478 Best Restaurants in Germany

One of Germany's finest dining experiences awaits in the restaurant of Waldhotel Sonnora, an elegant country hotel in the forested Eifel Hills. The eight-course tasting menu is a tour-de-force of classic yet inventive French cooking, with the chef transforming truffles, foie gras, and caviar into mouthwatering creations. There are also subtle nods to local food culture throughout, as well as extensive use of local game. The standard menu costs an eye-watering €339 per person (plus €175 for wine pairing), and there are plenty of opportunities for supplements. Unusually, you can also order à la carte, though you may weep when you've seen the bill with the cost of just one main course.

In the heart of Munich, close to the most famous Old Town's sights, Chef Tohru Nakamura opened this restaurant in a landmarked building that actually encompasses two different dining experiences. The cuisine at Schreiberei is predominately French with some Japanese influences. The chef's super-expensive French-Japanese fusion cuisine at Tohru, which operates as a separate dining room within the restaurant, has been awarded two Michelin stars.

Follow the east bank of the Rhine down from Koblenz and you'll come to this charming half-timber boutique hotel that has been offering a warm welcome to guests since 1693. The hotel's Restaurant Zum Schwanen is an elegant but rustic place, renowned for its set menus of gourmet cuisine using fresh, regional ingredients—from river trout and pasture-fed beef to Nettetal asparagus and garden-grown herbs. Step inside and discover the traditions of hospitality that have continued to this day. 

Chef Florian Stolte creates beautiful dishes using international ingredients with an Asian twist in this one-Michelin star restaurant in the Traube Tonbach hotel. You won’t often find creative options such as Faroe salmon with miso and myoga (Japanese ginger) and lobster with cauliflower and ponzu in these parts of Germany (vegetarian options are also available), all served up in an informal atmosphere and paired with inspired wines or non-alcoholic choices.

Chic foodies frequent this sleek Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant from renowned Berlin restaurateur Duc Ngo, which sits behind a graffiti-covered door. The cocktails are top-notch, the sushi and sashimi some of the freshest in town, and the food is wonderfully prepared; South American--inflected dishes such as sashimi taquitos and variations on grilled beef, while not groundbreaking, are full of flavors just a bit different than what you'll find in Berlin's other Asian eateries.

Wiesbaden's most interesting vegan restaurant is all about plant-based Latin American food. Expect everything from enchiladas to empanadas, chilaquiles to chicharrón. Tucked away in an arcade between Marktplatz and Wilhelmstrasse, it can be easily found by simply following your nose—or the hip, young crowds.

Steps from the Altes Schloss, the building dates from 1565, but the menu is modern, offering a mix of pastas, traditional Swabian specialties and vegetarian dishes. In a nod to Bavarian neighbors, the menu also offers Weisswurst, or veal sausages, but only on weekends. The Käsespätzle, or noodles with cheese, served with a salad, is enough for lunch or a light dinner, especially when combined with Opfenschulpfer, an airy bread pudding topped with vanilla sauce. There are daily beer and wine specials featuring local and regional producers. It's popular with local office workers for its location, service, and good prices, including for breakfast.

With sepia-toned murals of merrymaking above the dark-wood wainscotting, this classic Apfelwein restaurant succeeds in being simultaneously touristy and traditional, and a genuine favorite of local residents. The kitchen produces the same hearty German dishes as other nearby taverns, only better. Apfelwein (hard cider) is served in large quantities in the noisy, crowded dining room with many large, communal tables. Reservations are recommended on weekends. Warning: there's no beer here, but there's enough Apfelwein and regional wines to keep everybody happy. The family also operates a hotel upstairs.

The most famous of Leipzig's restaurants is actually two restaurants: one that's upscale, international, and gourmet (down the stairs to the right) and a rowdy beer cellar (to the left) specializing in hearty Saxon fare, mostly roasted meat dishes. Goethe immortalized one of the vaulted historic rooms in his Faust, and Bach was a regular here because of the location halfway between the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche.

An exceptional bakery in the heart of Oberammergau, Aurhammer has the best selection of bread in town (try the lip-smacking walnut loaf, the \"King Ludwig\" crusty roll, or a classic soft pretzel), as well as a choice of pre-filled rolls, savory and sweet pastries, and cakes. Sit in with a coffee, or take your treats for a stroll. It's open until 5 pm Tuesday through Thursday, but only in the mornings during weekends and on Mondays. 

One of Berlin's original third-wave coffee joints, this tiny café in the heart of Mitte’s gallery district serves up superlative hand-brewed coffees (always served black) and espresso drinks with trendy add-ons like oat milk, alongside a small but tasty selection of baked goods and sandwiches. There's limited indoor seating and laptops are banned, so this is a better place to sit outside when the weather's nice or to get your coffee to go.

On the edge of Tempelhofer Feld, this cozy, minimalist farm-to-table restaurant has a daily changing menu featuring vegetable-focused ingredients paired in creative ways, such as chilled pea soup with cherries and almond, and gnocchi with pistachio pesto. Snag one of the few tables up-front or, better yet, try for a seat near the counter facing the open kitchen or at the communal table in the back, especially if you come with a group—you’ll likely want to order everything off the short but appealing menu so everyone can have a taste.

If there's one place you have to visit during your time at the lake, it's this immensely popular (yet still surprisingly great value) brewery-restaurant in Tegernsee. Part of the enormous Benedictine monastery Kloster Tegernsee, the Bräustüberl specializes in dishing up hearty Bavarian fare, from veal tenderloin to smoked pork belly, as well as tasty, low-cost Bavarian snacks: choose from a dizzying array of grilled sausages, fried herring, goulash soup, mixed salads, cheese platters, cold cuts, and more. The food tastes best when washed down with a homebrewed beer—try a Mass (a liter-size mug) of their legendary Tergernseer Helles or Spezial brew—and even better in summer, when you can sit out on the chestnut-shaded terrace with views of the lake and mountains.

