478 Best Restaurants in Germany

Classic German cuisine with a creative twist has earned this chic restaurant, a stone’s throw from the Rhine, a Michelin star. The concise, ever-changing menu features interesting flavor combinations using seasonal ingredients, and many dishes are available as half-portions.

On the 53rd floor of the skyscraper that houses the Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen, this popular cocktail bar and high-end restaurant captures unbeatable views through 25-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, from where you can take in all of \"Mainhattan.\" The cuisine is part global and part regional and is served at dinner as a chef's-choice prix-fixe menu ranging from four to seven courses (wine extra). Lunch is an open menu with no minimum, as is the lounge for drinks and bar snacks, which opens at 9 pm. Both the restaurant and the Tower Lounge are open until midnight. Reservations are recommended to avoid the elevator line.

This Dutch Quarter restaurant captures the essence of old-world France with its rustic decor and bistro classics, including Breton-style fish soup and coq au vin. The small outdoor area is the perfect spot to people-watch and enjoy a glass of wine on a sunny afternoon.

A variety of affordable Middle Eastern sandwiches and plates, including falafel (considered one of the best versions in the city), shawarma, and hummus, are available to go.

Venture to Schöenberg's far southern reaches to find one of the most talked-about pizza-focused Italian joints in Berlin (there's a second location in Prenzlauer Berg), which serves up Neapolitan-style pizza along with tempting appetizers such as eggplant in tomato sauce with Parmesan and arancini (stuffed rice balls). There's a lovely outdoor terrace that attracts a young, lively crowd when the weather's nice.

This modern restaurant with an open-kitchen design is named for the Viennese architect Margarete Scütte-Lihotzky, who created the style in the 1920s. There are three-course prix-fixe menus both for lunch and dinner, or you can order à la carte from an eclectic and creative menu including homemade soups, risotto, and meats with the ubiquitous Frankfurter green herb sauce.

This Mexican restaurant is an unassuming space on Prenzlauer Berg's Danziger Strasse. The young owners (hailing from Texas and Australia) had different ideas of what Mexican food could be, but shared one dream: to bring the authentic cuisine to Berlin. They succeeded, as fans will attest, and the hot sauce is satisfyingly hot in a country known for sensitive taste buds and blandly spiced dishes. The margaritas, made with mezcal, are particularly good—and quite potent.

This bright, welcoming space just off Kreuzberg's Lausitzer Platz serves tasty Catalonian tapas created from locally sourced ingredients that put a bit of sunshine on the plate during the dreary months. The colorful dishes on the daily changing menu are often unique pairings of sweet and savory ingredients, which combine well with the list of Spanish wines. Expect at least one fresh fish dish, like octopus with potatoes and grilled tomatoes; one soup, like the classic Spanish salmorejo (tomato and bread); and a few meat dishes with at least one expertly cooked, juicy steak, best accompanied by a glass (or bottle) of tempranillo.

The Markthalle is in a building that opened in 1483 as the Kornhaus (grain storage) and then became the Feuerhaus (fire station). Now at this farmers' market you can grab a quick lunch and a drink (or picnic supplies) at reasonable prices.

In a city where it seems as if 10 new restaurants open every day, this Spanish and Portuguese tapas spot has been spared much of the hype, but that's a good thing: Marqués serves high-end, inventive food and Mediterranean wines, without pretension. The menu is extensive, so talk it over with friendly staff, who will advise and serve you delights like sizzling plates of chorizo, and salted, fried pimientos de padron, the small, green, Spanish peppers. To sate a larger appetite, try the beef fillets or pasta with mixed seafood—a rarity in land-locked Berlin. The cocktail bar in the basement serves stellar creations.

The only German outpost of the Japanese-Peruvian fusion concept from celebrated chef Nobuyuki (Nobu) Matsuhisa, this elegant, sleekly designed restaurant in the posh Mandarin Oriental hotel is a favorite of well-heeled locals. Along with top-notch sushi and sashimi, the menu features popular dishes like spicy garlic shrimp and seafood and meat prepared robata-style over a charcoal grill. The best seats are at the sushi bar, where you can watch the skilled chefs wield their knives with precision.

This historic brewery-tavern, first opened in 1880, offers great value Bavarian dishes. The best part about this place, however, is the cozy, secluded little beer garden (April–October) with huge chestnut trees, tucked in the back amid the apartment blocks in the heart of Munich's University district.

