Explore the Best Women-Led Restaurants in Germany for 2019

As the name not so subtly suggests, this Offenbach restaurant is all about the meat. Boasting the best cuts from the best cattle, diners can expect beef grilled with coarse salt and served with Argentinian chimichurri. Co-owner Valeria Gotesdiner took inspiration for Meatcut from her travels around the world with her family. Her experiences in South America created her vision for the restaurant: a feel-good atmosphere to celebrate good food and good company.

Billed as traditional Hessian home cooking, this 18th-century inn and restaurant is a historic piece of Frankfurt’s Old Town. Lizza Wellert, who co-owns the guesthouse along with her husband Frank, strives to preserve the traditions of the inn while combining that with modern styles and flavors. As well as running the guesthouse, Lizza takes care of all the press inquiries and events, so the inn certainly keeps her busy! Diners can expect hearty dishes such as Handkäs or sausage salad, all with optional Frankfurt green sauce, of course.

One of Frankfurt’s most beautiful buildings, the old opera house, is home to a restaurant serving international classics, overseen by the Kuffler corporation. Kuffler owns over 40 restaurants in Germany, with around two-thirds of these run by the Kufflers themselves. Doris Kuffler is one key quarter of the leadership of this triumphant team, and helps organize events such as wine tents during Oktoberfest that treat up to 2,000 guests to delicious wines and champagnes. Doris is also a great humanitarian, supporting many causes including children’s charities. Restaurant Opera is one tiny part of her shared empire, but one that remains a huge hit with Frankfurt’s diners, both local and visiting.

Cron am Hafen, or Cron at the Harbor, is a delightful waterside restaurant and venue. A popular location for events from birthday parties to weddings, the menu is an ode to the Mediterranean. The 13-course tasting menu provides astonishing value while displaying the unique talents of the chefs here. Owner Maren Altpeter nee Thaler has her background in communications and PR, and brings that expertise to the forefront of Frankfurt’s restaurant scene with obvious success. Cron has won numerous awards including the Hessen award for best new opening and best Mediterranean cuisine and wine.

Anette Huber has strong Bavarian roots and fond memories of ingredients fresh from the garden, which awoke in her a passion for food and cooking. She trained at Käfer then went on to work at some top Michelin-starred restaurants all across Europe. When she returned home to Munich, she opened Le Stollberg, a restaurant full of French inspiration. The intimate space holds just 32 guests inside but half as many again when the weather is warm enough to dine outside. From fois gras to octopus, Anette is all about celebrating great ingredients and emphasizing incredible flavors.

Yvonne Tschebull is one half of the creative team behind Hamburg’s Restaurant Tschebull, a celebration of Austrian cuisine. Austrian food isn’t just about schnitzels and Veltliner. The Tschebull menu includes traditional dishes and flavors while still tempting the gourmet palate. They also have an unusual selection of over 100 different wines to choose from. Yvonne and her husband’s dream was a restaurant indulging in modern, Austrian gastronomy, and she’s certainly achieved that.

Urban, modern, and down to earth: that’s the motto of Downtown Frankfurt restaurant Margarete. Co-owner Rafaela Schobel helped create an ethos of openness and honesty, shown in the dramatic open kitchen and the way the restaurant shares news about its producers with the guests. She also offers cooking evenings as part of the "Wir Essen" project, and supports the arts by hosting cultural events. The restaurant offers contemporary German cuisine and an ever-changing menu. Watch out for daily specials including veggie wizardry such as shitake Bolognese.