Latest update: 9 July 2024
Hearty German fare or a fresh ceviche? A wine tasting or a tea tasting? I have severe choice stress in Hannover. The largest city in Lower Saxony is perfect for lazy coffee moments, extensive breakfasts, tasty dinners, and everything in between.
Hotspots for food and drinks
All that sightseeing in Hannover makes you thirsty, hungry, or both. During my first visit, there was a Christmas market in Hannover, so I mainly ate at the stalls. But I already squeezed in some hotspots, and that left me wanting more. A few months later, I come back to Hannover to try more restaurants, coffee cafes, and bars. These are my favorites.
The belly of Hannover: the Markthalle
The Hannover market hall is a pleasant food hall full of restaurants. Enjoy Spanish tapas, eat Italian pasta or perhaps you prefer Japanese sushi or Peruvian ceviche? You get the idea: I find choosing what I want to eat extremely difficult. There are specialties from all parts of the world. Enjoy your meal!
Breakfast and brunch at Seven Sundays
Seven days a week, you can have breakfast all day long at Seven Sundays as if it were Sunday. Take your time, order another coffee, and choose something tasty from the menu. They basically have everything you expect from a breakfast restaurant. From eggs benedict to pancakes. And damn, those pancakes are so good! You can skip your next meal for sure.
Google Maps location Oststadt
Google Maps location center
Kaffee auf Hawaii – Frühstück Hannover
Unfortunately, because I just finished the hotel breakfast, I don’t have room in my belly for all the goodies that Kaffee auf Hawaii has on the menu. But the food here looks really good when I look at the tables around me. Many people also appear to have made reservations for breakfast because there are hardly any spots available. I understand. It is a nice, light place with lots of light wood and plants—for the tropical Hawaii vibes. It is exactly what you expect from a modern coffee bar.
Have breakfast at [hof:geflüster] [hof:geflüster]
At [hof:geflüster], I enjoy a great breakfast. The most extensive option is € 12.90 (in 2023), and you can choose, for example, a cheese or Mediterranean breakfast. The evening menu is truly German, with schnitzels and currywurst.
Kaffeekränzchen und Liebe
The coffee bar Kaffeekränzchen und Liebe is on a cozy street corner in the Linden district. There is a terrace outside that is gratefully used by many neighbours. Inside is a sturdy coffee bar with lots of brick and a preserved steel beam. Here you order coffee, a cake or breakfast – and always with love. The owners also have a coffee bar on wheels that they use at markets in Hannover.
CORNER
If you’re wondering where everyone is on a Saturday or Sunday morning, they’re probably having breakfast at CORNER. Especially on sunny days it is packed, both inside and outside. A chai latte with your avocado toast or a mimosa with your French toast. It all looks delicious, but come early before you starve to death: CORNER’s kitchen has difficulty keeping up with the pace due to the crowds.
Tea party at Teestübchen
On sunny days, you can enjoy people-watching on the terrace of Teestübchen. If the weather is terrible, you can enjoy a cup of tea and delicious cakes in this cozy old-fashioned tea room. It’s just a small cafe, so it can get chaotic. If you like their tea, you can buy some to take home and have a tea party to reminisce on your visit to Hannover.
Bonatarte
I just came for a cup of coffee. But the owner of Bonatarte is so enthusiastic about his cakes and quiches that we soon find ourselves eating again in Hannover. Bonatarte is mainly a lunch spot, but on weekends, the place is open until 9 p.m. The asparagus quiche is fantastic, the lentil quiche is delicious, and the lemon tart is delicious. I would definitely become a regular here if I lived nearby.
Beach vibes at Strandleben
Hannover has a nice and popular city beach on the river. As soon as the sun shines, it fills up. At Strandleben, you can also rent canoes and SUP boards. You sit on simple orange beach chairs and order a drink at the container bar. Five euros for an Aperol spritz – that’s a pretty sweet deal. Mid-May, the air is full of pollen. I don’t have hay fever, but I would spontaneously get it here, so if you’re sensitive to pollen, take your medication before you come to enjoy the beach life.
