Leipzig Restaurants

Leipzig has always had an excellent reputation for offering wonderful hospitality. German food is generally both good value and of a high quality. Pork is the staple element of German cuisine and just about every part of the pig is eaten. It also forms the main ingredient for sausages, which are the German's most popular snack.   There are even special restaurants dedicated to the German sausage.   These are known as Wurstküchen, some of which have Michelin ratings.

Local cuisine

Bratwurst and other cooked sausages can be found at schnellimbiss, which are takeaway food stalls. These are located everywhere and the food can be eaten as either quick snacks or main meals. Portions are always large and come either served with brötchen (bread rolls) kartoffelsalat (potato salad) or with pommes frites, French fries. Sauerkraut is another favourite that you'll find in Leipzig. It's made from pickled cabbage and is served as a side dish with meat such as eisbein (pork leg) or rippchen (ribs). However, sauerkraut should not be confused with sauerbraten, another traditional dish that is made by marinating a joint of roast beef in a sweet and sour marinade for two days.

Vegetarians will find Germany problematic, as menus are almost exclusively for meat-eaters and even an item such as tomato soup might contain small chunks of bacon. If you want a meat-free meal, be sure to double check first that the dishes you order contain no meat.

Where to eat

You will find an abundance of restaurants located throughout the city, catering to all budgets. All restaurants display their menus by the door and hot meals are usually served throughout the day. Famous restaurants in Leipzig include the Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum, which is one of Europe’s oldest. It has seen many famous visitors in its time, such as Robert Schumann, and offers an excellent range of snacks and light meals.

Auerbachs Keller is the authentic historical cellar restaurant featured in the famous drama by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, ‘Faust’. You will find a range of traditional set meals here as well as a range of dishes which are prepared using only fresh seasonal ingredients. Stadtpfeiffer is a gourmet restaurant which can be found next door to the main entrance to the Gewandhaus concert hall. It serves top-class dishes, which are always very well presented.