🇩🇪 Germany Food Guide

German food is underestimated by almost everyone. Beyond bratwurst and pretzels lies serious regional food culture — slow-braised meats, 3,200 artisan bread varieties, exceptional cheese, and a sausage tradition that has no equal.

Signature Dishes

Food Cities

€8+

Budget From

German

Cuisine Style

Must-Try Dishes

What to Eat in Germany

The essential dishes every visitor should try — from street food to signature plates.

🌭

Bratwurst

€3-6

🥨

Pretzel (Brezel)

€2-4

🍖

Sauerbraten

€14-22

🌭

Currywurst

€3-5

🎂

Black Forest Cake

€5-8

🥩

Schnitzel

€12-20

🌭

Weißwurst

€6-10

🍞

Rye Bread

€3-5

Top Food Cities

Where to Eat in Germany

The cities with the most interesting food scenes — ranked by Otto.

🍺

Munich

Bavaria's food capital — Viktualienmarkt, beer gardens, Weißwurst breakfast tradition

🏙️

Berlin

Multicultural food city — currywurst, döner (best outside Istanbul), global restaurant scene

🐟

Hamburg

Port city — Fischmarkt, Labskaus, Franzbrötchen, North Sea shrimp

🌭

Frankfurt

Green sauce (Grüne Soße), apple wine (Äpfelwein), Frankfurter sausages — the real ones

Food Guides

Otto's Germany Articles

Deep dives into the food culture, street food scenes, and local secrets.

🌭

Currywurst: Berlin's Accidental Greatest Street Food

How curry powder from British soldiers became Germany's most iconic snack.

HeritageBerlin

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🍞

Germany's 3,200 Breads: Where to Start

The dark ryes of the north, the pretzels of Bavaria — Otto's bread guide.

Deep DiveBread

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🍺

Bavarian Beer Garden Rules

What to order, how to order it, why Weißwurst must be eaten before noon.

CultureMunich

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🍖

Sauerbraten: Germany's Most Underrated Dish

Marinated beef, 3 days, vinegar and wine. The result is extraordinary.

HeritageTraditional

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Food Knowledge

Things to Know Before You Eat

The insider context that changes how you experience Germany's food culture.

🍺 Beer as Food

Bavaria treats beer as food. Weißwurst (white sausage) is eaten before noon only, with sweet mustard, soft pretzel, and Weißbier. The sausage is sucked out of its casing.

🍞 3,200 Bread Varieties

Germany has more registered bread varieties than any country on Earth. The dark sourdough rye breads of northern Germany are some of the most complex tasting breads in the world.

🌭 Currywurst Origins

Invented by Herta Heuwer in West Berlin in 1949 using curry powder obtained from British soldiers. There is a Currywurst Museum in Berlin.

🍖 Regional Differences

Bavarian food (pork, dumplings, pretzels) is what the world thinks of as "German food" — but Rhineland (Sauerbraten), Hamburg (Labskaus), and Swabia (Spätzle) are completely different cuisines.

💸 Budget Reality

Currywurst: €3-5. Döner in Berlin: €5-8. Restaurant lunch: €12-18. Biergarten with food: €15-25. Germany offers great food value.