10 Great Restaurants in Bavaria

Dining in Mooselitner is about as close to Austria as you can get while still in Germany. Located in the small town of Freilassing, on the outskirts of Salzburg, the restaurant has fantastic views of the mountains over the border. It's part of Hotel Gasthof Moosleitner, a pretty and historic building dating back hundreds of years.

At Mooseleitner, the focus is on regionality and minimal environmental impact. Almost all produce is locally sourced while solar panels provide energy for the restaurant. The food is simple, traditional and hearty, offering dishes like wiener schnitzel and veal. Waitstaff wear traditional Bavarian clothing, which only heightens the experience.   

Restaurant Uberfahrt is widely known as one of Rottach-Egern’s premier dining options. Located on the shore of Lake Tegernsee in the Bavarian Alps, this 3-Michelin-starred restaurant offers diners a very indulgent dining experience, from its neutral and modern decor to its beautifully plated dishes.

Designed to create a balance between international flavors and regional roots, each of the 5- and 7-course meals is thoughtfully crafted. Dishes include red mullet with green tomatoes, beans and Escabeche brew, and langoustines with caviar. It’s a pricey place to eat in Bavaria, but well worth it for a special occasion.

Das Kulinariat is a small, minimalist restaurant in the residential area of Schwanthaler Hohe in Munich. Its owners have managed to create a welcoming and informal space where diners can enjoy laidback lunches during the week and breakfast at weekends.

There is a lovely courtyard at the back where herbs are grown. So don’t be surprised if you see a chef casually snapping some stalks from the garden to use in their latest kitchen creation. Dishes include meat and fish, but mostly are plant-heavy so you get a nice balance for each meal. Expect to see truffle pasta and raw vegetable salad with a cashew marinade.

Etz describes itself as ‘culinary mindfulness’, which gives you an idea of what you can enjoy at this seasonally-minded restaurant. Located in Nuremberg’s Sandberg district, this is a thoroughly unassuming restaurant from the outside. Once you step inside, it’s a pleasing mix of industrial chic and modern, with plants dotted around the dining room to create a sense of homeliness.

Etz sees the year as being split into 7 seasons, and this is how it designs its menus. January to March bring pickled and fermented ingredients, berries and stone fruits arrive in June, while mushroom season arrives in October. Expect 12- to 16-course set menus at Etz, resulting in a full-evening experience that begins with a tour of the test kitchen.

Restaurant Pageou is found in the beautiful building of the CityQuartier Funf Hofe shopping mall in Munich. However, it’s miles away from the usual foodcourt fare. Located in a vast high-ceilinged space, the restaurant is light and bright, with a private space available, as well as a courtyard for those warm Munich summers.

The restaurant serves up contemporary food with a middle eastern twist, using fresh and regional produce. Lunch, dinner and a la carte menus contain dishes like eggplant stuffed peppers with potato sage cream, olives and sun-dried tomatoes, or duck breast with spiced cabbage, apricot and celery nougat puree.

Michelin-starred Juno 1408 sits in the heart of the city of Wurzburg, just a short walk from the River Main. The 1408 in the name relates to the date of the restaurant's building, so you experience a bit of history here.

This is a fine-dining spot that focuses on French food and cooking techniques. Its 5-, 6- and 7-course menus are well-presented on simple tableware. Expect a dining room decorated in dark, brooding colors, but is simultaneously modern and welcoming. Standout dishes include venison (with mushrooms, macadamia and pumpkin) and Jerusalem artichoke (with pomelo and blood orange).

Mundart is a breath of fresh air in the Bavarian dining scene. It manages to balance regional German traditions with a modern outlook and similarly forward-thinking branding. This simple-looking restaurant sits in Oberammergau, near the beautiful Ettal Forest. 

Everything served in the restaurant is free from additives and preservatives, creating a fresh and healthy menu of classic Bavarian cuisines with a contemporary twist. You can look forward to dishes like beet apple tartare with smoked trout and apple jelly and veal knuckle ravioli, all served alongside Mundart’s own brand beers.

Restaurant Tantris is architect-designed, sporting a distinctive red and black interior and dragons at the entrance, your experience begins before a morsel of food passes your lips. A stalwart in Munich’s dining scene since the 1970s, the restaurant is split into 3 neighborhoods. There is the 2-Michelin-starred Tantris Restaurant (modern French), 1-Michelin-starred Tantris DNA (classic French), and Tantris Bar.

Choose from menus starting from 3 courses at lunchtime, right up to 8 courses for an evening meal. Sample decadent options like scallop, pumpkin and truffle en croute (pastry crust), as well as pigeon and duck liver with beet. 

Restaurant Die Ecke dates back almost 500 years, making it one of the oldest restaurants in Augsburg. It sits proudly along a street filled with pretty German buildings in the city's Old Town. Inside, the restaurant is tastefully decorated with dark wood and white linens.

Restaurant Die Ecke focuses on Swabian-Bavarian regional fare. Provenance is important, with game meat sourced from nearby forests. Seasonality is important too, with fruits and vegetables served appropriately throughout the year. Dishes include deer with strudel, dumplings and vegetables, and river trout with lemon-thyme sauce and ratatouille. Enjoy its finely presented dishes alongside a wine list of over 100 options.

Veles is a gourmet restaurant in the Gostenhof district of Nuremburg. With 1 Michelin star and 1 green Michelin star for sustainability, this dining venue comes with impressive credentials. Uunlike other restaurants of this quality, in Veles, you can enjoy a delicious 5-course feast at a rather affordable price. 

All menus change regularly depending on what’s available. Vegetarian and vegan options are available upon request, while wine flights are expertly paired with Veles's dishes. Natural wines are the order of the day, following the latest trend for everything unprocessed. All of the dishes are beautifully plated, and the care taken to create such intricate designs makes them a pleasure to receive at your table.