53 Best Restaurants in Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast, Germany

Located in an old merchant house decorated with oil paintings featuring 19th-century sailing ships, this small and elegant seafood restaurant is a Hamburg classic. It's one of the best places to get traditional dishes such as Hamburger pannfisch (fried catch of the day in a wine-and-mustard sauce) at a very reasonable price.

A proud owner of a Michelin star since it opened its doors in 1978, Landhaus Scherrer continues to be one of the city's best-known and most celebrated restaurants. The focus is on the use of organic, sustainable ingredients to produce classic and modern German cuisine with international touches, and unsurprisingly, the accompanying wine list is exceptional.

Owner Jörg Müller, considered by many to be the island's leading chef, serves haute cuisine in the gracious and friendly setting of an old thatch-roof farmhouse, which doubles as a small hotel. Restaurant "JM" offers outstanding dining with a seasonal menu that incorporates a diverse locally sourced selection of produce and fish.

This dark, wood-panel restaurant dating back to 1535 is the city's old Mariners' Society house, which was off-limits to women until 1870. Today locals and visitors alike enjoy freshly brewed beer and great seafood in church-style pews at long 400-year-old oak tables.

The kitchen at this much-loved little bistro in Eimsbüttel officially opens for business at 7 pm, but Vienna opens its doors early in the afternoon for those wanting an espresso or aperitif from their tiny bar. Early arrivers might still be asked to share a table in the dining room or outside in the courtyard, but given the lovingly prepared sausages, fresh fish dishes, and hearty desserts coming out of the kitchen, it will matter little to most.

The Alt Hamburger Aalspeicher specializes in fish, including Hamburg's famous Aalsuppe (a clear broth with a variety of vegetables, seafood, and meat—basically everything that is leftover). Over time the Low German word for everything (all) became mistaken for the word for eel (Aal), so some restaurants make eel the focus, while others stick with creating their own versions of the soup.

Located in Wismar's oldest patrician house and regarded as one of the most attractive, authentic taverns on the Baltic—and correspondingly busy—this eatery focuses on Mecklenburg's fish, game and poultry dishes, such as the traditional Mecklenburger Ente (Mecklenburg duck). The duck is filled with baked plums, apples, and raisins, and served with red cabbage and potatoes.

Don't be fooled by the prefab exterior: Schwerin's only brewery is an oasis of great beer and down-to-earth regional and Brauhaus specialties like the Malzsack (a pork schnitzel breaded with brewing malt) or Mecklenburger lamb. Wash it down with the house-brewed unfiltered light or dark beer.

Still a shining star in the row of romantic restaurants that sit along Hamburg's riverfront, Am Kai, in keeping with its location, has a menu heavy on seafood. Raw oysters and sashimi share the menu with offerings of tuna and North Sea sole, and amongst the beef dishes there’s a Surf and Turf to keep lovers of both worlds happy.

Taste the "Divine beer of the Vikings," a malty cold-fermented amber lager, at Schleswig's only brewery. While the Luzifer Restaurant offers typical brewpub fare, it is the small Viking twists, like roast meat served only with a knife and horned glasses that make this place worth a visit.

All over Germany, no beer brand has become so closely associated with Hamburg (and especially St. Pauli) than Astra. In addition to its main industrial brewery, the brand runs a microbrewery and restaurant directly on the Reeperbahn. Here, they offer IPAs and other specialty beers that can only be enjoyed there as it is produced in much smaller batches. A full menu featuring everything from finger food to lobster make this a great starting point to a legendary evening on the Kiez.

Tucked away close to a lively square full of bars with a more local vibe not far from the Reeperbahn, The Bird is a New York-style restaurant serving some of the best and most creative hamburgers and steaks in town and a great selection of domestic and international beers.

Wismar's first brewery (1452) is the only place that still brews Wismarer Mumme, a dark beer with enough alcohol to keep it fresh for export as far away as St. Petersburg. The restaurant serves good-value typical pub food in an old half-timber house near the harbor.

A stalwart of Hamburg's gay and lesbian neighborhood, this local favorite is probably best known for its friendly service and outrageously good cakes—spiced apple; rhubarb; and Black Forest gâteau among them—that are baked on-site in the café's own Konditorei. Beyond its sweet treats, the café whips up solid German breakfasts of bread rolls with smoked salmon and herring or cold cuts and cheeses and has a dependable if somewhat unexciting lunch and dinner menu.

