Some Hints on Dining Out in Germany

Dining out in a German restaurant can be a delightful experience! But there are several cultural and practical differences from the American norm ...

First off, eating at a sit-down restaurant in Germany is generally not fast, and can be a very time-consuming (if very rewarding!) experience. (It takes awhile to properly prepare that delicious German food!) A lot of the larger restaurants, especially in tourist areas, will have a menu (“die Speisekarte”) that includes English (although some of their English food names may not really tell you what the dish is!). (Note - the word “Menu” in German does NOT mean the same as menu in English - ask for the Speisekarte, not the Menu.) Most of the time, you order a main course meal, and you get what it comes with - you don’t get a choice of vegetables, salad, bread, etc. (there is the possibility of substitution, though). If you want to order bread and/or a condiment that doesn’t come with the meal, it will cost extra (up until very recently, you had to pay for every packet of ketchup or mayonnaise in any restaurant).

Normally the waiter/waitress will not bring you the bill (“die Rechnung”) until you ask for it (even if you are obviously finished). For that matter, after the waiter/waitress brings your food, you generally won’t see them again at your table until you call them. If you are in a hurry and the place is busy, it may take some doing to get their attention and get them to come to your table with the bill (if you are lucky, they will come to clear off the table, and you can ask to pay then). You can try holding up your wallet as a signal, or if all else fails, just get up and go to them. Also note that at most sit-down restaurants, you walk in and choose your own table - you don’t have to wait to be seated. If the place is crowded, you can also sit at empty spaces at a table where others are eating - just ask “Ist hier frei?” - this is done all the time in crowded restaurants in Germany.

You will hear almost every waiter/waitress in Germany say two things to all customers - “Guten Appetit” when they bring the food, and either “Hat es gut Geschmack?” or “Schmeckt es Ihnen?” when they clear the dishes - asking if you liked the meal. (You could just answer “Sehr gut, danke!”)

A few hints about drinks in restaurants - there are no free refills on drinks, including coffee, etc. (the concept of the “free refill” is just coming to a few fast food restaurants, like McDonald’s). Most Germans drink beer, wine, or sparkling water, or soft drinks, with their meal. A glass of table water or tapwater is almost unknown (and it won’t be free!) - if you’d like just plain water, ask for “Stilles Wasser” - this will get you a bottled water without carbonation. Another restaurant drink that is almost unknown is milk (milk is for babies). If you like diet colas, there are only a very few choices - “Cola Light” is about the same as Diet Coke (the taste is slightly different). One final drink hint - there is a very good reason why German beers are world renowned!