After six years of closure and renovation, the historic coffee house "Zum Coffe Baum" has reopened in Leipzig. According to the city, the traditional establishment is the oldest continuously operating café-restaurant in Europe. In recent years, it has been completely renovated at a cost of 3.8 million euros. There is evidence that coffee has been served in the restaurant since 1711.
The baroque building belongs to the city of Leipzig and the new tenants Henrik Dantz and Sven Gerling have taken over the catering. They offer coffee specialties as well as hearty dishes in the restaurant. "We are committed to regional Saxon cuisine," said Dantz. "We want to appeal to a broad target group, from tourists to Leipzig residents."
Refurbishment longer and more expensive than planned
The refurbishment was significantly more expensive and took much longer than planned. Originally, 250,000 euros and a year of modernization were expected, said Leipzig's head of cultural affairs Skadi Jennicke. However, dry rot was discovered in the labyrinthine building, which is more than 400 years old. In addition, fire protection and building services were extensively renovated.
Numerous celebrities have been guests in the multi-storey coffee house, which is also known in full as "Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum" - from Udo Jürgens to Liza Minnelli and Otto Waalkes to politicians such as former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
The building also includes a museum dedicated to coffee and its Saxon history. The revised exhibition of the City History Museum will reopen to visitors on July 1.
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