357 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.

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.

A small chocolate and macaroon 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.

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).

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.

Known for having one of the best breakfasts in Berlin (think avocado toast and toasted brioche with berry preserves), 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.

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.

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.

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.

An 18th-century complex is the home to the Bassermann-Jordan wine estate and an elegant restaurant, which has one Michelin star. Choose a six-, seven- or eight-course menu from the selection of Mediterranean-influenced Asian dishes, or order à la carte; and select a wine from more than 500 bottles from all over the world, including every vintage of Bassermann-Jordan wine since 1870.

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.

This inviting French restaurant, whose owners are from Alsace, emphasizes elegant, imaginative dining in a modern setting with floor-to-ceiling windows and an expansive courtyard, perfect for alfresco dining in summer. Dishes combine luxurious ingredients such as scallops, lobster, pigeon, and truffles with richly flavored sauces featuring red wine, bone marrow, orange, or juniper.

Many say the M Steakhouse serves the best steak in Germany, all of it imported Nebraska prime beef. Prices are in line with the quality of meat, and the sides complement the dishes perfectly, but if you're looking for non-meat options, you won't find them here. A set of steps leads down into the restaurant's beautifully lit outdoor patio, a perfect setting for a private romantic dinner. The main dining room inside is warm, welcoming, and intimate. The same restaurant group operates Surf 'n Turf a few blocks away, with similar prices and ambience, and seafood dishes in addition to the steaks.