A cross between a craft brewery, a hip outdoor beer garden (spring through fall only), and a casual indoor restaurant inside reused shipping containers, BRLO is a quintessential Berlin spot to spend an afternoon drinking and eating. If the weather's nice, grab a striped lounge chair outside and choose from a range of modern bar snacks at the beer garden, open every day except in winter; otherwise, head indoors for a choice of vegetable-focused mains along with meats cooked in their own smoker. 

With a prime location on Obermarkt, this is Mittenwald's best konditorei und kaffeehaus (patisserie and coffee shop), as evidenced by the rarely unoccupied sidewalk tables and the slowly creeping queue of locals and visitors. The elegant, bread-heavy window display is enough to tempt you in, but it's the cake displays inside—coupled with the aroma of freshly brewing coffee—that will guarantee you stay a while.

Billed as a modern take on a classic neighborhood bistro, with selections from the vinyl records lining the walls played by the friendly staff, this casual eatery serves up seasonal small plates along with tasty drinks. Don't skip the daily house-made sourdough bread before nibbling on vegetable-forward dishes like Borlotti beans with cockles and turnips, and Bresse chicken with pippara peppers and chanterelles alongside Berlin’s black-clad foodies.

Heidelberg's oldest (1863) coffeehouse has always been a popular meeting place for students and professors, and offers traditional Swabian food, pastries, and ambience, and a seniors menu with smaller portions at a lower price. A historic change is that the café no longer produces café founder Fridolin Knösel's Heidelberger Studentenkuss. This iconic \"student kiss\" is a chocolate wrapped in paper showing two sets of touching lips—an acceptable way for 19th-century students to \"exchange kisses\" in public. They are now being sold down the street at Knösel Chocolatier, a small, charming shop, owned by the Knösel family.

A small chocolate and macaron shop is attached to this ornate café specializing in breakfast, light lunches, and sweet cakes. It's a centrally located place that's perfect for people-watching and indulging in the German coffee-and-cake tradition.

Reminiscent of a traditional coffeehouse, this café has been offering all types of sweets and pastries, along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner since 1915. Open daily, it's on a quiet, tucked-away street that's steps from the main shopping area, Zeil. In warm weather, there's a lovely outdoor garden.

Your childhood dream of having dessert for dinner can come true at this intimate \"dessert bar\" on a pretty street in trendy Neukölln—except at CODA, many of the desserts are more savory than sweet, and all can be paired with alcoholic beverages, from cocktails to beer to wine. Fifteen-course menus use very little added sugar or fat in the dishes, but feature plenty of different textures and beautiful presentations to keep things interesting, even for those without a sweet tooth.

The name might have you thinking something different, but this is actually a vegetarian and vegan fine-dining restaurant that serves fantastic food (it's above what used to be a club called Cookies, owned by a nightlife mogul by the same moniker, now home to an eatery called Crackers); the chef steers away from \"easy\" vegetarian dishes like pasta and stir-fries and instead focuses on innovative preparations. The entrance, too, is misleading: the only access is via a dingy alley between the Westin Grand Hotel and the Komische Oper next door, but once you're inside the vibe is industrial-chic, and the service is friendly, casual, and fun.

Ice cream sundaes towering with whipped cream and cones toppling under the weight of generous scoops are just a few of the frosty delights to be had at one of Miltenberg's cherished institutions. Located in the town's central square, you can take a cone to go or linger in on the ample terrace and watch the world go by.

This currywurst stand in Kreuzberg has a cult following and just about any time of day or night you'll find yourself amid a crowd of cab drivers, students, and lawyers munching on currywurst mit Darm (with skin) or ohne Darm (without skin). Go local and order your sausage with a big pile of crispy fries served rot-weiss (red and white)—with curry ketchup and mayonnaise.

Sitting at one of the low wooden tables in this rustic spot on the first floor of the Rathaus, surveying the marketplace through the wavy old glass, you can dine well on solid German fare. In warm weather, the terrace provides great views of the Dom.

On the small square behind the Augsburg town hall, this fine-dining restaurant, in a building dating from 1577, offers an extensive wine list and an innovative, meat-heavy menu according to what's in season. In summer ask for a table on the patio.

The 100-plus-year-old Kreuzberg stalwart has managed to stick around thanks in part to its most famous dish, which is still just about all it serves: a crispy, fried half-chicken. The rest of the menu is short: coleslaw, potato salad, a few sausage options, and several beers on tap; for \"dessert,\" look to the impressive selection of locally sourced brandies and fruit schnapps.

More than a wine bar (though the wine selection is outstanding), this small restaurant offers a wide-ranging menu of small and medium plates to share. While the theme is \"German tapas,\" the food displays influences from Asia and Turkey, making this a good destination if you are looking for a light bite with your wine or a full meal. Regardless of whether you get the delicious beet carpaccio, Japanese-style fried chicken, sardines on toast, or Iberico ham, or one of the many other offerings, you won't go away hungry. And you can choose a delicious Moselle wine to go with your food.

Known for having one of the best breakfasts in Berlin (think avocado toast and chia pudding with blueberry compote), the filtered coffee at Distrikt is far from an afterthought, with beans chosen from some of Europe's top roasteries. Tea lovers aren't left out with a fine selection from Kreuzberg's Companion Coffee & Tea, served up with a scrumptious choice of cakes.

So small it's easy to miss, this former dairy shop now offers a limited but fine selection of Italian fare, with a menu of fresh antipasti and pasta that changes daily. The high wooden tables and counters fill up fast at this lunch-only spot, so arrive early for the quieter, cooler window seat or take your food to go.