Hamburg
This pit-stop institution originally fed hungry workers from the nearby abattoir (today the central meat market) and now serves wallet-friendly but waist…
Must-see restaurants in Germany
Neukölln
The folks at BBI know that size matters – at least when it comes to burgers: handmade, two-fisted, bulging and sloppy contenders. Everything's prepared…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
The perfect place for a meal while you plan your night out in St Pauli, this clean-lined pub has a good menu of dishes that range from Italian to German…
Hamburg
Like any port city worthy of its fishing fleet, Hamburgers have an abiding love for fish dishes, and this old-fashioned, no-frills purveyor of local…
Munich
A quirky, labyrinthine, brick-cellar pub with rooms – based on Bertolt Brecht's Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) – ranging from a prison cell…
Northern Germany
Overlooking Schwerin's old goat market (note the life-size bronze goat), this storied, characterful pub has an old interior that features wooden chairs…
Fairy-Tale Road
With roots that go back to 1888, this popular, family-run Kneipe (pub) has an old-style birch-and-maple-shaded beer garden with an outdoor grill, while…
Lower Saxony & Bremen
This family-run restaurant serves an excellent range of beef, poultry and lamb as well as pork, but its speciality is a local roulade made of beef and…
Altstadt
Down a quiet Altstadt side street in a pretty terrace house, Perle is especially good at lunchtime with a light menu or daily specials. For dinner, their…
Ulm
This classy Greek restaurant has a market-driven menu, lots of fresh seafood and a bulging wine cellar. Begin with some homemade dips and grilled octopus,…
Bavarian Alps
Mouth-wateringly light, 21st-century versions of Bavarian classics await at this trendy, baby-blue and grey themed restaurant near the train station. The…
Altstadt
They've been serving quality fish and chips at Daniel Wischer since the 1920s, and it's a terrific place for a quick meal or something more substantial…
Hamburg
Set back from busy Lange Reihe, in the gallery Koppel 66, this veggie cafe is a refined oasis (with a summer garden). The menu could be an ad for the…
Kreuzberg
This retired Dutch cargo ship moored on the Landwehrkanal is a delightful greet-the-day spot, with sumptuous breakfasts served on the sun deck until 3pm…
Berlin
For over a quarter of a century, trained butcher Reina Lehmann has plied fans of Currywurst (Berlin-style curried sausage) with quality wieners drenched…
Leipzig & Western Saxony
A century-old Chemnitz coffeehouse tradition, Cafe Michaelis remains famous for its mind-boggling selection of truly mouth-watering cakes. If you don't…
Friedrichshain
This daytime cafe in an unhurried yet central section of Friedrichshain combines urban sophistication with down-homey North American treats. Tuck into avo…
Bamberg
The walk into the hills past the cathedral to this delightful beer garden is well worth it, both for the malty Rauchbier and the sweeping views of the…
Museumsinsel & Alexanderplatz
The world's first vertical-farm-to-table restaurant, Good Bank uses only the freshest produce. Lettuces are grown on the walls in special contraptions…
Spreewald
This lovingly decorated little cottage with living-room charm and a small beer garden is a popular stop, be it just for coffee and a slice of homemade…
Northern Germany
In addition to wood-lined dining rooms dimly lit by stained glass, a large beer garden and a tapas/cocktail bar, this historic (1895), half-timbered inn…
Eastern Saxony
Mustard bread, mustard salad dressing, mustard goulash, vanilla-mustard sauce, mustard potato mash – this restaurant is king when it comes to creative…
Rostock
At this Rostock institution, cosy wooden booths are lined with stained-glass Hanseatic coats of armour and monster fish threatening sailing ships, while…
Munich
Far off the tourist track, this 40-seat locals' favourite will put your tummy into a state of contentment with its elegant, well-composed international…
Kreuzberg
A mellow 1950s lounge vibe and an inspired menu of Indochine homecooking divided into ‘regular’ and ‘vegetarian’ choices are the main draws of this…
Spreewald
Lübben's oldest restaurant is an atmospheric purveyor of German and Spreewald dishes, including a fish platter featuring local eel, perch and carp. In…
The Romantic Road
Nördlingen's most popular restaurant is this large Italian pizza-pasta place occupying the terracotta Kornschrannen as well as tumbling tables out onto…
Berlin
The stripped down Nordic aesthetic of this locally adored joint is a perfect foil for the kitchen's inspired farm-to-table riffs on German fare, including…
Rostock
You can let the hours slip past from one of the terrace tables here overlooking the historic square. The German food is typically hearty and well-priced,…
Füssen
This convivial pit stop has value-priced salads, snacks, lunch specials, fish, schnitzel and gluten-free dishes, and even a cute kids' menu. The medieval…
Chiemsee
This busy lakeside dining haven has multiple personalities, with a cosy restaurant, cocktail bar, cafe, beer garden and glassed-in winter terrace. The…
Dresden
This upbeat outfit has elevated the lowly Currywurst to an art form and is busy day and night. Choose from smoked, all-beef, chicken or vegan varieties,…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
Fischerklause is one of the atmospheric salty seadog joints lining the western bank of Alter Strom, and attracts plenty of tourists (as does all of…
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
The best place in town for fresh venison, rabbit, wild boar and other seasonal game dishes, this place is, not surprisingly, popular with hunters. The…
Friedrichshain
Cheap, cheerful and stylish, this place is always swarmed by loyal locals, and for good reason: light, inventive and fresh, the South Asian menu goes…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
Schwabisch specialities (from the area around Stuttgart) dominate this light-filled restaurant and whisky bar – the combination of the two means you could…
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
This quintessentially Bavarian tavern dating from 1663 is the place to cosy up with some local nosh, served by Dirndl-trussed waitresses, while the…
The Ruhrgebiet
People come from all over, passing a lot of other doner kebab places on the way, to enjoy Orkide's piquant goodness. Germany's favourite fast food is…
Prenzlauer Berg
At Berlin's first raw-vegan restaurant, food does not get heated to more than 42°C. Try their healthy spins on burgers, pizzas and chocolate mousse or…
Passau
The affluent Kaffee-und-Torte society meet daily at this bright, flowery cafe that oozes Bavarian Gemütlichkeit. The staff pride themselves on their…
