56 Best Restaurants in Germany

This bright-red lightship served in the English Channel before it retired to the city harbor in 1989 and became a landmark restaurant, guesthouse, and pub. Local favorites such as Hamburger Pannfisch (panfried fish with mustard sauce) and Labskaus (a mixture of corned beef, potato, onion, beet, and gherkins) are on the ship's extensive menu, along with Argentine steaks and rack of lamb.

This happy combination of Munich tavern and international bistro is set on Hans-Sachs-Strasse, one of the city's most interesting streets. Juicy schweinsbraten and burgers satisfy any meat cravings, and there are Asian and Mediterranean dishes for vegetarians; the dining room features beautiful ceiling murals and in warmer weather, the sprawling terrace is the place to be.

Located inside the bookshop Shakespeare & Sons, Fine Bagels is their in-house coffee shop and bakery. They serve hand-rolled and boiled New York–style bagels (don't miss the Zaatar-spiced bagel) and other traditional Jewish pastries, breads, and cakes.

This old-fashioned Wirtshaus is one of the few places that serve Augustiner beer exclusively from wooden kegs, freshly tapped on a daily basis—beer simply doesn't get any better than this. Antlers and a wild boar look down on actors, government officials, apprentice craftspersons, journalists, and retirees, all sitting side by side at the simple wooden tables enjoying good traditional Bavarian fare.

This ancient inn was serving warm meals to the patricians, officials, merchants, and other good burghers of Lindau back in the 14th century. Today you can sit under the building's arches on the cobblestoned street or in the traditional warm wooden interior and enjoy authentic home-style cooking featuring fish from the lake in season, venison from the mountains, and apples—pressed to juice or distilled to schnapps—from local orchards.

Under the arches of the S-bahn tracks connecting Friedrichstrasse with Hauptbahnhof, Habel am Reichstag seems unassuming from outside, but inside you'll find old Berlin elegance melded with industrial chic: leather banquettes, crystal chandeliers dangling from the arched brick ceilings, and rumbling trains overhead. The no-nonsense waiters serve local classics, like lamb, Wiener schnitzel, weisser Spargel (asparagus), and Knödel (dumplings) with mushrooms and ham. There's a huge wine selection.

This beautiful, wood-paneled restaurant is spacious but almost always crowded; it's located right in the middle of the action at bustling Hackesche Höfe, and a solid place to eat German food while doing some excellent people-watching. The clientele is a fun mix of tourists and locals, which gives the place a vibrant, lively atmosphere; when the weather is good there are tables outside in the courtyard, too.

Enjoy eclectic cooking—including Italian, Bavarian, and Swabian fare—on the terrace at this warm-weather spot on the harbor. Sit outside and watch the busy harbor traffic, or enjoy the beer garden with a sandbox for children and a big TV screen for watching sports. The restaurant frequently presents sporting, culinary, and live-music events. If you're in town on Ash Wednesday at the end of the Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht (carnival) celebrations, try to get a spot at Hafenhalle's annual fish-and-snails dining event, which marks the reopening of the restaurant after a period of winter closure.

Heiliggeist's modern, minimal decor is a striking contrast to the historic vaulted ceilings in this former almshouse and hospital church, which was built in 1236. This lively café-bistro-bar serves elaborate salad platters, creatively spiced fish and meat dishes, and the house specialty, Croustarte, an upscale version of pizza. It's a popular brunch spot on weekends.

Right on the Kieler Förde, with a great view of the bay, this new restaurant offers regional and international dishes in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. There is a second branch in the city center ( Holstenbrücke 1), with a menu focusing on craft beer and meat.

The restored Art Nouveau house dates from 1908 has a pleasant Viennese-style coffeehouse upstairs—the best views are had from up here—and a noisier and more active café downstairs. Riquet is a company that has had dealings in the coffee trade in Africa and East Asia since 1745, as indicated by the large elephant heads adorning the facade of the building.