A slice of Paris in the heart of Hamburg, this turn-of-the-19th-century café's unfailing popularity derives from its superb traditional French fare, which naturally includes steak frites and beef tartare, served by crisply polite staff beneath a tiled Art Nouveau ceiling. The café's bar is an ideal spot to take in the atmosphere and sample something off the superb wine list until a table becomes free.

This extension of the Louis C. Jacob Hotel consists of a relaxed Bistro, a wine bar, and a more formal Brasserie that boasts a large bay window with excellent views of ships gliding up the Elbe. But it's the brasserie that stands out, offering a unique take on French dishes with seasonal northern German ingredients as well as local fish delicacies.

Hamburg’s highest restaurant and bar awaits you on the 23rd floor of the "Tanzende Türme” (Dancing Towers) skyscrapers, dazzling with floor-to-ceiling views over the city, excellent cocktails, and creative crossover cuisine cooked in an open kitchen. The culinary focus here is on a variety of different steaks and cuts of meat.

Cox has delighted guests with its nouvelle German cuisine for years, and with a cool, dark interior and red-leather banquettes reminiscent of a French brasserie, it remains one of the hippest places around. Friday and Saturday night sees its two large rooms swell with diners, and consequently service can slow a little. However, dishes such as truffle ragout fin of calf's tongue served in a puff pastry patty, and a friendly, knowledgeable staff, easily compensate.

This bright-red lightship served in the English Channel before it retired to the city harbor in 1989 and became a landmark restaurant, guesthouse, and pub. Local favorites such as Hamburger Pannfisch (panfried fish with mustard sauce) and Labskaus (a mixture of corned beef, potato, onion, beet, and gherkins) are on the ship's extensive menu, along with Argentine steaks and rack of lamb.

Venture beyond the grand exterior of this 19th-century bank building and you'll find yourself in an elegant bar and brasserie lighted by opulent chandeliers set in a ceiling supported by handsome black columns. Diners can feast on steaks, goose, and sashimi at white-clothed tables or out on the restaurant's spacious, sunny terrace.

A welcoming fish restaurant just five minutes' walk from the Holstentor has a trendy industrial-style interior and showcases modern cuisine with a focus on regional ingredients, including organically farmed catfish from Brandenburg. Hot meals are available all day, and the restaurant brews its own beer. Across the street ( An d. Untertrave 52A), Fangfrisch sells sandwiches and fish rolls to go from their food truck.

For some of the best fish in Hamburg, book a table at this splendid portside restaurant, which looks plain from the outside, but feels like a dining room aboard a luxury liner inside. The menu changes daily according to what's available in the fish market that morning; the elegant oyster bar here is a favorite with the city's beau monde.

One of the best dining choices in the region has held a Michelin star for more than twenty years. Located in an old manor house (now a luxurious Relais & Chateaux hotel), the gourmet restaurant is open for dinner and offers a prix-fixe menu with international dishes. In summer, outdoor dining on the patio is a great way to relax. 

Located where St. Pauli meets Schanze, Hatari offers traditional southwestern German food in the far north. Sit at one of the long, rustic wooden tables and enjoy a plate of Käsespätzle or delicacies from the Rhineland at affordable prices. The folksy decoration gives the impression of a modest eatery frozen in time, but the clientele here is mostly made up of hip Schanze locals who flock to this restaurant for its unique vibe.

Right on the Kieler Förde, with a great view of the bay, this new restaurant offers regional and international dishes in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. There is a second branch in the city center ( Holstenbrücke 1), with a menu focusing on craft beer and meat.

This friendly restaurant offers a mix of regional and international dishes, all fresh and full of flavor. The small but excellent menu includes items such as octopus, shrimp, and scallops on pumpkin three ways, and delectable desserts such as crème brûlée with apricots, vanilla ice cream and tonka beans.

Kiel has been a center of German brewing since the Middle Ages, when industrious citizens brewed around the clock for export and visiting merchant seamen. In this brauhaus you can try the Kieler Original and other north German beers in pitchers, or order Kiel beer in large wooden barrels to tap yourself at the table.