottle, and other spirits, apéritifs and digestifs.

As we went for lunch, we just shared a couple pastas and a salad plus drinks, so our knowledge is limited, but everything we had was fantastic. In addition, based on the other food we saw being served, plus other reviews online (none of which mention the dog-policy, hence this review), we are very confident in this review.

Next, let’s move on to our great food and drinks we very much enjoyed on our visit. As usual, we shared everything, and as each dish was delicious, we were very happy that we did. We ordered the Rigatoni Puttanesca (€10.95), the Rigatoni al Pollo (€12.95), and the Insalata di Fagioli (€5.95). The pasta was cooked perfectly, arrived piping hot, and each of the sauces, while both tomato-based, had their own unique flavours. First, the Puttanesca contained a good amount of high quality and very tasty ingredients including Kalamata olives and capers, with just the right amount of garlic and anchovy flavour. Next, the chicken pasta had a lighter but still rich and delicious tomato sauce, with not too much chicken to overpower the dish. Finally, the bean salad was very generous, especially given the very reasonable price, and was a perfect accompaniment; simple yet delicious. It was not too oily, had a deliciously simple dressing, and the lettuce and onion were fresh and provided good contrast to the beans. All up, we thoroughly enjoyed everything and thought the dishes were as good as we have had in other great Italian places we have been to over the years.

In terms of drinks, I cannot remember what we had other than a couple very good Aperol Spritz. I feel like we also had a beer and a glass a glass of wine, but the total bill seems to cheap for this to be true (€42.85).

Note: All prices listed here are based on restaurant’s website at time of writing the review, not necessarily what we paid.

In summary, were very happy to have found such comfortable dog-friendly restaurant in Munich with delicious Italian food and drinks at very reasonable prices. While our experience is very limited, we still highly recommend Pepenero Lehel to anyone in Munich (with or without furry friends) looking for a break from all the amazing Bavarian food on offer, for example, at Augustiner am Platzl and Hofbraukeller. We will be back at Pepenero Lehel on our next trip to Munich for sure.