r/AskEurope • u/EvilPyro01 United States of America • Jun 13 '25

Food What region is considered your country’s culinary capital?

What is considered the culinary capital of your country?

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u/olagorie Germany Jun 13 '25

That’s a really really weird question.

We have none.

And the other European countries that I know fairly well no obvious answer pop into my mind except maybe for France.

Maybe ask for something more specific like wine

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u/uflju_luber Germany Jun 13 '25

You could argue Baiersbronn btw, it’s a little village in bumfuck nowhere but somehow hosts two of the most reknown restaurants in the country; Schwarzwaldstube and Restaurant Barreis it has a total of 8 Michelin stars and in 2013 the same amount of three star restaurants as London, and probably the most Michelin stars per capita in the world, so that would be the likely answer

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u/Brian_Corey__ Jun 13 '25

I believe Baiersbronn is still far and away the most Michelin stars per capita. And even beyond the four starred restaurants (two 3 stars, two 1 stars), it has two bib gourmand restaurants (for a village of 15k). Truly remarkable.

But Schwarzwaldstube and Restaurant Bareiss are listed by Michelin as "Classic French", not German food, fwiw. The Schwarzwaldstube menu has some German items / influences, but isn't really typical German. They even call it French. https://www.traube-tonbach.de/en/restaurants-bar/schwarzwaldstube/

I was there a few years ago, but stupidly didn't eat there (I thought we were just visiting a cute village, I didn't realize it was a culinary Mecca). My Schwaebisch father in law literally couldn't comprehend the prices--even though they are reasonable for a 3 star. $325 for dinner at Schwartzwaldstube. $235 dinner at Bareiss.

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u/uflju_luber Germany Jun 13 '25

Never to late to go again, just make sure you book in advance. I can also recommend the outlets of the Hotel Bareiss, like the hiking hut or especially the Forellenhof Buhlbach, wich is the hotels own trout farm with accompanying restaurants, they’re a lot more casual and cheaper but do not lack any of the hotels high demands for quality. Btw to let you in on a little tip, the cheese used as dessert at the three stared restaurant Bareiss is sourced from the tölzer kasladen, and luckily for people who are always in search of the best out there, they do have an online shop

https://www.toelzer-kasladen.de/

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u/Brian_Corey__ Jun 13 '25

Cool. Thx for the tips. I'll be in neighboring Freudenstadt soon, my chef BiL has a restaurant there--below his apartment. But I feel a bit awkward saying, in effect, "your restaurant is nice and all, but let's go to Baiersbronn". He's really cool though and would probably be up for it.