Food & Dining

Food & Dining in Germany

German cuisine is hearty and regional, but cities offer excellent international options. Grocery shopping is affordable with discount supermarkets, and dining out is cheaper than many Western countries.

German Cuisine

Staples:

• Bread (Brot) - 300+ varieties, serious business!
• Sausages (Wurst) - 1,500+ types
• Pork (Schweinefleisch) - Most popular meat
• Potatoes (Kartoffeln) - Every form imaginable
• Cabbage (Kohl) - Sauerkraut, red cabbage
• Beer (Bier) - National drink

Regional specialties:

Eating Out

Restaurant types:

• Gaststätte/Gasthaus: Traditional German pub/restaurant
• Biergarten: Outdoor beer garden (bring food or buy there)
• Imbiss: Fast food stand (Döner, Currywurst)
• Café: Coffee and cake
• International: Every cuisine in cities

Typical costs (2026):

Tipping culture:

• 5-10% expected (not 15-20% like US!)
• Round up for small amounts
• Say total including tip when paying
• Service charge NOT included in bill

Dining customs:

• "Guten Appetit" before eating
• Finish your plate (wasteful not to)
• Tap water not free (order "Leitungswasser" explicitly)
• Cash still common (especially smaller places)
• "Getrennt zahlen" = separate bills (very common!)

Grocery Shopping

Discount supermarkets (Discounter):

• Aldi: German original, excellent quality/price
• Lidl: Similar to Aldi, great deals
• Penny: Budget option
• Netto: Regional discount chain

Mid-range:

• Rewe: Most common, good selection
• Edeka: Wide variety, slightly pricier
• Kaufland: Large format, good prices

Premium:

• Bio Company: Organic specialist
• Alnatura: Organic chain
• Whole Foods-style: Rare, expensive

Weekly grocery cost:

• Single person: €50-80
• Couple: €80-120
• Family of 4: €150-250

Shopping Tips

Bottle deposit (Pfand):

• Plastic bottles: €0.25 each
• Glass bottles: €0.08-0.15
• Return at any supermarket
• Adds up! Don't throw away

Bring your own bags:

• Plastic bags cost €0.10-0.50
• Reusable bags essential
• Or use cardboard boxes (free at store)

Cash is king:

• Many stores cash-only or €10-20 minimum for cards
• Aldi/Lidl accept cards now
• Have cash ready

Store hours:

• Weekdays: 7am-8pm typically
• Saturday: 7am-8pm
• Sunday: CLOSED (except some bakeries, gas stations)
• Plan ahead!

International Food

Finding ingredients:

• Asian: Asia shops widespread, Dong Xuan Center (Berlin)
• Turkish: Every neighborhood has Turkish grocers
• Indian: Spice shops in larger cities
• Middle Eastern: Halal shops common
• Latin: Rarer, try specialty shops in cities

Restaurant quality:

• Turkish/Döner: Excellent, everywhere
• Italian: Very good, popular
• Asian: Good in cities (Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt)
• Indian: Growing, decent quality
• Mexican: Rare, often not authentic

Bakeries (Bäckerei)

Bread culture is serious:

• Fresh bread daily
• 300+ varieties
• €2-5 per loaf
• Sunday bakeries often open briefly

Popular items:

• Brötchen (rolls): €0.30-0.60
• Brezel (pretzel): €1-1.50
• Kuchen (cake): €2-4/slice
• Coffee: €2-3

Dietary Accommodations

Vegetarian:

• Growing options
• Most restaurants have veggie dishes
• "Vegetarisch" widely understood
• Berlin especially veggie-friendly

Vegan:

• Excellent in Berlin, good in major cities
• "Vegan" label common now
• Dedicated vegan restaurants growing
• Supermarkets have vegan sections

Halal/Kosher:

• Halal very easy (large Turkish/Arab population)
• Kosher available in larger cities
• Apps help find options

Gluten-free:

• Growing awareness
• "Glutenfrei" products in most supermarkets
• Restaurants increasingly accommodating

German Food Culture

Meal traditions:

• Breakfast (Frühstück): Bread, cold cuts, cheese, soft-boiled egg
• Second breakfast: Common in Bavaria/South
• Kaffee und Kuchen: Coffee and cake (3-4pm, especially Sunday)
• Abendbrot: "Evening bread" - literally bread, cheese, cold cuts

Seasonal foods:

• Asparagus season (May-June): White asparagus everywhere!
• Oktoberfest (Sept-Oct): Pretzels, sausages, roasted chicken
• Christmas markets (Nov-Dec): Glühwein, Lebkuchen, Stollen
• Winter: Hearty stews, roasts, Grünkohl (kale)

Drinking Culture

Beer (Bier):

• Purity law (Reinheitsgebot) since 1516
• Regional varieties
• 0.5L (Halbe) standard
• Beer gardens in summer

Wine (Wein):

• Excellent German wines (Riesling!)
• Wine regions: Mosel, Rhine, Baden
• White wines especially good
• Less international wine variety

Water:

• Tap water excellent quality
• "Stilles Wasser" (still) or "Sprudelwasser" (sparkling)
• Restaurants charge for water (€2-4)

Food Delivery

Apps:

• Lieferando (most popular)
• Uber Eats
• Wolt
• Gorillas, Flink (grocery delivery)

Costs:

• Delivery fee: €1-4
• Minimum order: €10-15
• Tip included or add €1-2

Tips for Food Success

1. Shop at Aldi/Lidl - Amazing quality for price
2. Try the bread - It's a cultural icon for a reason
3. Learn Sunday closure rule - Shop Saturday!
4. Embrace Döner - €5 for delicious fast food
5. Return Pfand bottles - Free money!
6. Kaffee und Kuchen - Weekend tradition worth adopting
7. "Getrennt zahlen" - Split bills easily