Where To FInd German Cuisine in NYC
You know, people often ask on our food tours: “Where can I find German cuisine in New York City?” Historically, New York City has been home to many German immigrants, from the East Village’s Kleindeutschland to Yorkville on the Upper East Side and everywhere in between! From the schnitzel to the spätzle, we’ve rounded up the best spots for wurst - get it? Here is where to find authentic German cuisine in NYC!
Reichenback Hall / 5 West 37th Street
Adorably, this spot was right across the street from the hotel where my family stayed for my wedding a few years back, and I hear they made repeated visits to Reichenback Hall! My dad has German ancestry, so I’m glad he got to experience this. Technically speaking, the food at Reichenback is all over the map: from Berlin’s favorite street food Currywurst to the Bavarian classic pretzel, even Polish kielbasa and Swedish meatballs! Served in a convenient and cozy Midtown spot with live sports and plenty of beers, Reichenback Hall may become YOUR family’s favorite. Tell your folks to save me a spot on the shotski!
Rolf’s German Restaurant / 281 3rd Avenue
Not only is Rolf’s German Restaurant well-known for its German cuisine, it might just be Instagram-famous as New York City’s most aesthetic restaurant! Known to decorate for the holidays with over-the-top baubles and lights displays, a glass of Glûhwein at Rolf’s is a Christmas tradition for many New Yorkers. The menu includes a variety of wursts - that’s sausage! - to accompany your German beer, wine, or Schnapps. Classic German cuisine includes schnitzel: a pounded-thin and breaded cut of meat, spätzle: egg noodle or small dumplings seasoned with nutmeg, and the absolute best: German potato salad! Every salad is better with potatoes, I believe.
Hoffbräu Bierhaus NYC / 712 Third Avenue
NYC’s very own branch of Munich’s Hoffbräu Bierhaus is just a short walk from Grand Central Station, but a complete departure from the ordinary. While you’re making new friends sharing a mini keg at the welcoming communal tables, pass around a plate of Frikadellen - German-style pork and beef meatballs in gravy, or split the massive Pretzel Party Platter, which includes biercheese and chips, schnitzel fingers, and sausages. There are even vegan and gluten free options to enjoy! That’s some real German hospitality!
Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten / 7 Rivington Street
What’s more iconic than a beer garden? How about a year-round, tented, heated, seasonally-decorated beer garden! While some enjoy cozying up to German cuisine in a dimly-lit, highly decorated spot, some enjoy the open air, and Loreley Beer Garden is for them! Alongside the menus of drinks, visitors can find a good variety of sandwiches, wursts, and schnitzel - including eggplant schnitzel for vegetarian guests!
Heidelberg Restaurant / 1648 Second Avenue
One of New York City’s oldest German restaurants, this Yorkville establishment dates back to 1939 - when one might hear the German language roll off the tongues of the Upper East Side residents as easily as yours can imagine the taste of the rich and succulent käesespätzle - oven-baked spätzle pasta smothered in Emmenthaller cheese. The pumpernickel, the potato pancakes, the sausages, the schnitzel! If you’re looking for authentic German cuisine in an authentic German restaurant in a historically German neighborhood, Heidelberg delivers!
German cuisine is as quintessential to New York City as some of our own most iconic cuisine, which, indeed, has its roots in German cuisine!
