Grindelwald
Run by dream duo Myriam and Bruno, Cafe 3692 is a delight. Bruno is a talented carpenter and has let his imagination run riot – a gnarled apple tree is an…
Must-see restaurants in Central Europe
Budapest
This small retro-style restaurant – an absolute favourite – serves seriously Hungarian things like stuffed csülök (pig's trotter – and way better than it…
Neukölln
Hidden between graffiti-scrawled apartments in edgy Neukölln, Germany’s first dessert restaurant serves six-course tasting menus of modern desserts…
Krems an der Donau
The 'Emperor of Austria' is one of Krems' most well-loved upmarket restaurants. Interiors recall a hunting lodge, which sets the scene for menus built…
Zürich
With its unique blend of familiarity and refinement, Didi’s Frieden features among Zürich’s top tables. The look is understated elegance, with wood floors…
Vienna
This white-painted brick space with mismatched vintage furniture, tasselled lampshades and portraits on the walls is run by 15 Omas (grandmas) and Opas …
Rhine Valley
Hidden sky-high up a steep vineyard-striped hillside, Günderode Haus' flagstone terrace with sweeping views over the Rhine is an incredible spot for…
Wrocław
Jadka takes creating fine Polish food very seriously – sourcing faultless local produce, working closely with the best suppliers, respecting the seasons…
Graubünden
Catchy Kaffee Klatsch has two operations in Klosters, with Easy, next to the Co-op on Bahnhofstrasse, being a cafe, open during the day for breakfast,…
Munich
With its screechy parquet floors, stuccoed ceilings, wood panelling and virtually no trace that the last century even happened, this wonderfully…
Eastern Slovenia
Long a locals' favourite for top-notch Slovenian cuisine, Gostilna Repnik (1.5km east of the centre) also boasts boutique accommodation (singles/doubles…
Graz
This cracking restaurant atop Schlossberg has fabulous views from both its glass box interior and summer terrace. Even better, the cooking up here is some…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
One of the best new modern Hungarian bistros, this place offers both excellent cooking and superb value. With internationally trained chef/owner Gábor…
Lucerne
This funky, post-industrial, monochrome-toned restaurant revolves around a show kitchen and hip cocktail bar. Menus are kept simple (go meaty or veggie),…
German Wine Route
For a gastronomic extravaganza, book a table at Benjamin Peifer's Michelin-starred, vaulted brick cellar restaurant within a half-timbered house in the…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
This is the kind of perfectly formed restaurant that every neighbourhood wishes it could claim. Run by a friendly husband-and-wife team, the 'Peach & Plum…
Kreuzberg
Artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a bon vivant who embraced good food and wine, which is exactly what owner-chef Maximilian Strohe and owner-mâitre…
Lublin
There’s good kitsch and there’s bad kitsch, and at Mandragora, it’s all good. Sure, 'Hava Nagila' is playing amid the lace tablecloths, knick-knacks and…
Budapest
Now in a new, more central location, elegant Impostor serves hybrid dishes that echo the owners’ passion for Asia and Latin America. Though there are more…
Erzsébetváros & the Jewish Quarter
This new spot is just about the best place to try pörkölt – what we call goulash (it's paprikás when you add sour cream) – with everything from chicken,…
Valais
Laze on chaises longues at 2112m and congratulate yourself on snagging a spot at one of Swiss Alps' hippest mountain hang-outs – a restyled 1960s cable…
Bratislava
Fusion cuisine is prepared with a nod and a wink by experimental chefs at this 7th-floor restaurant. You may not be able to read your menu amid the sultry…
Poznań
Walking into this small pierogi eatery is like stepping into a Polish home kitchen, with a few tables out the back and several women up front preparing…
Cologne
Spread over three historical row houses, the Schmitz empire is your one-stop shop for excellent food and drink. Greet the day with a lavish breakfast in…
Vienna
If you're keen to taste Tafelspitz, you can't beat this specialist wood-panelled, white-tableclothed restaurant. It serves no fewer than 13 varieties from…
Swabian Alps Region
Hans-Harald Reber presides over the stove at this 19th-century country house, one of Schwäbisch Hall’s Michelin-starred haunts. He puts an imaginative…
Staré Město
Arguably the coolest bistro in the Old Town is frequented by local office workers and the odd student who all come to enjoy well-prepared food in a…
Weimar
Located on the ground floor of the Familienhotel, and thus family-friendly, this passionately locavore cafe offers great alternatives to the Thuringian…
Berchtesgaden
Perched on the shore of the Königssee, and accessible by boat tour, this is a tourist haunt that actually serves delicious food made with ingredients…
Trier
Within the Becker’s hotel complex, 3km southeast of the centre, this supremely elegant wine-house serves sublime internationally influenced dishes like…
Tyrol
Creaking with the weight of its 600-year history, this enticingly cosy, low-beamed restaurant is the one-time haunt of Tyrolean hero Andreas Hofer. The…
Thuringian Forest & the Saale Valley
High in the hills with stunning views over Jena, this smart multipurpose restaurant serves genuinely interesting food such as potato-wasabi soup with …
Eger
With its inventive menu and excellent wine cellar, this stylish eatery at the foot of the castle has been named among the top dozen restaurants in Hungary…
High Tatras
On a lakeshore perch, Koliba Patria's earthy decor brings nature indoors: lamps are fashioned from cowbells, and a tree appears to burst from its wooden…
Frankfurt & Southern Rhineland
Saarbrücken's hippest hang-out is this Wurstwirtschaft, which sizzles up street-food-style Currywurst (including a fabulous tofu and wheatgerm vegetarian…
Eastern Slovakia
Dine within the very walls of Levoča's old town at this outstanding Slovak restaurant. A medley of Slovak and Hungarian influences grace the menu, like…
Warsaw
A large communal table dominates this slick bakery, deli and cafe that aims to use organic produce from local farmers and suppliers in its dishes. It's…
Castle District
The decor is spartan at this intimate restaurant, which turns out creative and superb food. Try the roasted lamb with butter squash lecsó (a kind of…
Ptuj
This unassuming restaurant in the suburbs whips up the most creative modern European cooking in the area. The menu changes daily, based on what's in…
Eger
With a name like this, the stunning new 1552 has just got to be up in the castle. The upscale menu, created by Budapest-trained chef Matyás Hegyi, offers…
