Not exactly known as a culinary heavyweight but we did find the food surprisingly good when we visited. Our stay was short and very touristy but at the very least we managed to fit in some very cliche German fare to some unexpected and lesser well known fare. So here it is , the tourist guide to eating in Germany (parts of it anyway).
Munich
Bakeries galore-- there really appears to be one on every corner and they all seem good. Pretzels can be purchased for as low as 1 Euro and this stuff makes you wonder why we need bread. Sandwiches are aplenty especially at the main station (Hauptbahnhof) -- try the traditional Bavarian meat loaf as a filling-- it's feels like a healthier version of spam. These bakeries should tied you over nicely for breakfasts and lunches--quick, cheap and easy to eat while sight seeing.
Bavarian fare seem to dominate the landscape--whether from tradition or it's all for the tourists--we decided to go full on tourist and head to Hofbräuhaus. Service is confusing but take a seat, hail a waiter and eventually things work out. the Steins are 1L but fear not, there is a half size. Pork knuckle, sausages, sauerkraut and beer--all ticked at this location. Let's be honest, we came here for the novelty not the food. Beer was fantastic though.
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| Pork Knuckle |
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| Mixed sausage platter and sauerkraut |
For the record, best Bratwurst we had was actually in a little kiosk stand at the foot of Neuschwanstein Castle --do the 20min hike up the hill and avoid the formal restaurant at all costs.
Stop at the last kiosk before the castle and pick up some pretzels and bratwurst for about 4-5 Euro. On your way down, supplement your journey with some fried doughnuts. No photo because it was just too delicious, especially after the hike up to the castle--and that was far more photogenic.
Berlin
Our guide said that Berlin reinvents itself every 30 years or so (sometimes not by choice) and it reflects in the eclectic food choices. First thing we noticed was a lot more fast food in Berlin compared to Munich and a lot less bakeries. Aside from your McDonalds you'll find Burger King and various kebab, indian and dodgy looking asian places serving a fusion between thai and Chinese. |
| Currywurst at Curry 36 |
Every guidebook talks about Currywurst so we hunted down 2 of the most well known -- Curry 36 on Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg and Konnopke's Imbiss under the elevated rail lines in Prenzlauer Berg. Both are easily accessible by metro but are in almost opposite directions. Make it a priority to try one of these---never thought fries, sausages with some mild curry flavour drowning in tomato sauce could be so tasty. Unpretentious and unhealthy--it's the perfect street food.
To top up the fuel tank (including a little extra sugar just in case)-- visit the biggest chocolatier in the world --Rausch Schokoladenhaus--Charlottenstraße 60, 10117 Berlin . This place is a tourist attraction in itself with chocolate titanics to the Brandenburg gate. Close by to other attractions in Berlin e.g. the twin Cathedrals
Shopping and eating are 2 of my favourite things to do--most department stores (except in Australia) caters to this quite well and Berlin's KaDeWe is no exception. Perfect place to hide out from the cold
too. The upstairs food hall is well worth a visit but be prepared to pay--the place is known to stock high end brands and food wise is no exception. While the floor is dominated by mainly non German food, keep an eye out for this stand:
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| Keep an eye out for this at the KaDeWe foodhall |
Delicious, tender and moist schnitzel cooked to order by a guy who's dressed to look like a qualified chef. Choices of veal or pork--we tried both and both are worth trying.
Salad and sides are a bit lack lustre but they really aren't necessary when the schnitzel is such a generous size and the garnishes--well it counts as salad. Our favourite meal in Germany.
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