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Germany’s Michelin Restaurants Have A Regional Flair

Germany shines as one of Europe’s brightest culinary stars. Nine 3-Michelin-starred restaurants make it the second most decorated country in Europe. Germany’s top chefs impress gourmants with sophisticated and innovative dining experiences and their menus reflect the culinary influences and ingredients of the regions from Wolfsburg in the north to the village Baiersbronn in the southwestern Black Forest. www.germany.travel

Chef Sven Elverfeld and his Aqua restaurant were the latest addition to Germany’s 3-star landscape. The restaurant is located in the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Wolfsburg directly in the Volkswagen Autostadt. Elverfeld creates modern European cuisine with a local twist including especially sea-food items, such as flounder, as one of the staples of Northern German cooking. www.restaurant-aqua.com

Restaurant Amador in Langen, just south of Frankfurt, offers an unexpected culinary adventure. Chef Juan Amador focuses on reinventing classical Basque and Catalan cuisine in the heart of Germany by using local products. He therefore creates a surprising blend of the two worlds and also does not shy away from taking his twist on regional classics from Frankfurt, such as the famous "Gruene Sosse," an herb-cream sauce most often served on potatoes. www.restaurant-amador.de

Classic elegance and style make the town of Bergisch-Gladbach near Cologne and Duesseldorf a center of exceptional cooking. The two castle-hotels, Bensberg and Lerbach, both feature not only exceptional comfort, but also 3-star cuisine. Restaurant Vendome in castle hotel Bensberg is run by chef Joachim Wissler who focus on New German Cuisine, showcasing the ingredients and the light side of German cooking. www.schlossbensberg.com In castle hotel Lerbach chef Nils Henkel took over the gourmet restaurant from his mentor Dieter Mueller and kept the 3-Michelin-Star restaurant at its best. Henkel uses only local ingredients, such as farm raised meats or herbs from the castle garden, putting an emphasis on seasonal menus. www.schlosshotel-lerbach.com

In the wine region along the River Mosel in West Germany, the Waldhotel Sonnora is the perfect luxury getaway. Only half an hour away from Germany’s oldest city Trier, the family-run hotel is embedded in fairy-tale like woods. Chef Helmut Thieltges presents classical French cuisine at its best and the extensive wine cellar features among others the best local wines of the region. www.gourmetresidenzen.net

In one of Germany’s smallest states, right on the border to France, the Gaestehaus Erfort in Saarbruecken has achieved international acclaim and three Michelin Stars. Chef Klaus Erfort focuses on the authenticity of the high-class ingredients, showcasing their unique manner. www.relaischateaux.com Only 30 minutes north of Saarbruecken another culinary gem is Victor’s Gourmet Restaurant in the castle hotel Berg is run by Christina Bau who offers international cuisine. The menu is changed constantly and the guest is surprised daily by new variations. www.schlossberg-nennig.de

The village Baiersbronn in the Black Forest is a true heaven for epicureans featuring two 3-Star Michelin Restaurants: the Schwarzwaldstube and the Restaurant Barreiss. The Schwarzwaldstube in the hotel Traube Tonbach by chef Harald Wolfarth features a great and sophisticated cuisine. www.traube-tonbach.de Only a few minutes away chef Claus-Peter Lump showcases his style in the Restaurant Barreiss also focusing on great, if possible regional ingredients with a clean presentation. www.bareiss.com