Dining and Drinking

Despite the fact that a typical Hanover restaurant is much the same in Hanover as anywhere else, the city has a great number of diverse and interesting restaurants scattered across the Hanover. But there are also a great number of smaller, but very individual places which are really worth discovering. As in most German cities, there are a substantial number of Italian restaurants, which are very diverse in value and quality. You will also find many Greek and Balkan restaurants and ethnic Spanish places. French cuisine, however, is rare. For local German restaurants you'll get all the facets, which are as diverse as the country itself: hearty Bavarian dishes, pancake specialties, potatoes in all possible variations, sauerkraut and highly nutritious vegetarian meals.

City Center

If you love rustic Bavarian comfort, ambiance and dishes, visit Bavarium. As well as good hearty food and Bavarian beer, you can also experience the blue-white folklore style, just like you would imagine a Bavarian Bierzelt. Although the restaurant has 200 seats it is very crowded most of the time, if you go there in groups, a reservation is recommended. You can also expect a cozy and homey German ambiance at Vater & Sohn, a very rustic environment with some of the best fried potatoes around. Right beside the historic Kröpcke Clock in the middle of the pedestrian district, you'll not only be able to taste the legendary ice cream which gave the place its name, you can also enjoy high quality international dishes, as the house encompasses several restaurants: Café Kröpcke with Swiss specialties, the American-oriented Opus 1, the vegetarian Grünschnabel.

Neustadt & Südstadt

Da Lello is a very popular place in the Südstadt. For more than 17 years it has been a Mecca for high society and VIPs. The restaurant also guarantees high class Italian dishes. So does the small but very exclusive Roma. If you are looking for Chinese food in the center of Hanover, you should note the Ente Von Peking, it is the only restaurant in Hanover where you don't have to order the Peking duck in advance. If you love homemade German food, you should also check out the Pfannkuchenhaus in the Calenberger Strasse. Here you'll get all sorts of truly tasty pancakes, which are baked over an open fire and served with real maple syrup. A bit more high-class is the Landhaus Ammann.

Oststadt & Südstadt

When in the Oststadt and Südstadt area, take a walk around the Maschsee, an artificial lake in southern Hanover. You'll find the Bell'Arte first, a fine Italian restaurant with ever-changing art exhibitions and a great view of the Maschsee. Then there is Pier 51, which is built on the lake, once a yacht school it has been rebuilt into a wonderful restaurant with international food. One of the best 600 restaurants in Germany is the multi-honored Die Insel. The specialty here is pleasant with cream and cabbage in Champagne. If you dine on the big terrace, you'll have a great view of the Maschsee. The Oststadt is mostly about high quality dishes. You'll find one high class gourmet temple after another, especially on the Listermeile and around the Weißekreuzplatz. A must is Clichy, of course, run by Eckkehard Reimann, a much honored cook who is very popular not only in Hanover for his French cuisine; the second Reimann restaurant, Königsberg, on the Lister Meile quickly became famous for its high quality German and international meals. At the historic Plümecke you can experience quite the opposite: the old Listermeile and the Old Hanover in a rustic ambience with curried sausages and brawn! Make a stop at Confiserie Mövenpick for a delicious dessert.

Nordstadt, Linden & Outskirts

For years now, a central and highly recommended address for South American specialties has been Chimu (Nordstadt). Besides the very famous turkey in chocolate sauce, you can get high quality fish dishes and other delicacies from South America. Chimu is also a favorite meeting point for many prominent people. For Italian dishes in the Nordstadt go to Gattopardo. The municipal district Linden is is also special as most of the Spanish and Portuguese restaurants are based here. Sängerburg (despite the German name a classical Spanish restaurant!) and the Algarve, have fine Portuguese cuisine and very good seafood dishes. If you like Turkish food, you should visit Tandure (but never without reservation!) or Büfe, which is a bit hidden in the Schwarzer Bär. You can also expect great quality organic French dishes at La Provence. In Hanover's surroundings, La Forge in Schmiedegasthaus Gehrke has been number one in Lower Saxony for years; and the creative cuisine of the restaurant Endtenfang in Fürstenhof Celle is improving by the year.

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