einen Tisch für zwei, bitte
September 4, 2015 3:15 PM   Subscribe

Can you explain to me the process of going to a restaurant in Germany like I'm five, please?

In a few weeks, my traveling companion and I (both Americans) will be visiting Germany for the first time (mostly Berlin).  We're excited!  Over the past several years, we've visited a number of cities in North America and Europe, and generally things go pretty smoothly for us, with one major exception: dinner.

Dinner out at a sit-down restaurant manages to sit at the overlap of our combined neuroses, and is easily the most stressful part of any day traveling for us. In particular, the major issue is the sense that a) everyone has a social script they seem to know and follow and b) we have no idea what that script is. Cue anxiety.

So, to save us from eating in every night, could you walk me through the steps between 'this restaurant I've found looks delicious' and 'I'm ordering delicious food'?  For example, do you seat yourself at an available table, or does the waitstaff seat you?  If there's a wait, does the line self-manage or does the waitstaff keep a list?  Are things different for ordering dinner versus sitting on the patio with a beer?  (After we've ordered, we're mostly okay, unless there are things you think we should know that would surprise someone used to American restaurants.) 

I speak a little German - probably not enough to hold up my end of a real conversation, but I can deploy a few prepared phrases if that will help.
posted by anne_severson to Travel & Transportation (25 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
I don't speak any German and I had no issues with eating with restaurants when I was in Berlin and Munich last year. I just used my fingers to indicate how many people, used the Word Lens app on my phone to do my best to parse the menu, and then when the wait staff came by I pointed to what I wanted to order on the menu. A lot of places had English menus too.

As far as social scripts it is basically the same as eating out in an American restaurant.
posted by raw sugar at 3:19 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


I believe that Germans also start their counting with 1 indicated by the thumb. This is the only hiccup I had when eating out/food shopping in Munich. Two people would be indicated by the thumb and index finger. It's a really hard habit to break. We only knew a little German.
posted by amanda at 3:31 PM on September 4, 2015


Yeah, my wife and I, who speak no German, really had no trouble on a recent trip to Munich. Although it did take us awhile to work up the nerve to go in somewhere!

Everyone was very accommodating. Although, a waitress did chide us when we asked for a "doggy bag" at one restaurant. She said something to the effect of, "We don't do that in Europe." I'm not sure if that's true or if she just wanted to make us feel dumb - but otherwise we had no issues just bumbling and pointing.
posted by kbanas at 3:31 PM on September 4, 2015


There's not really anything different that a bit of time with a phrasebook or web site wouldn't tell you. The exception is biergartens, which don't serve food at all, but you'd figure that out pretty quickly. Obviously learning a few phrases beyond please and thank you will help a lot, but English is such a lingua franca at this point that you probably don't even need that. Oh, and the thumb is used to indicate the first number, then the index finger, etc. If you signal for "one" by holding up just your index finger, you'll likely get two. A bit of trinkgeld (5% at most) as a gratuity is appreciated but not mandatory, even for decent service.

Otherwise the rules are pretty similar, seat yourself at a bar but not at a restaurant, unless it's a really casual one and you see a stack of menus or similar to indicate self seating. You'll be asked if you want something to drink, first. After drinks arrive you'll order mains, it's all pretty standard. You'll pay with a card using a handheld machine, tableside, since tipping is a small-change affair, but that's about it besides the language.
posted by wnissen at 3:31 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


The doggy bag thing is definitely true; it's associate with poverty and simply not done. The restaurant won't even have containers available for that purpose.
posted by wnissen at 3:33 PM on September 4, 2015 [7 favorites]


I did buy a whole roasted chicken from a street vendor (!!!!) and took it WITH ME to a biergarten, because, as said, they have no food. I don't know why they have no food. They should. Maybe to support the guy selling chickens. Anyway, the chicken was fucking delicious.
posted by kbanas at 3:36 PM on September 4, 2015 [7 favorites]


OK, one last etiquette thing and I'll stop. Germans also have this thing where they always, always address any women in a group first. So when they ask you what you want to drink, any women answer first, followed by the men.
posted by wnissen at 3:39 PM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]


A lot of restaurants have English menus. If they don't, the service staff (or at least one member of the team) will know enough English to serve you.

I've been living in Germany for the past five months and it's not at all strange or uncommon to take home your uneaten food. It's not called a doggy bag, though, obviously, because that's an English word. When the waitress/waiter asks if you are finished, gesture towards your uneaten food and say, "Koennen wir das einpacken?" or something along those lines.

The sign for two is, according to my coworkers, either the thumb and index finger OR the index finger and middle finger. Three would be thumb, index, middle (as anyone who has seen Inglorious Basterds knows).