You get a bowl, and you get a bowl at Stadtmauer am Fluss
Stadtmauer is a huge place on the river. I think it’s mainly a good drinks location, but the bowls are highly recommended if you don’t feel like a fancy three-course dinner. Stadmauer am Fluss has a lot of choice in bowls, and they are well filled. Mine actually has a lot of tuna in it. Very generous portions. The space inside is enormous, with colored velvet sofas. On sunny days, the outdoor seats are very popular.
German fare: Reimanns Eck
A wonderful restaurant in a stately building on the corner with an impressive facade is Reimanns Eck. It serves authentic German dishes. If you want to eat here, you should make a reservation in time because it is popular among the locals. It is definitely not a tourist trap. We sit outside on the terrace and have a Wiener schnitzel with potatoes and cheese spätzle. That last one is for me: it’s pasta with cheese – LOTS of Cheese. I love it.
Fusion food at Tenshi
The terrace on the square with the Christ Church in Nordstadt beckons. It belongs to a hip restaurant, Tenshi. Tenshi is a typical European-Asian fusion restaurant. You know the drill: sleek, modern decor and the menu mainly features bao buns, curry, truffles, etc. It all sounds super delicious and it makes me greedy. So we may or may not order a little more than is strictly necessary…
Soulkitchen
Soulkitchen is a lovely neighborhood restaurant. It is friendly and casual and has a small but good menu. It was a bit chaotic, and the wait was long during my visit, but we had time, so it didn’t bother us much. The kitchen is a bit like world cuisine because it has everything from fish and chips to falafel. Predominantly, it leans towards Italian, just like the wine list. Making a reservation on weekends is wise because they work with dinner shifts here.
Little H wine bar
In Nordstad, there is the nice wine bar, Little H. It almost feels French, but it is mainly German wines by the glass. You can get excellent advice from the staff, based on your taste. They do organize tastings occasionally too. On an ordinary evening, we sit comfortably on the overgrown terrace while a greenfinch bird sings to us and a French bulldog watches us. Ok, just one more drink then.
Wines, wines, wines at Vince Weinbar
It gets busy from around nine o’clock on weekends, very busy at Vince Weinbar. If you want to be assured of a spot, arrive a little earlier. You can also eat there and order wine by the glass. There is a lot of choice, so there is bound to be something for you. They don’t call it a wine list here, but a wine book.
Biergarten Gretchen
Have you even been to Germany if you haven’t been to a beer garden? I think the answer is no. And now there are a lot of beer gardens in Hannover, so you shouldn’t have any trouble. I ended up at Biergarten Gretchen, located in the forest in a beautiful spot near the river. The price of drinks is surprisingly affordable. I paid less than €3 for a prosecco. You can also grab a pizza, and there are occasional live performances.
Want more Germany inspiration?
Useful links for your Germany trip
- Accommodation. Have a look at Booking.com and Campspace. Would you rather stay in a hostel? Check Hostelworld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide and Viator. Another good option is WithLocals. Book ‘free’ walking tours with Freetour.com or GuruWalk. For bike tours, you can try Baja Bikes.
- Attractions and museums. Interested in a 5% discount on museums and other attractions? Use this discount code at Tiqets: KIMOPREIS22
- Car rental. Compare your options at Discover Cars and Rentalcars.com.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high phone and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Train and Bus Travel with NS International to Germany. And reserve bus seats with Busbud, 12Go or Omio.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Definitely check out Skyscanner and Kiwi.
- Guidebooks. Get your travel guidebook at Amazon.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? Expedia and CheapOair offer options.
- Yoga retreat. Or what about a yoga retreat in Germany?
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I received the HannoverCard and the entrance ticket for the BANKSY exhibition from Visit Hannover. They gave me complete editorial freedom.