The German dining scene has undergone a major metamorphosis in recent decades, resulting in a growth in the number of restaurants that are recognized by the Michelin guide for their quality.  This list of restaurants should not be considered complete and 100% authoritative, but rather as a starting point.  We merely suggest that you listen to your inner voice when seeking a restaurant in a town or region with high numbers of tourists.

Click on the region below that you are interested in dining in.

Following are some basic guidelines to dining out in Germany:

Upon entering an Austrian, German or Swiss dining establishment do not wait to be seated. It could be a long wait. Diners are expected to find their own table. If you see a sign (in German, of course) that says "Please wait to be seated," you have chosen an exclusive and probably very expensive spot to dine.

Tap water at dinner.  Most Europeans avoid drinking tap water in general--not because it isn't safe; they just don't want to spoil a perfectly good meal with such a bland liquid! After all, there are so many better things to drink!  If water is desired, it is almost always bottled Mineralwasser (sparkling mineral water).

Paying the check is almost always done at the table with the waiter or waitress who served you. The foodserver even carries a money pouch to take care of the financial transaction. He or she also receives an automatic 15 percent of the check, included in the price of the meal. This service fee is known as Bedienung. So don't add on another 10-15 percent! And don't leave any tip on the table. In Europe you usually round off the amount of the check

It can come as a rather nasty surprise to suddenly discover that the nice restaurant you just dined in does NOT accept credit cards. Although almost unheard of in North America, many restaurants in the German-speaking world, even some very fine ones, do not accept credit cards of any kind.