How to read a German menu

How a German menu is laid out

A German menu (Speisekarte) usually runs Vorspeisen (starters), Suppen (soups), Salate, Hauptgerichte or Hauptspeisen (mains), Beilagen (sides) and Nachspeisen or Desserts. Learning how to read a German menu also means reading the small print: numbers and letters beside dish names point to footnotes for additives and allergens, and the key is at the bottom of the page.

Most mains come complete, with potatoes, dumplings, noodles or salad, and the Beilagen section lets you swap or add sides. "Wahlweise" means you get a choice.

Other parts of the menu to look for:

• Tagesgericht / Tageskarte: dish or menu of the day.
• Mittagstisch: cheaper weekday lunch specials, usually served only until mid-afternoon.
• Saisonkarte: a seasonal insert, such as Spargel (white asparagus) in spring, Pfifferlinge (chanterelles) in summer, or Wild (game) and Gans (goose) in autumn and winter.
• Kleine Gerichte / Brotzeit: snacks and cold plates, often bread, sausage and cheese.
• Kinderteller / Seniorenteller: smaller portions for children or older diners.
• Getränkekarte: the drinks list, with the volume beside each price (0,3 l, 0,5 l). Germany writes decimals with a comma.

Menu prices include VAT (MwSt.) and service. "Warme Küche bis 21 Uhr" means hot food is served until 21:00, even if the bar stays open.

Words you'll see on every menu

German compound nouns stack words together: Schweinebraten is pork roast, Kartoffelsalat is potato salad. Split long words into parts and they usually translate themselves.

Cooking methods

Meat, seafood and key ingredients

Allergy and diet watch-outs

German and Austrian cooking leans on celery, mustard, egg and pork in ways that are easy to miss, and the menu footnotes are the first place to look.

Celery. Suppengrün (soup greens) is a bundle of celeriac, carrot, leek and parsley, and it goes into most stocks, soups, gravies and braises, including Sauerbraten. See celery.

Mustard. Senf comes with sausages, Leberkäse and Weißwurst, and it's spread inside Rinderrouladen (beef rolls). It also goes into Remoulade, dressings and potato salad. See mustard.

Egg. Spätzle and many noodles are made with egg, breadcrumb coatings are stuck on with egg, and bread dumplings (Semmelknödel) are bound with it. Remoulade, Kaiserschmarrn and many cakes contain egg. See eggs.

Gluten. Breaded Schnitzel, bread dumplings, Brezeln, roux-thickened gravies and beer-based sauces (often with Schweinshaxe) all contain gluten. Sauerbraten gravy is sometimes thickened with gingerbread or crumbled biscuits. See gluten.

Milk. Cream sauces (Rahm-), butter, clarified butter for frying Schnitzel, and Käsespätzle are all dairy. See milk.

Nuts. Almonds top Bienenstich, marzipan fills Stollen and many pastries, and Linzer torte and Nusskuchen are made with ground nuts. See tree nuts.

Pork and lard. Bacon goes into potato salad (especially in the south), Spätzle dishes, soups and sauces. Schmalz is served as a bread spread and some kitchens fry in it. Gelatine sets many desserts. These matter for vegetarian and halal diets.

Fish and sulphites. Herring (Matjes, Rollmops) and fish rolls are common in the north. Wine goes into sauces and Sauerbraten marinades, and dried fruit in Stollen and strudel can carry sulphites. See fish.

The footnotes. German rules require certain additives to be declared for unpackaged food, with phrases such as "mit Farbstoff" (with colouring), "mit Konservierungsstoff" (with preservative) and "mit Geschmacksverstärker" (with flavour enhancer). Menus usually turn these into numbered footnotes. Allergen information can be on the menu, or given verbally by trained staff; in Germany that only works if a notice tells you so and a written or electronic record is available on request.

In Austria, allergens are often shown with fixed letter codes: A gluten, B crustaceans, C egg, D fish, E peanuts, F soy, G milk, H tree nuts, L celery, M mustard, N sesame, O sulphites, P lupin, R molluscs. German restaurants often use letters too, but each sets its own key, so always read the legend.

Useful phrases

"Allergisch" is the same for everyone, but Vegetarier becomes Vegetarierin for a woman. Use the polite Sie form with staff; the phrases above avoid the pronoun so they work either way. "Ich darf kein... essen" (I'm not allowed to eat) signals a medical need more clearly than "ich mag kein" (I don't like).

Ordering and paying

In casual places and beer halls you often seat yourself and share long tables; a sign saying Stammtisch means that table is reserved for regulars. In traditional Bavarian beer gardens you can usually bring your own food to the self-service area.

When you ask for the bill, the server comes to the table and asks "zusammen oder getrennt?" (together or separately). Separate bills by item are completely normal, even for big groups: each person says what they had.

Service is included in the prices, so tipping is a gesture. Rounding up or adding around 5 to 10 percent is common. Tip as you pay rather than leaving coins on the table: name the total ("30, bitte" on a 27.50 bill) or say "stimmt so" to keep the change.

Cash is still used far more than in many countries. Most restaurants take cards, but some smaller places are cash only or have a minimum, so check before ordering.

Water isn't brought automatically. Mineral water (still: ohne Kohlensäure or still; sparkling: mit Kohlensäure) is the default and is charged, and some places charge for tap water too.

Dishes to know

• Schnitzel: thin breaded cutlet; Wiener Schnitzel is veal, Schnitzel Wiener Art is usually pork.
• Currywurst: sliced sausage (usually pork) in curry-spiced ketchup, often with chips.
• Spätzle: soft egg noodles from the south-west, often as Käsespätzle with cheese and fried onions.
• Sauerbraten: beef marinated for days in vinegar and wine, braised, with a sweet-sour gravy.
• Schweinshaxe: roast pork knuckle with crackling, usually with dumplings and beer gravy.
• Rinderrouladen: beef rolls filled with mustard, bacon, onion and pickled gherkin, braised in gravy.
• Kartoffelsalat: potato salad, with vinegar and bacon in the south or mayonnaise in the north.
• Brezel: lye-baked pretzel, often served with butter or Obatzda (a spiced cheese spread).
• Apfelstrudel: thin pastry rolled around apple, raisins and cinnamon, often with breadcrumbs or nuts.

Questions

What do the numbers and letters on German menus mean?

They point to footnotes at the bottom of the menu. Numbers usually flag additives such as colouring or preservatives, and letters or numbers flag the 14 regulated allergens. In Austria the allergen letters usually follow a standard national code from A (gluten) to R (molluscs); in Germany each restaurant sets its own key, so read the legend.

What does 'zusammen oder getrennt' mean?

It means together or separately, and the server asks it when you pay. Getrennt means each person pays for their own items, which is completely normal in Germany and Austria, even for large groups.

How much should you tip in Germany?

Service is included in menu prices, and tipping is a gesture rather than an obligation. Rounding up or adding around 5 to 10 percent is common. Tell the server the total you want to pay, or say 'stimmt so' to keep the change, rather than leaving money on the table.

Is tap water free in German restaurants?

Not automatically. Restaurants usually serve bottled mineral water, still or sparkling, and charge for it. You can ask for Leitungswasser (tap water), but some places charge for it or prefer you to order bottled.

Sources

1. European Commission: Food information to consumers legislation
2. Gesetze im Internet: Lebensmittelinformations-Durchführungsverordnung (LMIDV) § 4
3. Gesetze im Internet: Lebensmittelzusatzstoff-Durchführungsverordnung (LMZDV) § 5
4. oesterreich.gv.at: Allergiker-Informationen in der Gastronomie

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.