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Culinary Bremen

A group sits sociably in a beer garden at Schlachte
Good food and good times in the Hanseatic City.

Quelle: BTZ / Jonas Ginter

There's plenty to tempt your taste buds in Bremen, whether you join a culinary tour of the city, visit one of our many restaurants or get hands on and brew your own Bremen beer. Enjoying good food and drink is an important part of life in Bremen!

Bremen is known for producing wonderful food and drink, and the locals are known for their appreciation of it. The array of restaurants, bars, cafés and local producers means there's no shortage of places to enjoy the finer things in life. Kale and pinkel, labskaus, knipp – granted, Bremen specialities do sound like they might take a bit of getting used to. But that doesn’t make them any less delicious. Traditional Bremen fare is shaped by the city's proximity to the sea, its mercantile heritage and its rural connections. There are plenty of ways to fully embrace this aspect of Bremen culture, including beer and sweet-making workshops, coffee tastings and foodie sightseeing tours.

How about a tour to Schlachte Embankment? Here you can enjoy food from around the world, dine aboard ships, visit cafés and bars, and take in the riverside views in the beer gardens and outdoor areas, which have seating for more than 2,000 people. At the heart of the city, you will also find the Schnoor quarter, whose many charming restaurants and inns are popular with locals and visitors alike. The city's grand Ratskeller has a particularly long tradition of culinary indulgence. The cellar masters first started serving wine here back in 1409, and now the restaurant also serves traditional Bremen dishes. The wine list runs to over 70 pages and is regarded by aficionados as a veritable encyclopaedia of wine, with 650 delicious-sounding varieties to choose from.

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Schlachte Embankment

Quelle: WFB/Torsten Krüger

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Outdoor Dining

Quelle: WFB; Katharina Müller

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Schnoor Quarter

Quelle: Katharina Müller / WFB

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Sweet Delicacies

Bremen will get your taste buds tingling

Quelle: WFB/Ingrid Krause

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Liquid Pleasures

Bremen has something for every connoisseur.

Quelle: Fotolia / Mirko

Bremen Ratskeller

The city's grand Ratskeller has a particularly long tradition of culinary indulgence. The cellar masters first started serving wine here back in 1409, and now the restaurant also serves traditional Bremen dishes. The wine list runs to over 70 pages and is regarded by aficionados as a veritable encyclopaedia of wine, with 650 delicious-sounding varieties to choose from.

Bremen Ratskeller

Bremen Ratskeller

600 years of tradition, 650 German wines, grand hall with ornate wine barrels & columns, vaulted cellar, speciality Bremen fare.

Quelle: WFB/Jan Rathke

Brewing tradition

Beer has been brewed in Bremen since the 11th century. According to the Markenmonitor Bier survey, Bremen's very own Beck's is not only Germany's most popular beer, it also has the strongest brand. A wealth of fascinating information is provided about the fine art of brewing beer on the brewery tour in Bremen. The tour can easily be combined with a visit to the Alexander von Humboldt, the iconic three-masted ship that features in Beck's beer advertising. German TV viewers will recall the advertisement with the bright green sails and the distinctive sound of 'Sail Away' by Joe Cocker. Today, the ship has found a permanent home at St Martin's quay in Bremen. But Beck's is by no means the only beer that is brewed in Bremen. At the moment, craft beers are – quite literally – the thing on everyone's lips.

Beck's brewery

Brewery Tour Beck & Co

The tour offers a fascinating insight into the art of beer brewing

Quelle: Michael Ihle / AB Inbev, Brauerei Beck & Co

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Alexander von Humboldt

Striking green sails and a cold beer.

Quelle: Maurizio Gambarini

Coffee Culture

Did you know that every other cup of coffee drunk in Germany is supplied by a Bremen company? Or that the first coffee shop in the German-speaking countries opened in Bremen back in 1673? Coffee is still being produced at the old factory in Überseestadt. Coffee has been roasted by hand at Lloyd Caffee for 85 years, making the small roastery on Fabrikenufer the oldest in Bremen to still produce coffee using traditional methods. Explore the coffee culture of Bremen with master coffee roaster Christian Ritschel, who holds public coffee seminars where visitors can look behind the scenes and discover the secret to really good coffee.

Geröstete Kaffeebohnen, im Hintergrund Kaffeesäcke

Quelle: fotolia.com / Andreas P

From big brands to small local producers

Bremen is home to a wide range of big brands and manufacturers, including Beck's beer, Jacob's coffee, Milka and Hachez chocolate, Kellogg's cornflakes, Chiquita bananas and Philadelphia cream cheese. And just like with any good recipe, the secret to Bremen's success lies in the right balance of ingredients – here you'll find both international brands and family-owned businesses that are steeped in tradition. All over Bremen, smaller local producers put their heart and soul into creating the most wonderful delicacies. These make the perfect souvenir for visiting tourists. Many producers also offer guided tours and experiences, where visitors get a chance to see how the finished product is made. Why not give one of them a try?

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Bremer Klaben - Bremen's typical winter pastry

Learn how to bake the traditional pastry from our hanseatic city

Quelle: Katharazzi

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