💡 In a German bakery Brötchen are small rolls (not Brot, bread); you take them by the piece: zwei Brötchen.
💡 Bakeries with a few tables ask Hier essen oder zum Mitnehmen?; takeaway is often cheaper because the tax is lower.
💡 Geschnitten oder ungeschnitten? is what they ask about bread; slicing it in the bakery is free.
💡 Bakeries often ask Aufbacken? (warm up the roll); zum Mitnehmen means to take away; to Danke, gleichfalls you reply in kind.
💡 Order a cake (Torte) a few days ahead: give the day, the number of guests, the flavour and the inscription you want on it.
💡 Plain Kaffee is filter coffee; ask for Espresso, or Milchkaffee / Cappuccino for milk coffee.
💡 In German cafés you take cake (Kuchen) by the piece; whipped cream (Sahne) is often offered with it.
💡 In cafés you usually seat yourself; the waiter comes to you. It is polite to ask: Ist hier noch frei?
💡 Small bakeries and cafés in Germany are often still cash only: ask ahead Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?
💡 Wifi (WLAN) in cafés is often free; the password is on the receipt, on a card on the table or on a board.
💡 Leitungswasser is tap water, safe to drink in Germany; you can ask for it in a café, but some places charge a small fee for a glass.
💡 At an Eisdiele you buy ice cream by the scoop (Kugel): eine Kugel, zwei Kugeln; it comes im Becher (in a cup) or in der Waffel (in a cone).
💡 At weekends it is wise to book ahead; without a booking ask Haben Sie einen Tisch frei?
💡 Water is not free in German restaurants; they ask still (still) or mit Kohlensäure (sparkling).
💡 Allergens on menus are marked with letters or numbers; the question Ist da Nuss drin? is always welcome.
💡 You pay at the table at the end: the waiter says the sum and you say what you hand over including the tip: Stimmt so (keep the change) or Machen Sie 40.
💡 In Germany it is normal to point out a mistake politely: Entschuldigung, das habe ich nicht bestellt. The waiter will replace it without fuss.
💡 Most restaurants have a Kinderstuhl (high chair) and a Kinderkarte (children's menu): ask at the door.
💡 At weekends it is wise to book a restaurant ahead: you give the day, time, number of people and name; if you are late, phone and say so.
💡 Tagesgericht is the dish of the day; Mittagstisch is a cheaper lunch offer that many places have on weekdays.
💡 It is normal in Germany to pay separately (getrennt), and the waiter asks right away; you tip (Trinkgeld) by rounding up: say Stimmt so and no change is given back.
💡 Menus mark vegetarisch and vegan; ask directly: ohne Fleisch (without meat), ohne Fisch (without fish); watch out for stock and bacon (Speck) in dishes.
💡 Say a complaint about food calmly and politely: Entschuldigung, ...; waiters in Germany usually put it right gladly, so there is no need to feel shy.
💡 You order Einmal Döner, bitte; they ask Mit allem? (with everything) and scharf? (spicy).
💡 Currywurst mit Pommes is the classic snack; you choose the sauce: Ketchup, Mayo or rot-weiß (both).