Hamburg
With its abstract art and in-house bakery, Café Gnosa draws an affable gay and straight crowd in St Georg. The curved glass windows give it an art deco…
Must-see restaurants in Germany
Leipzig
The subtly romantic canal-side setting succeeds in recreating the ambience of an island port taverna, but the concept is decidedly modern: a Greek version…
Hanover
These former stables to the north of town now house a hip fusion restaurant, with a high arched ceiling, pressed tablecloths and memorable, creative…
Munich
It took Bobby Bräuer, head chef at the gourmet restaurant at BMW World, just two years to gain his first Michelin star. Munich's top dining spot is the…
Regensburg
The 'Chubby Chappy', a stylish, tranquil and very traditional inn, is one of the oldest restaurants in town, allegedly dating back to the 14th century…
Würzburg
If you are going to eat out just once in Würzburg, the aromatic and cosy nooks of this labyrinthine medieval place probably provide the top local…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
There are a gazillion fish sandwich vendors in Hamburg, but we're going to stick our neck out and say that this vibrant, clean and contemporary outpost…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
Simply roasted fish is one of the stars of this excellent casual restaurant in an old turreted building on the waterfront. There are great tables out…
Mainz
Germany meets France in seasonally changing dishes like grilled tuna with Riesling-and-sage sauce, garlic-crusted rack of lamb with wilted spinach,…
Hamburg
One of the coolest dining spaces in the city, Bullerei inhabits a converted former slaughterhouse with lovely high ceilings and a real buzz that bounces…
Nuremberg
This unpretentious and intimate restaurant has a Dürer-inspired dining room, prettily laid tables, a ceramic stove keeping things toasty and a menu of…
Rügen Island
One of the region's top restaurants has value to match its relaxed vibe. Exquisitely prepared seasonal dishes, sourced locally, are combined in set menus …
Northern Germany
The aroma of fresh coffee fills this chic cafe, which roasts its own coffee in-house and sells beans as well as gourmet chocolates. Drop by for an…
Northern Germany
The most appealing place to eat in Neubrandenburg is this renovated guardhouse set into the wall. Waiters zip up and down the narrow stairwell carrying…
Heidelberg
A panoramic terrace provides sweeping views of the river at this gorgeous 1904-built former hunting lodge, with stained glass and timber panelling, set in…
Regensburg
Completely submerged several times by the Danube's fickle floods, this titchy eatery has been serving the city's traditional finger-size sausages, grilled…
Augsburg
Run by a young local couple, this superb restaurant has its focus firmly on light, flavoursome dishes with a sunny Mediterranean bent. Take a seat at one…
Hamburg
Specialising in Spätzle (a pasta-like dish from Schwabia) and Maultaschen (a filled pasta, also from further south), Zum Spätzle is a terrific place to…
Heidelberg
A flour mill from 1690 has been turned into an elegant and highly cultured place to enjoy refined ‘country-style' cuisine, such as saffron-crusted dorade…
The Black Forest
Confectioner Claus Schäfer uses the original 1915 recipe for Black Forest gateau to prepare this sinful treat that layers chocolate cake perfumed with…
Schleswig-Holstein
You'd come here just for the location set among dunes. From the terrace you can hear the crash of the surf, muted by blowing grasses. But chef Johannes…
Passau
Choose between seasonal and Mediterranean menus with paired wine and a regularly changing à la carte menu at this gourmet, evening-only restaurant with…
Augsburg
Most Augsburgers have little inkling their city possesses two Michelin stars, both of which belong to chef Christian Grünwald. Treat yourself to some of…
Lübeck
This narrow, elongated bar leads through to a garden out the back. Enjoy bistro fare amid chic, retro-minimalist style. The long drinks menu goes well…
City West & Charlottenburg
Even size-0 locals can't resist the siren call of this classic cafe whose homemade cakes are like works of art wrought from flour, sugar and cream. From…
Saxony
Despite the historic guns and armour, the romance factor is high at this 16th-century inn thanks to attentive service, classy interpretations of classic…
Restaurant Kleinen Brunnenstrasse 1
Hamburg
The heart of northern Germany's slow food movement beats in this exquisite bistro. Menus change daily and always reflect what's in season and fresh…
Altstadt
You can smell the curry and see the crowds from two streets away at this very popular venue for that beloved German fast food, the Currywurst. Locals…
Hamburg
The lofty red-brick halls of a 19th-century animal market have been upcycled into a hip culinary destination that includes a coffee roastery, a celebrity…
Coastal Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
An exquisitely presented meal at the ‘fisher’s house’ might start with Wieck-style fish soup and move onto the house speciality – smoked herring. You know…
Munich
Is it a junk shop, a cafe or a sewing shop? Well, Westend's oddest coffeehouse is in fact all three, and everything you see in this converted haberdashery…
Hamburg
Even if you miss the morning at this cheery spot which mixes affability with pastel style, you can still sit outside and catch the afternoon sun. Baked…
Schleswig-Holstein
Flensburg's best bakery serves up flaky Danish pastries straight out of the oven. The Wienerbrot with cinnamon is delicious, but then so is everything…
Nuremberg & Franconia
The top place to source real local sustenance is this large, multilevel dining hall serving the best local food such as house sausages, river trout and…
Bamberg
This beautiful half-timbered brewery is Bamberg's oldest. It draws Stammgäste (regulars) and tourists alike who wash down filling slabs of meat and…
Northern Germany
With outdoor tables that face the castle, the location here is the best in town. The food, too, is excellent, ranging from soups and risotto to steaks and…
Thuringian Forest & the Saale Valley
Going strong since 1910 – when the hotelier of the Kaiserhof connected his premises to the 11th-century defensive tower next door – and persisting through…
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
If you've travelled to the Alps to experience yodelling, knee slapping and beetroot-faced locals squeezed into Lederhosen, you just arrived at the right…
Lower Saxony & Bremen
Head upstairs to a window table overlooking a picturesque square of medieval houses and dig into a thick slice of one of Cafe Kiess' desserts: a…
Hanover
Retro-'70s Spandau in Hanover’s Nordstadt is more like a place in Berlin’s Kreuzberg – students from nearby Leibniz University and the local Turkish…