At the tip of the Neuer Garten, Meierei brewery serves classic German beer and local cuisine, with hearty dishes like schnitzel and roast pork knuckle. The outdoor terrace has great views of the lake and boats during the warm weather; the indoor tavern seating has rustic charm.

Breakfast is the main attraction at this café near the Römerberg and Dom. The dining room is large, and in the warmer months there are also tables on a garden patio. The kitchen serves until 11 pm. Reservations are accepted for dinner only, and not for the terrace.

This local favorite has the distinction of serving authentic Mexican food in the heart of St. Pauli and does not take reservations. Complete with Spanish-speaking staff and an atmosphere that asks nothing from street eateries in Mexico, this restaurant is so popular that the good mood of staff and diners alike spills onto the streets. It is hugely popular with both locals and expats.

This hip Vietnamese eatery is a convenient place to meet before hitting Mitte's galleries or bars, or for a light lunch after browsing the area's popular boutiques. There are only a handful of items and daily specials to choose from, but the delicious curries, pho (noodle soup), and noodle salads keep the regulars coming back.

On Kantstrasse---Charlottenburg's unofficial Asiatown---this Thai restaurant serves tasty and affordable dishes with fresh vegetables, nuanced sauces, and, if you request it, the long, slow spiciness that's a rarity in Germany: the menu has a spice ranking system, including Thai scharf, which means "Thai spicy," and means super spicy. It's particularly busy at lunch time.

Hearty, healthy brunch is served on weekends until 4 pm. This charming vintage-style café is also popular for after work drinks and the Italian Mucki's evening every Thursday.

This casual, colorful spot is tucked into a pleasant, tree-lined, cobblestone street just up the hill from Alexanderplatz. The lunch and dinner menus focus on globally influenced, innovative salads, soups, burgers, and sandwiches, with a few mains like steak frites and chicken tikka masala. On two Saturday nights each month, Muse hosts a local chef or a nomadic supper club; you can reserve a seat to these popular events online.

A long-time staple on \"Vintner's Lane,\" this half-timber building houses a homey, rustic, wood-beamed dining room, and a sleek, airy dining area in the modern extension. As well as the Palatinate regional dishes, such as liver dumplings and Saumagen, you can opt for more internationally influenced dishes such as seared sea bream with sage gnocchi or Charolais steak with herb butter. Also a family-run wine estate, there is a standout wine list, featuring a range of local aromatic Muskateller wines.

For the traditional döner kebab, head to Mustafa's for mouthwateringly delicious vegetable kebabs (also available with chicken for those who can't resist a bit of protein, but the vegetarian is what people rave about). The line can sometimes stretch down the block, but it's well worth the wait, and this is a traditional street stand, so no seating.

On a side street between Gärtnerplatz and Isartor, Nero serves up excellent thin-crust pizzas with fresh ingredients imported straight from Italy—try the Diavolo, with spicy Neapolitan salami—as well as solid pastas and great steaks. The restaurant's high ceilings and large windows give it an open, spacious feel, or you can sit upstairs in the lounge for a cozier experience.

This restaurant on Lange Reihe is famed not only for its regional specialties but also for its extensive wine list. Ask the knowledgeable staff which Flammkuchen goes best with your choice of wine. Also open for lunch everyday, Neumann's is a neighborhood favorite. Swing by on a Sunday to enjoy the best Schnitzel in Hamburg taking in St. Georg's atmosphere like a local.

One of Munich's most popular taverns is dedicated to Nürnberger Bratwürste (finger-size grilled sausages), a specialty from the rival Bavarian city of Nuremberg. They're served by Dirndl-clad waitresses who flit between crowded tables in the dark-paneled dining rooms with remarkable agility; in warmer months, tables are placed outside beneath the towering Frauenkirche.

Tucked into a courtyard in the Tiergarten district near galleries and cool boutiques, Oh, Panama (named after a popular German children's book) has a contemporary, artsy decor that perfectly matches its eclectic international cuisine—think small, shareable plates or more substantial mains, with a fine selection of fish, meat, and veggie options. Hip Berliners and in-the-know tourists enjoy expertly mixed seasonal cocktails or a glass of natural wine with their meal.