Everything I Ate in Dresden, Germany
Last updated: April 6, 2022
Food has quickly become one of my favorite topics to cover on my blog, and soon after arriving in Dresden I knew the food in the city would deserve its own blog post.
@ Zwinger, Dresden
Breakfasts
l’art de vie
This cute little eatery saved us from a really rainy morning, and we had such a flavorful breakfast here. My top recommendation would definitely be the Frühstücksvariation which is a German breakfast platter. It came with so much, and is honestly the best classic German breakfast I’ve had in Germany. You get multiple types of breads, cheeses, meats, fruit, spreads, and dips. The drink menu had lots of options too, especially for tea lovers.
@ l’art de vie
Nosh Dresden - California Eats & Treats
Nearly every Dresden breakfast recommendations list I stumbled upon included Nosh. I was already super tempted when I found out they serve California eats, but the raving reviews solidified my desire to visit. It’s such a cute little place, with really friendly owners, and it was so hard to pick what to order. We ended up going with a fresh caramel brownie to share, a breakfast burrito, and a breakfast quesadilla, and they were great choices! The banana pancakes, which you can order as a full serving or side dish, also looked really yummy.
Unfortunately Nosh has since closed.
@ Nosh Dresden
@ Nosh Dresden
Bäckerei Dreißig
This is a chain of bakeries located in Berlin-Brandenburg and Saxony. I hadn’t visited one before, but there was one conveniently located across the street from our hotel. It was affordable (€3.50 for a huge sandwich), quick, and filling! I’d definitely revisit for a takeaway breakfast or lunch.
On my next visit I’d like to get breakfast at Bagel’s Dresden, a cute bagel shop, and occasional bar, with a ‘grandma’s living room’ kind of vibe. We didn’t visit because we realized too late that it’s closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Cafés
The Commons Espresso Bar
The Commons is only a few minutes walking distance from the Dresden Central Station, and was a pleasant last stop to conclude our trip. They have wine on tap, beer, soda, and a few types of coffee. It was nice to get a glass of wine and sit outside, and work on my laptop for an hour before our train. Be sure to walk through the inside too, they have lots of unique decoration from a disco ball to a full-sized bed in the middle of the cafe.
Definitely worth a visit. The wine was also only €3.50 per glass.
@ The Commons Espresso Bar
Hellers Kuchenglocke
We spent about an hour inside this cafe waiting for the beer garden Louisengarten to open up. It’s a fully organic and locally-sourced cafe that is a little pricier, but so worth it for the warm ambiance. I finally got to try Spaghetti-Eis which is a German summer specialty and is essentially an ice cream dish made to look like a plate of spaghetti. Very creamy and so tasty!
@ Hellers Kuchenglocke
Next time I’d like to try Ladencafé aha and Tanteleuk, which both look like cute places to get a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.
Snacks
Louisengarten
Louisengarten is located right in the heart of Äussere Neustadt, and was recommended to us by a friend. We enjoyed a beer and some freshly grilled wurst at this cozy beer garden. We arrived shortly after they opened, but within an hour it quickly became much more lively. Most beer gardens are only open in the warmer months, but we were told that they adapt to the wintertime quite well despite being outdoors, and also make a nice glühwein.
Dresden Molkerei
Dresden Molkerei is amazing, and was one of my favorite places to visit whilst in Dresden. It’s a Guinness World Record holder with the title, “Most Beautiful Dairy Shop in the World.” It seems to certainly be deserving of its title, and the inside is decorated with an assortment of perfectly hand-painted tiles and porcelain. We ordered two small cheese plates (normally you have to order a full sized cheese platter to eat there, but they weren’t available that day), which came with bread, and we sampled a few glasses of their Prosecco. I especially like the rose-flavored Prosecco, and all the cheese was very tasty.
I only wish I had brought some wine, jam, or cheese home with me!
I read online that tour buses come every half hour to hour on busier days, but they’re only there for about five minutes to look inside then leave. That’s exactly what happened, so don’t skip out on this place if you see a hoard of people entering, because very few people were there for more than a couple of minutes.
Dresden Molkerei / Photo via dresden.de
Biergarten Elbsegler
This casual beer garden was right outside our hotel, and along the beautiful Elbe river. There were plenty of great looking snacks here, but we stuck to a quick drink just in time to catch the sun begin to set.
Next time I hope to visit ElbeGarten Genießen am Blauen Wunder which is a popular beer garden for locals, but was too far away from the central neighborhoods for us to fit it into our short trip.
Dinners
Ristorante Mamma Mia
We had a really sweet evening at Ristorante Mamma Mia, and even splurged on a bottle of wine. We were really craving Italian food, and the name attracted me immediately. They were able to squeeze us in with a last minute reservation, and the staff was really friendly the entire night. The food was also delicious, and I especially enjoyed the Mamma Mia tasting board.
Watzke am Goldenen Reiter
I think I would’ve enjoyed this place more had we just come for drinks and snacks. The Schnitzel was just okay, but the beer was good, and my favorite part of the meal was the hot oven fresh pretzel which was only €1.20. Their beer is also €6.20 for a whole liter on Tuesdays, and pretty reasonably priced other days.
On a future visit I hope to visit Planwirtschaft which is a vegan-friendly restaurant recommended by a friend that I wish I had gotten to try! It’s a beer garden restaurant with classic and vegan versions of traditional dishes like Schnitzel.
Whilst strolling around Äussere Neustadt we found plenty of cute restaurants (although at that point we had already eaten) so I’d also suggest walking along Louisenstraße and Alaunstraße to find plenty of food options in a trendy Dresden neighborhood.
@ Innere Altstadt, Dresden