Thoughts on eating in restaurants & buying groceries in Germany

[Cairycat]

We (husband, grown son and I) just got back from a 10 day trip to Germany. We spent six days in Berlin, then took the train to the small northern Bavarian town of Kitzingen, where I lived in the mid seventies, and were there two nights, one day. I kept a journal and noted most of the restaurants we ate at and the food, but wanted to share some general thoughts.

Berlin is a very dynamic, multicultural city. There are an enormous number of restaurants, representing many cuisines, especially Middle Eastern. With so many places to eat, it's relatively inexpensive to eat in restaurants, bakeries and cafes in Berlin.

In Germany, one usually just seats oneself in a restaurant. Usually though, if you exhibit some hesitation, restaurant staff will ask how many are in your party and seat you. The international signal that you're ready to order is closed menus. Every place we ate, they got each person's food order and then took drink orders, whereas, at least where I live, you order your food and drink at the same time. Sometimes, if we looked to be having trouble deciding what we wanted, they'd get the drinks first and then get the food order.

Both in Berlin and in Kitzingen, in ethnic and in German restaurants, the food was served very attractively. It being summer, many dishes were garnished with tomato and cucumber, and sometimes fresh fruit as well. It seemed that rather more care and attention was paid to presentation than is often the case in the US, especially in restaurants that are not high end.

Food in Germany is served piping hot. Not that you often get cold or lukewarm food it the US, but in Germany it was always really hot.

Our appetites may have been affected by traveling and touring, but we found the German portions quite large and often more than we could eat at a sitting.

I think in Germany people are more accustomed to sitting and enjoying dinner companions' company. In the US, the server tends to bring the bill as soon as they note you're finished (or in a busy place may even try to rush you a little), but we had to learn to either allow plenty of time for a meal, or risk looking like impatient Americans and ask for the bill.

We did do some grocery shopping. Food prices, at least in Berlin, seem cheaper for a lot of things than they are here. Beer can be had for 59 Euro cents for a half liter bottle. A kilo of Italian apricots was 1.49 Euros - California apricots had been selling for $2.99 a pound here in Iowa, so that's roughly four times the price. Much produce and other foodstuffs were "bio" (organic) and not that much more expensive than the regular kind.

There is a deposit on most bottles and cans of drinks - often 25 Euro cents, so it adds up.

I plan to talk about specific meals in the "What's for dinner" and breakfast threads, but thought you might be interested in my general observations.

[Ohiogal]

1. Thank you, Cairycat

I traveled in Germany and Austria back in the mid 80s and it seems as though not much has changed as far as German restaurants.

I did remember breakfast bars were popular .... most serving yogurt, hard rolls, and many even offered liverwurst on Melba toast or rye crackers.

Did the wait staff bring you a glass of water without your asking like they do in American restaurants? I noticed in Germany and Austria they do not, although they are happy to bring you some water if you ask for it. Also in small cafes while walking around the cities, they do not inundate your cold drink with a ton of ice like they do in this country.

[Cairycat]

4. Breakfast, water, other thoughts ....

The breakfasts at the cafes we ate at were extensively garnished plates with rolls, cheeses, sometimes meat or else scrambled eggs (occasionally fried eggs). I like cafe au lait here, so I really enjoyed German Milchkaffee. My husband usually drinks his coffee with about half the cup full of half and half, but people in restaurants had no idea what he was talking about when he'd ask for cream in his coffee, and we never did find anything very equivalent in the grocery store, so he settled for Milchcaffee when we were out, and whole milk at the AirBnB.

We were never brought water without asking, and we didn't ask. I think my son did ask for "Leitungswasser" (tap water) once, but decided it was not worth the bother. I think one place he did get Coke with ice, but otherwise not.

The second night we were in Kitzingen, I had to laugh, because my son and I both had fries with our dinner. They brought him a packet of ketchup, but not me (making a judgement that he would want things more American-style). Usually ketchup was in a small dish (along with a small dish of mayonnaise, because that's what Europeans like), and not as much ketchup as we were used to.

It seems that German law requires menus to list allergens and additives for each dish, so that would be very helpful if you had concerns or sensitivities. Berlin is a restaurant paradise for vegetarians and vegans - every place had quite a selection. Even in Kitzingen there was something vegetarian or vegan on every menu.

[Ohiogal]

5. Thank you!

All very interesting.

I remember dining at a small place in Salzburg, the waitress brought us each a very small glass of water, presuming correctly that we were Americans. I never made it to Berlin but boy would I love to go back some day. My adult son speaks pretty fluent German and I told him some time he will have to take his Mom back there for a trip.

Same in Finland and Sweden with the ice-less drinks. In Finland, they drop whatever they're doing mid morning and mid afternoon to sit and have coffee, the strong kind served in little cups. Of course I was there a long time ago, maybe it's different now.

[iamateacher]

2. Interesting Observations!

Our observations were also that German portions are huge. We were told by our hosts that the signal that you are finished was to lay the knife and fork across the plate.
We shop a lot at grocery stores in Europe. We have noted in all the countries that the areas for junk food (soda, chips, cookies, candy) are much much smaller...

[CatMor]

3. Thank you for sharing ...

your post is an informative and enjoyable read.

[japple]

7. Ach! The food in Germany. My family lived in Augsburg and Mainz in 1950-1962 when Dad was

stationed in Germany. We were exposed to vast array of foods that we have never been able to duplicate here in the US. Our favorites were the salt rolls (size & shape of hot dog buns) sprinkled with coarse salt and carraway seed, the butter, the cheese, the pickles and all of the beautiful breads, pastries and, of course, gummibaren.

Thanks so much for sharing notes from your recent visit. It really makes me want to go back to see those beautiful places again.

Danke. Danke schoen.

[mitch96]

8. "Our favorites were the salt rolls sprinkled with coarse salt and carraway seed"

Ach! di zalts-Schangles!! When my father was in port (he was merchant marine) he would stop at a jewish bakery in Far Rockaway NY for bagels, bialys and the salt rolls of what you speak.. He called them Salt-Schangles. I don't know if that was the real name of them but that's what we called them... Great stuff with warm butter while reading the comics on a sunday morning... Good times..
m

[japple]

9. I think the bread was made with rye flour, plus wheat flour. At any rate, it had a unique taste

and texture that I've never found anywhere else. Our family enjoyed them with butter, cheese, pickles. Or just butter.

[mitch96]

11. " I've never found anywhere else"

I wonder if you can still find the zaltstangles in the old neighborhood bakeries in NY. I never go up there any more but it would be a neat find...
m

[spinbaby]

10. Hotel breakfasts are wonderful

Here in the states, I never eat the free hotel breakfasts, but in Germany and Switzerland they’re worth eating with sausages, cheeses, house-made yogurt, terrific whole-grain breads, raw veggies, fresh fruit, soft-boiled eggs, and all manner of goodies.