Feel free to message me any specific questions, as I work in a restaurant in Germany, so I know my stuff pretty well
posted by kinddieserzeit at 3:49 PM on September 4, 2015 [5 favorites]


I will preface this by saying that it's been ten years since I was last in Germany, but I do remember the waitstaff in restaurants not being quite as... attentive as they are in the US. By this, I mean that they might not come over to you the second after you take your first bite of food to ask how everything is, and they might not come over at all unless you call them over. It seemed to me like people tended to linger at the table longer, and you might specifically have to ask for the check at the end of your meal.

(And might I recommend that you stop at street vendors to sample a döner kebab and a currywurst! If you try both of these things at the beginning of your trip, you will have ample time to eat them more than once, once you fall in love with them!)
posted by hetobeto at 3:49 PM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]


My experience outside of North America has been that I had to ask for the check when I wanted it.
The German word for tap water is leitungswasser. Places where beer is brewed on site will generally refuse to serve it.
My German is virtually nonexistent, but I was able to get by with the words for: I would like, please, thank you, another glass of wine/beer, a table for one please, waiter (don't know if it's used there now, but "Frau Ober" for female waitstaff was understood).
If you need more time to look at the menu, say you need a moment rather than a minute because it will be taken literally.
posted by brujita at 4:18 PM on September 4, 2015


To go is not really a thing unless it's a takeout place like a fast food Thai place.

You don't really tip like you do in the US, just round up a few euros from your check. The 20 percent thing is not done in Germany.

You will not get free water. You can ask for tap water but they may refuse and ask you to pay for mineral water. You will not get free refills for sodas.

You will not get the type of attention you get at American restaurants, as others have indicated. The waitstaff might seem slow and disinterested.

You will most likely have to ask for the check. You can always just sign the universal check "pen signing with my hand" sign to the waiter when you want to pay and are able catch their eye.

At some places, like a Biergarten you will most likely pay right when you order.

Cash is good to have for eating out.
posted by carmel at 4:34 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


One thing that's also different in Germany than in most of the US is that it's very common for people to pay separately--often your server will come by with a little tablet/computer/sack of money and is absolutely ready to divide the bill without any of the drama that occurs here. If you want to pay together, you can just say "zusammen, bitte." Otherwise, it's "getrennt."

Most Germans speak some English and will try very hard to communicate pleasantly with you (especially in the service industry). In a cosmopolitan city like Berlin, you'll be fine. 4 of my friends just came back and they speak no German between them and had no problem.

If you're worried about the seating etiquette (whether you just sit wheverever or wait for someone to lead you to a table), much of it will be like in the US, where it depends on how formal the place is. I find that Germany is much, much better at posting a menu outside the restaurant so you can get a sense of the cuisine/price.

At any rate, you can go really far with just a few phrases: "danke" (thank you), "bitte" (please), and "koennen wir?" (which is "can we"--just point to where you want to sit, or what you'd like to touch, or whatever, and you'll get a good response and, if they catch your accent/uncertainty, a response in English).
posted by TwoStride at 4:36 PM on September 4, 2015


In Berlin at least it's not unusual for restaurants to not take credit cards - expect to pay with cash.
posted by leslies at 4:51 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


I can't believe no one's mentioned ice. Perhaps things have changed since I lived in Germany years ago, but when I was there, they generally would not include ice in drinks, even drinks that are supposed to stay cold, such as sodas. You could ask, but they sometimes wouldn't even have any available. If you do manage to get that leitungswasser ("utility water") it will be room temperature.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 5:05 PM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]


Also, seconding the suggestion to stop at street vendors, especially sample the grilled wursts. They are much better there than any supposedly German wursts I've had in America.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 5:09 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


Thought of a few more things:

It's common in Germany for empty glasses to not get bussed (unless you order more drinks, then maybe the empty ones will get taken away). Glasses usually aren't cleared until patrons have paid and left.

When I'm ready to pay, I get my wallet out and make sure that it is in view of the waitstaff and say, "ich würde gerne zahlen."

Just because your server is being paid minimum wage (not a tipped minimum wage, as you might be used to), don't be scared of tipping more generously if you're happy with the service. No one is going to judge you for tipping more than some consider standard (I'd say the average German tips around 8-10%). The minimum wage is not super high and your server might need to tip out other staff members at the end of their shift.

As others have said, be prepared to pay with cash. Paying with card is becoming more commonplace, but it's always good to be prepared in case it's not an option.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 5:25 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


I think most points have been covered above, but a few big things I noticed while I was living in Germany:

- Get a reservation, esp if it's a busy time (weekends, after 7pm, etc)! Waiting lists, like you'd have at most US restaurants, are non-existent in Germany. The only way to get a table during a busy time is to make reservations ahead of time (via phone generally, but OpenTable etc has become more common), your reservation is then made for a specific table. If you show up without a reservation and there's no unreserved tables open, you'll be turned away. If you're very lucky, they might try to squeeze you in before a reserved table is needed, but don't count on it.

- Related to above, reserved tables usually have a big "Reserved" sign on them. I'd wait to be seated or at least try to make eye contact with a waiter before sitting down.

- Credit cards are usually taken at most bigger restaurants, but you might need a chip-enabled card. However, I'd suggest bringing cash.

