From traditional festivals to international starred cuisine
Haute cuisine or Swabian specialities, fine wines or refreshing beers, celebrating at traditional festivals or hiking in the vineyards – the region of Stuttgart offers a host of possibilities to discover and experience enjoyment.
The Stuttgart Region has no fewer than 21 starred restaurants, seven of them in the state capital alone: Zauberlehrling, Hupperts, Délice, Speisemeisterei, Wielandshöhe, 5, Ritzi Gourmet and brand-new since 2023 Hegel Eins. The highest star – geographically speaking – shines over the "Wielandshöhe" restaurant. Up here you can enjoy not just fine food but also a wonderful view over the Stuttgart basin. The Gault&Millau restaurant guide named Vincent Klink, the star chef at the Wielandshöhe, Chef of the Year 2021.
Outside of Stuttgart, too, gourmets won't be disappointed, with a total of 13 starred restaurants to choose from.
Not starred, but no less excellent is Swabia's regional cuisine. Maultaschen (filled pasta), Gaisburger Marsch (hotpot) and Linsen mit Spätzle (lentils with noodles) are omnipresent in the Stuttgart Region. Together with Rostbraten (fried steak), Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Kässpätzle (cheesy noodles) and Ofenschlupfer (bread pudding) they are the most popular Swabian dishes. Some of these represent Swabian frugality in its nicest form: the day's leftovers end up in the stockpot or hidden inside pasta dough. The birth of the Swabian Maultasche (its designation of origin protected by the EU since 2009) has given rise to a great many legends. One claims that the Cistercian monks of Maulbronn Monastery (hence the name) were reluctant to go without meat during Lent, so without further ado they concealed the forbidden food in a pasta dough. This gave rise to the Maultasche being nicknamed in the local dialect "Herrgottsb’scheißerle", politely translatable as "Swindlers of the Almighty".
The Swabians' favourite snack is the Brezel (pretzel), which can be enjoyed at any time of day, with or without butter. Legend has it that it was born of necessity: apparently in the 15th century a baker was given the chance to avoid the death penalty if he managed to create a kind of bread roll with three holes through which the sun could shine.
Swabian specialities are best enjoyed in traditional wine bars or the temporary broom taverns run by wine growers. To show they're open for business they hang a broom at the door. Only the vintners' own wines can be served here, usually in the typical local glasses with a handle.
Stuttgart's festivals include the popular Stuttgart Beer Festival, where the city's large breweries keep the beer flowing freely in the festival marquees. There are also countless other traditional festivals held each year in the Stuttgart Region, such as the Filder Cabbage Festival and the Stuttgart Wine Festival.
