This German Café Serves Bugs and Wins Customer

Café Satz, a small eatery inside a student residence in Marburg, Germany, is attracting attention for serving an unusual menu: dishes made with grasshoppers, crickets, and mealworms placed right alongside fries, desserts, and everyday café staples.

Chef Martin Baumgarten began experimenting with insect-based recipes during the pandemic, when reduced campus activity gave him extra time to explore new culinary ideas.

Inspired by his children’s backpacking trips through Asia—and by the adventurous spirit of students who travel the world—he decided to bring global tastes into the café.

Although his friends and family initially teased him about his “creatures,” the dishes have become a surprising hit with customers.

Guests now praise the flavor and texture of the fried insects, comparing them to familiar foods like sardines and anchovies, and turning Baumgarten’s culinary curiosity into a successful and unexpected attraction.