- Waiters are generally friendly but might seem less attentive by US standards. Odds are you will have to get their attention to get the check - quickly turning over tables is not such a major focus in Europe.

Also I'll second mysterious_stranger - get some Bratwurst mit brotchen :) The Germans do grilled meat VERY well, and they're cheap as dirt too. I had many, many bratwurst lunches while I was there :) Have fun!!!
posted by photo guy at 5:33 PM on September 4, 2015


Most american chip-enabled cards will still cause a signature slip to get printed, even if you have a PIN. This is infuriating and embarrassing and I wish the banks would realize that, especially ones that offer travel-focussed cards.

In any case I've found it useful to have a pen on me because waiters don't always have them since people with real chip+pin cards don't need them. (I am mostly in other countries though, and can't recall running into this issue in Germany specifcially).
posted by nat at 7:51 PM on September 4, 2015


Berlin - that's wonderful! Try the restaurant at the Brecht museum. Go to Potsdam and visit the parks. Go to the Paris Bar (which is actually a restaurant and a relic from before the wall came down), explore the hundreds of great restaurants.

At a restaurant, wait to be seated. Bars and cafés: find a place.
Just speak English - most people speak English: I am fluent in German, but have a accent Germans love to make fun of (I sound like a pop-singer), so I always speak English, and it works fine. In the countryside, you might need German.

Order drinks, look at the menu, order food. Servings are quite big in Germany, like the US, but unlike anywhere else in Europe. While I normally do two or three courses, in Germany, I rarely go beyond one.

Have a good time.
posted by mumimor at 10:23 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


When the server brings the bill, you usually state the amount you want to pay including the tip. So for a 45 euro bill you would say "50 euro, bitte". The server will then give you back the correct change minus your tip. People generally round up a little bit, around 10%.
posted by exquisite_deluxe at 12:56 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


I lived in Berlin for a couple of years. Here's something I haven't seen mentioned yet: it's pretty common in Berlin, if the cafe or bar is full, for people to ask to share your table. Like, if there are two of you sitting at a four person table, another couple might come over and ask if the other seats are free. If you say yes, they'll sit down and have their own conversation and not bug you.

As for tipping, my German friends told me in a restaurant to just round the bill up to the nearest Euro. You do this as you pay the bill. If the bill is 17.35 and you want to tip, give the waiter a twenty Euro bill and say, "Eighteen" and they'll give you two Euros back.

Also, here is some cheap free advice about restaurants in Berlin: stay away from anything directly on Hackescher Markt in Mitte. The restaurants there are all tourist traps and they're pretty universally awful. There are very few places to eat directly around Museum Insel and the Deutsches Historisches Museum, unless you want to eat in the museum cafes, so plan accordingly. There are a bunch of nice little restaurants around Rosenthaler Platz, which is two stops north of Alexanderplatz on the U8. If you want a break from German food, Yo Soy in Mitte is a good little tapas place, but you'll need a reservation on a weekend. Good Morning Vietnam is a good Vietnamese restaurant, also in Mitte.
posted by colfax at 1:01 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


Die Rechnung is German for the check.
Zitty magazine publishes a German language restaurant guide, but most of the types of food will be recognizable.
posted by brujita at 1:36 AM on September 5, 2015


As for tipping, my German friends told me in a restaurant to just round the bill up to the nearest Euro. You do this as you pay the bill. If the bill is 17.35 and you want to tip, give the waiter a twenty Euro bill and say, "Eighteen" and they'll give you two Euros back.

This strikes me as too little.

Listen, you don't have to do the rounding up thing. Everyone knows you're a tourist. You can just give them a couple of coins at the end (but maybe don't leave them at the table, someone might steal them?)
If you do round up, aim for the tip to be around ten percent or more. So in the above example I would probably tell the waiter "nineteen" and hand him a twenty Euro bill.
posted by Omnomnom at 6:32 AM on September 5, 2015


American here, with one Munich trip under my belt. A few observations for you.

It was generally expected I would order a drink (or more) with my meal, whereas in the US having a glass of water with my meal is not considered unusual. I also felt the food was saltier than I was used to, so having a glass of beer, etc. made sense.

The wait staff in Munich were very leisurely even if there were barely any other tables to service, so it's important to go with the flow and relax and understand there is a certain pace to eating out. I found this especially true compared to the pace of US meals, and even compared to other European cities. So, if you don't care to hang out an additional half hour after the meal is over, make a point to ask for the check when the food comes so you can pay when you're done and head out.

And when you do just feel like eating in, that gets to be pretty fun, too. Find a bakery with some nice bread, pick up some meat, cheeses, fruit, chocolate, what-have-you, and enjoy a picnic! Lots of little stores selling tasty treats were easy to come across.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 9:31 AM on September 5, 2015


Biergartens... have no food

That's not true. Many biergartens have food for purchase.
posted by kdar at 10:01 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]


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