422 Best Restaurants in Germany

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.

With sepia-toned murals of merrymaking above the dark-wood wainscotting, this Apfelwein classic succeeds in being touristy and traditional all at once, and it's a genuine favorite of local residents. The kitchen produces the same hearty German dishes as other nearby taverns, only better. Cider is served in large quantities in the noisy, crowded dining room with many large, communal tables. Reservations are recommended on weekends. Warning: it serves no beer! The family also operates a hotel upstairs.

Steps from the Altes Schloss, the building dates from 1565, but the menu is modern, offering both 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.

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.

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.

In the historic grand villa of silent movie star Henny Porten, the Einstein is one of the leading coffeehouses in town, and it charmingly recalls the elegant days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, complete with an artsy, high-brow clientele and slightly snobbish waiters gliding across the parquet floors. Order Austrian delicacies such as Tafelspitz or schnitzel (the small order is plenty large), coffee, and, of course, some cake.

Heidelberg's oldest (1863) coffeehouse has always been a popular meeting place for students and professors, and offers traditional Swabian food, pastries, and ambience. 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 exclusively in Knösel Chocolatier, a small, charming shop, owned by the Knösel family, just down the street.

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.

Sophisticated Italian cuisine is served here in a warm, elegant setting on the city's southwest side. The seasonally changing menu focuses on fish and game, and the wine list is interesting and extensive—although sometimes pricey.

Opened in 1913, this former club has a new life as a trendy restaurant serving well-prepared German classics; dine inside amidst the soaring ceilings and peeling walls, or when the weather's nice, outdoors in the lovely courtyard. Try a three-course seasonal menu or opt for tasty flammkuchen, potato rösti, or schnitzel, washed down with a well-mixed signature cocktail such as a Clärchens (tequila, currant, lemon, sugar, and mint).

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. Four- or seven-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 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.

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 boulette (meat patty) options, and several beers on tap; for "dessert," look to the impressive selection of locally sourced brandies and fruit schnapps.

In a clean and modern Scandinavian-styled space done up in woods and light colors, chef Silvio Pfeufer combines local German dishes with global influences (think pike perch served with finger limes and veal tongue with black truffle and parmesan) on his six-course tasting menus; there's also a separate menu for vegetarians. Pair your meal with a fine selection of wines from Austria, France, Italy, and Spain, or opt for their house-made non-alcoholic drink accompaniments.

This tiny, unpretentious place in a quiet Westend neighborhood seems an unlikely candidate for the best restaurant in Germany, yet that's what one French critic called it. Fresh seafood, the specialty, is often flown in from France, as are the wines (the wine list boasts 600 choices). It's closed weekends, during the Christmas and Easter seasons, and during much of summer—in other words, when its patrons, well-heeled business executives, are unlikely to be in town.

The oldest restaurant in Nuremberg, built in 1550 as a meeting place for the city's wine merchants, is also the top restaurant in the city and among the best in Germany. Today its tiny but elegant period interior caters to the distinguishing gourmet, but don't be put off if the restaurant looks closed—just ring the bell and a friendly receptionist will help you.

Though Berlin’s awash in Neapolitan pizza places, this sweet neighborhood spot bucks the trend with innovative topping combinations on a soft yet chewy sourdough crust. Sophisticated seasonal pizzas, such as charred broccoli and buffalo mozzarella or bacon with cauliflower and Swiss chard, please kids and adults alike, while the fine selection of cocktails, wine, and beer gives the adults even more to appreciate.

One of Germany's top restaurants, Facil is also one of the more relaxed of its class: the elegant, minimalist setting—it's in the fifth-floor courtyard of the Mandala Hotel, with exquisite wall panels and a glass roof that opens in summer—and impeccable service make this feel like something of an oasis in the busy city. Diners can count on a careful combination of modern takes on German classics and inspiration from across the globe, best sampled in the four- to eight-course set meals.

Beautiful ceilings painted with vine motifs, exposed beams, wooden wainscotting and an old tile stove make for a gemütlich (cozy) atmosphere. This small restaurant fills up fast, not least because of the Swabian specialties which dominate the menu and fresh, regional ingredients. Save room for dessert, especially the house-made Schwäbische Apfelküchle (Swabian apple cake) with vanilla sauce. There's also a children's menu.

Chef Benjamin Kriegel earned a Michelin star for his innovative cooking, experimenting with unusual combinations of flavors and textures using mainly locally sourced ingredients. The five- or six-course menu of small plates changes with the seasons; recent highlights included marinated and smoked Bavarian char with borscht aspic, sour cream, and fermented white cabbage.

An absolute must when in Miltenberg, this 425-year-old traditional guesthouse, owned by the Faust brewing company, is an architectural gem and a great place to try out authentic German food and the best in Bavarian beer. Diners (and drinkers) sit at long tables under high beamed ceilings with traditional murals and arched stone doorways, but there are a few little niches with private tables and a large outdoor terrace with lovely views of the town. Generous portions of weinerschnitzel, traditional bratwurst, and sauerkraut with potato purée are accompanied by one of ten beers and ales on tap. There are also plenty of smaller dishes and desserts, or you're perfectly welcome to just stop in for a beer.

Great care is taken over the light, seasonal international dishes here, which are made with fresh, carefully chosen ingredients and served with the estate's wines. Choose to dine in the Kavalierhaus (squire's house, 1650), the orangery, or in the summer, on the flower-lined terrace facing the garden.

In a cozy wood-paneled room with a colorful mural of Berlin scenes along the wall and a sleek open kitchen, Austrian chef Sebastian Frank puts a creative spin on dishes from his native country. Vegetables (along with touches of meat and fish) become the stars of the show with innovative cooking techniques and a judicious use of herbs, many grown on his roof terrace, in a choice of five- or eight-course menus; each dish pairs perfectly with unique wines primarily from Eastern Europe.

In a historic brick building in the charming suburb of Kaiserswerth, this Michelin-starred restaurant, with its elegant wood-paneled dining room and artfully presented gourmet French dishes, is worth the trip. Diners can order the prix-fixe menu or à la carte, with or without wine pairings.