This kiosk-style restaurant at Reichenau's yacht harbor provides an ideal lunch, drink, or snack stop when wandering the island. In good weather, you can sit outside and watch the boats come and go. It's also a perfect place to try the Bodensee specialty Zanderknusperle (crispy battered pike-perch bites)—fresh out of the lake.

Madam Anna Ekke is a super nice location for all-day dining: cozy inside, there's also a seasonal terrace for warm summer nights. The menu includes variety of cakes and tapas, ideal for a quick snack in-between meals or even for a big shared meal in the evening. The bar, Frau Bartels, is just a couple of steps away for those who don't want to go home just yet.

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.

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.

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.

A traditional German pub with a summer terrace that spills out across Maximilianstrasse, this popular place specializes in high-quality Franconian fare, from roast venison with dumplings and cabbage to grilled pikeperch with potato risotto. Look out for seasonal specialties, too, such as strawberry and white asparagus salad. Don't worry if it's too chilly to sit outside: the huge glass ceiling over the dining room gives it a light and airy atmosphere, even in winter.

Russian treats such as dumplings, borscht, blini (Russian pancakes), and much more are the mainstays at this casually refined restaurant with a lovely outdoor terrace for when the weather is nice. There are several set menus available for lunch and dinner, and the breakfast selection is second to none, with a wide range of set menus and egg dishes (including delicious shakshuka) alongside standards like pancakes and French toast.

if you come for the weekend brunch you can try just about all of the delicious dishes, as well as dessert, in an extensive buffet.

Forget the fast-food options at Zoo Station. Instead, follow the train tracks to the back of the taxi and bus queues, where you'll enter Tiergarten and within 100 yards come upon the best hideaway in the area: Schleusenkrug. In warmer weather you can order at the window and sit in the beer garden or on the back patio, watching pleasure ships go through the lock. Inside is a casual restaurant with a changing daily menu.

This café, on a busy street between the Stadtmuseum and Viktualienmarkt, is as Bavarian as you can get, though it serves neither typical great slabs of meat nor Knödel. The fryers are turned on in the morning for Viktualienmarkt workers until the late afternoon; at midday, lines of people wait for helpings of freshly cooked Schmalznudel, a selection of doughnut-type creations, from apple to sugar-coated to plain, that are served hot, either to take away or eat in the café with a cup of coffee.

If you've developed a taste for Weissbier, this Munich institution—beautifully restored to something approaching how it would have looked when first opened in the 1870s—is the place to indulge. The tasty wheat beer from Schneider, a Bavarian brewery in existence since 1872, is served with hearty Bavarian dishes by famously straight-talking waitresses.

Munich's oldest café, dating from 1775, is home to an Italian restaurant where you are paying to see and to be seen. The real draw is the outdoor seating, either on the terrace in full view of Theatinerkirche on Odeonsplatz or in the tree-shaded beer garden in the Hofgarten. The pizza is your best bet if you want to be part of the Munich \"Schickeria\" (society) but want to keep your expenses in check. 

Young professionals mix with students at this lively restaurant, a symphony in red and orange in an ode to the 1970s, whose 13 different breakfasts are a big draw: the Vorstadt Classic includes bacon and eggs, rolls, and several other kinds of bread, along with a plate of salami and homemade jam. Quick daily lunch specials are a good value, while the atmosphere at dinner is relaxed, complete with candlelight. There is another location in Altstadt at Maximilianstrasse 40 (089/2554–7010).

This lively old tavern dates from 1703 and is inextricably linked with Heidelberg's history and university. Young and old alike crowd around the wooden tables in the wood-panel room, decorated with historic photos and maps, and piano music adds to the din Wednesday through Saturday nights. From salads and pasta to hearty roasts and steaks, there's a broad selection of food, and beer is served from 7:30 am until closing. Upstairs are modern, pleasantly furnished guest rooms.