237 Best Restaurants in Germany

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For more than 30 years, this simple restaurant has been serving traditional dishes accompanied by potatoes cooked every way imaginable. The potato-and-broccoli gratin and the potato pizza are excellent, as are the Hessian potato pancakes with toppings including mushrooms, smoked salmon, or a fried egg. For dessert, try potato strudel with vanilla sauce. The charming decor includes colorful art deco dishes and lamps.

Under the tracks of the elevated U2 subway line is Berlin's most beloved sausage stand. Konnopke's is a family business that's been around since 1930 and, though there are several options on the menu, this place is famous for its currywurst, which is served on a paper tray with a plastic prong that can be used to spear the sauce-covered sausage slices; with French fries and a pilsner, this is one of the quintessential Berlin meals.

A proud owner of a Michelin star since it opened its doors in 1978, Landhaus Scherrer continues to be one of the city's best-known and most celebrated restaurants. The focus is on the use of organic, sustainable ingredients to produce classic and modern German cuisine with international touches, and unsurprisingly, the accompanying wine list is exceptional.

One of the best restaurants in town is known for its innovative Bavarian cuisine based on regionally sourced seasonal ingredients. Young chef Steffi Bauer changes the short but appealing menu, which features local fish, meat, and veggie dishes, about every two months and also offers a daily special.

The locavore obsession is taken seriously at this trendy spot that uses only the most local ingredients in the simple but sublime preparations that come from the open kitchen and are served at a long, shared counter. One 10-course menu is served each evening (dietary restrictions can usually be accommodated) and everything—from the bread and butter through several vegetable, meat, and fish courses—is gorgeously presented and delicious.

Owner Jörg Müller, considered by many to be the island's leading chef, serves haute cuisine in the gracious and friendly setting of an old thatch-roof farmhouse, which doubles as a small hotel. Restaurant "JM" offers outstanding dining with a seasonal menu that incorporates a diverse locally sourced selection of produce and fish.

The perfectly crafted and creative haute cuisine at the Michelin-starred Reinstoff, prepared by renowned chef Daniel Achilles, focuses on both rare and traditional German ingredients but gives them an avant-garde twist and often playful presentations. Diners choose either five-, six-, seven-, eight-, or nine-course menus (à la carte is only by special request), either with or without wine pairings, and the relaxed but professional service and quietly refined atmosphere make this one of the most enjoyable dining experiences in the city. It's expensive but worth it. The wine selection is heavy on European wines.

“To Hell” is in a building dating back to AD 900—claimed to be the oldest in town. With an extensive selection of Franconian wine and a delicious house beer, you'll have a nice late evening experience. In summer be sure to reserve a table in advance, including for the outdoor Biergarten (beer garden).

The narrow, unassuming facade of the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Berlin, tucked away on a sleepy stretch of Chausseestrasse, belies the elegant interior and stellar food you'll find inside. "Inspiration" tasting menus of six or eight courses make the most of ingredients like lobster, trout, or veal and combine unusual items like black radishes and mushrooms, or asparagus and wild violets; you can find more casual and heartier fare at the Weinbar downstairs.

This dark, wood-panel restaurant dating back to 1535 is the city's old Mariners' Society house, which was off-limits to women until 1870. Today locals and visitors alike enjoy freshly brewed beer and great seafood in church-style pews at long 400-year-old oak tables.

Dine inside the cozy brick-lined former horse stables or outside on the lovely patio at this restaurant inside the historic stone houses of the Steinhauser Hof. There's no à la carte ordering here, only ambitious tasting menus: choose from one of two five-course menus (extra for wine pairings), or splurge even more on the six-course menu.

In a gorgeous restored 1914 villa facing Heligensee lake, renowned chef Tim Raue updates classic Brandenburg dishes. Choose from the seven-course tasting menu, or order dishes such as beef tongue salad with onion and caper mayonnaise or perch meunière with parsley, spinach, and lemon à la carte; ask the helpful sommelier for the best pairings from their extensive German wine list.

Housed in a former wine cellar that dates from 1893 in one of the alleys off Fressgass, Vinum specializes in regional wines, by the glass or bottle to accompany a regional prix-fixe menu. The burnished brickwork and low lighting adds to the charm. The wine-themed decor includes such items as glass bowls filled with wine corks.

It's one of the more formal Mainz wine taverns, yet Schreiner still attracts a mixed, jovial clientele who come to enjoy excellent local wines and delicious, refined takes on regional German cuisine, often with a Mediterranean twist. During periods of warm weather, you can sit in the garden .

Little more than a hole in the wall, this former cooper's workshop has been transformed into a candlelit pub. No matter when you go, it seems to be filled with people seated around the wooden tables (so dinner reservations are usually a necessity). The menu features regional specialties from Baden and the Pfalz, such as schäufele (pickled and slightly smoked pork shoulder); leberknödel (liver dumplings); and slices of saumagen (a spicy meat-and-potato mixture encased in a sow's stomach).

For more than 200 years, this wood-panel inn has been a favorite of students attracted by filling yet inexpensive selections; locals, because the food is the typical Swabian fare their mothers made; and out-of-town visitors, who love the old-fashioned atmosphere. Nearly everything is served with homemade Spätzle, the ubiquitous noodles so popular everywhere in Germany. In summer try to get a seat at one of the sidewalk tables,

There aren't many classic Apfelwein locales left, but this is one of them. It's just as it has been since the end of the 19th century: walls covered with giant paintings darkened with age, giant stoneware pitchers called Bembels, glasses that are ribbed to give greasy hands traction, long tables that can seat 12 people, schmaltzy music, hearty food with daily specials, and, as is traditional, no beer. Try this one if you want to truly capture the spirit of Old Sachsenhausen.