German food: what to eat in Germany and where it comes from
German food is regional, hearty and better than its reputation. Bavaria means roast pork, dumplings and pretzels. The north means fish and potatoes, the south-west noodles and cheese, and Berlin a snack culture of its own. Bread and sausages are the base everywhere. The one thing to know is that the main meal is often at lunch.
The short answer
- Order this first
- Schweinsbraten with a dumpling in Bavaria, currywurst in Berlin, and a Fischbrötchen in the north.
- When people eat
- Breakfast is bread, cold cuts and cheese. Lunch is the main hot meal in many places. Dinner is often a lighter cold meal called Abendbrot, though restaurants serve full dinners from about 6pm.
- Tipping
- Round up or add about 5 to 10 percent, and say the total when you pay.
- Where to eat well
- Brewery taverns and traditional inns for regional cooking, markets and bakeries for breakfast, and the city food guides for named places.
What to eat in Germany
- SchweinsbratenRoast pork with crackling, a bread or potato dumpling and cabbage. It is on the menu of every traditional inn in the south.Bavaria
- CurrywurstPork sausage cut up and covered in curry-flavored ketchup, with chips or a roll. Eat it standing at a street stand.Berlin
- WeisswurstA white veal sausage eaten before noon, peeled or sucked from its skin, with sweet mustard and a pretzel.Munich
- KäsespätzleSoft egg noodles layered with cheese and crisp onions. It is the German answer to macaroni cheese.Swabia and the Allgäu
- SauerbratenBeef marinated for days in vinegar and spices, then braised and served with red cabbage and dumplings.Rhineland
- FischbrötchenA roll with herring, fried fish or smoked salmon, sold at harbor stands and fish markets.Hamburg and the north
- Himmel un ÄädMashed potato and apple served with black pudding and fried onions. A pub dish, local in name and taste.Cologne
- SchnitzelA thin breaded cutlet, usually pork. Wiener Schnitzel is veal, and Jägerschnitzel comes with mushroom sauce.Across Germany
- Brezn and ObatzdaThe large soft pretzel, and a spiced cheese spread for it, eaten in beer gardens.Bavaria
- Döner kebabBread filled with grilled meat, salad and sauces. A Berlin invention in its sandwich form and one of the country's most eaten street foods.Berlin
- EierscheckeA layered cake of yeast dough, quark and custard, found in Saxon bakeries and cafes.Dresden and Saxony
How the food changes across Germany
Bavaria and the south
Roast pork, dumplings, pretzels, veal sausage and weisswurst. Swabia adds noodles and cheese, and the Alps add dairy.
The Rhine and the west
Sauerbraten, potatoes and apples, with a big pub culture around Kölsch beer in Cologne and apple wine in Frankfurt.
The north
Fish from the North Sea and Baltic, herring, eel soup and labskaus, a mash of corned beef and potato. Bread rolls are the standard fast food.
Berlin and the east
Snacks rather than a grand cuisine: currywurst, döner, meatballs and potatoes. Saxony adds cakes and beer cheese.
What to drink in Germany
- BeerEach region has its own style: Helles and wheat beer in Bavaria, Kölsch in Cologne, Pils in the north. Served in small glasses in Cologne and by the liter in Bavaria.
- Riesling and German wineThe Rhine and Mosel make crisp white wines, from dry to sweet. Look for trocken on the label for dry.
- ApfelweinFrankfurt's tart apple wine, drunk from a ribbed glass in the taverns of Sachsenhausen.
- GlühweinHot spiced red wine at Christmas markets, served in a mug with a deposit.
- ApfelschorleApple juice mixed with sparkling water, the standard soft drink at lunch.
Where to eat in Germany, city by city
Berlin
The capital: big, spread out and full of 20th century history, museums and nightlife. It suits anyone who likes a city with an edge.
Order Currywurst
Munich
Bavaria's capital, with palaces, beer halls and the Alps within a train ride. It suits first-timers who want the Germany of postcards.
Order Weisswurst
Frankfurt
A business city with a small old center, good museums on the river and the country's busiest airport. It suits a night or two on the way through.
Order Grüne Soße
Hamburg
A port city of canals, brick warehouses and a famous concert hall. It suits people who like water, music and gray weather.
Order Fischbrötchen
Cologne
A relaxed Rhine city around a huge cathedral, with brown pubs and a lively old town. It suits a short break or a base for the Rhine.
Order Halve Hahn
Dresden
A rebuilt baroque city on the Elbe, close to the Czech border and the sandstone hills of Saxon Switzerland. It suits art, architecture and quieter trips.
Order Eierschecke
How Germany eats
- Meal timesBreakfast is bread, cold cuts and cheese. Lunch is the main hot meal for many, and dinner is often lighter. Restaurants open the kitchen for dinner from about 6pm.
- Coffee and cakeKaffee und Kuchen is a mid-afternoon habit, usually on weekends. Cafes serve it with a slice of cake.
- ReservationsBook dinner in restaurants and beer halls at weekends. In traditional inns, empty seats at a shared table can be taken by asking first.
- TippingRound up or add 5 to 10 percent, and tell the server the total when paying. Do not leave coins on the table.
- PayingCash is still common in inns, beer gardens and markets. Each person pays for their own meal, and the server will ask whether you pay together or separately.
Signs of a place to walk past
A menu in six languages with photos of every dish.
A beer hall or tavern on a tourist square with staff calling people in from the pavement.
A pretzel or sausage stand with no Germans in the queue and prices a good deal above the next one.
A restaurant that serves a dish from another region on its menu next to a dozen others, instead of a short list of local ones.
Food in Germany: questions people ask
What food is Germany known for?
Sausages, pretzels, roast pork with dumplings, schnitzel and beer. Regional dishes matter more than a national cuisine, so you eat differently in Bavaria than in Hamburg or Berlin.
What is traditional German food?
Schweinsbraten, sauerbraten, schnitzel, käsespätzle, sausages with sauerkraut and potato dishes. Most are meat and carbohydrates with a sauce or cabbage.
What do Germans eat for breakfast?
Bread rolls with cheese, ham and jam, boiled eggs, muesli and coffee. Many hotels serve a large buffet, and bakeries sell fresh rolls from early morning.
Can vegetarians eat well in Germany?
Yes in the cities, where most restaurants have a meat-free dish and many have a full vegetarian menu. Traditional inns and rural menus have fewer options, so ask for dishes like käsespätzle.
What do you drink with food in Germany?
Beer in the south and west, wine in the Rhine and Mosel regions, and apfelschorle at lunch. Tap water is safe, but restaurants usually bring bottled sparkling water and charge for it.
Is tipping expected in Germany?
Yes, but modestly. Round up or add 5 to 10 percent, and say the amount when you hand over the money. A service charge is not usually added to the bill.
What should I try in Germany besides sausage?
Käsespätzle, schnitzel, fish rolls in the north, regional cakes and a good bakery loaf. A weisswurst breakfast in Munich is also worth trying once.