Odeon Bar & Cafe - a den of iniquity, allegedly

Today's newpapers (Bild, Abendzeitung, Süddeutsche) all carry reports on the use of the Odeon Bar & Cafe on Amalienstraße as a cocaine-dealership. Two people in court on suspicion of dealing kilos of the stuff.

The bar is a popular hang-out for actors, actresses and film crews.

According to the report in the AZ, business was conducted by calling up a waiter and asking for a reservation for a specific number of people (equating to the amount of cocaine you wanted to buy). Not sure what would have happened if you wanted a real table reservation, but the place was almost always empty.

Apparently this was all going on without the knowledge of the proprietor.

The owner is Gabriel Lewy, a well-known figure in Munich's society, former partner of actress Iris Berben (German link). He also owns News Café (Leopoldstrasse), Café Roma (Maximilianstrasse) and Café Wiener Platz (as the name says), among others.

So, should we deduce that there aren't many actors, actresses and film crews in Munich?

The Sunday chill-out went there once in November, and it certainly wasn't heaving, but not totally empty either. I booked the table - for 15 or so - and my nose never knew what it missed out on (i.e. I got a table for 15 or so..), so I guess I didn't use the magic word ?

We were going to go back the next week, but then the place was suddenly flooded out (so they told us), and afterwards we couldn't get them on the phone anymore, so sort of just gave up (Maybe they had been found out and closed down??)

If you got no news - recycle some old stuff...

Journalists... the papers already had this story some 8 or 10 month ago, when police actually raided the whole place.

Yes, but the trial is on now and the crown witness is pretty shaky. The defendant denies all charges and claims that Lewy did have a key to the safe where the cocaine was kept; if he ever looked into the safe he couldn't have helped noticing it.
The key word, by the way, was "Samstag". A day late ...

What? Are you saying that such reputable human beings such as actors (no actresses as we live in a very PC, non-descriminitory society nowadays, so we refer to both sexes as Actors) and film crews use cocaine?

My God. Are there no pure souls left in the world anymore? Are all of my heroes and role models really coke-sniffing phonies? Noooooo!!!

San Diego getting to you, honey?

Not there yet. Still in Napa. Leaving Saturday. Back on the 28th and then move to Eugene on Jan 1st... I still cannot believe it though. I am in shock

I wonder if the ladies loo there was signed as the 'powder room'.

Cue a piccie...

I'm no expert in arranging drug deals, but surely this must have created some confusion - what if you actually did want to reserve a table for Saturday? Or if you wanted drugs between Sunday and Friday?

You had to wink when you were reserving, with the left eye.

Some people thought the stuff was hidden in the beer nuts...

So if you were reserving by phone? Hello, I want to reserve for a group of 15 winkers..

A wink is as good as a nudge to a deaf bat on the phone!

I hear you.

Hasnt this guy Gabriel Lewy had a very checkered history, getting done for buying a load of duty free goods at the airport and then actually not flying? on a more personal note he was also involved in the closure of O'Reilly's so never been one of my favorite people

Pray tell.

He was part of a consortium that put pressure to terminate the lease (Cafe Roma was next door) he also thought he could pull one over on the cocktail bar across the road Schumann's by uping the rent by a huge amount, Old man Schumann told him to fuck off and moved his bar over to Odeanzplatz instead, basically his intention was to corner a hip part of the celebrity munich people and make them flock to the Cafe Roma, but it didnt quite work out

Always had a lot of time for Schumann.
I remember him being up in court for "Beamtenbeleidigung" cos he stepped in when the police were hassling a Pakistani rose seller.

since their eggs bennie is a complete joke, I couldn't care less if the place gets fucked over...in fact I hope it does, poor eggs bennie has no excuse

not been to his new place very often, but he still works behind the bar and a nice bloke, and his bar staff still remember what I drink

Maybe if you went in there asking for "bennies" they might have thought you were after summat else innit.

That could very well have been the problem...I did always leave there completely wired...I always thought it was just kick-ass strong coffee.

you weren't partaking of the alternative menu then? only cofee

Gotta sniff coffee to get the whole aroma, I've been told. You weren't there on a Saturday?

prob needs book a table


whats wrong with selling roses from Pakistan ?

You are far too cheeky Bozboy and deserve spanking!

well the place seems to have closed down - went by yesterday, signs and canopy outside all removed and empty inside... must've been quite a flooding problem eh.
EDIT: just took a closer look, actually it is open.. but with lower lighting and no signs anywhere outside... must be in the process if changing name and/or management

What were you thinking, I'll phone my order in then wait for the stuff by Fax!



I expect there was more rose seller than meets the eye. Pakistani connections are useful to a bloke in his business.