European Union's Commission unveils work plan for the years 2000 to 2006, as outlined in a freshly released report.
Elevated Dining Across Germany's Cities
Get ready to feast your eyes on some of the most breathtaking cityscapes while indulging in delectable dishes at these high-altitude dining spots! Here's a tour of Germany's culinary wonders atop TV towers, skyscrapers, and other iconic buildings.
Berlin
After a long hiatus, the Sphere Tim Raue on the 207th floor of Berlin's TV Tower is making a grand comeback, serving up classic Berlin and Brandenburg fare with Tim Raue's signature sweet, acidic, and spicy flavors. Although Tim Raue himself won't be cooking, the restaurant promises to deliver an unforgettable dining experience.
Curious about the culinary happenings in other TV towers, skyscrapers, and high-rises throughout Germany? Let's take a peek!
Frankfurt am Main
Boasting a skyline known as "Mainhattan," Frankfurt offers several foodie spots with a view. Around ten bars and restaurants attract city-dwellers and visitors, with seven of them located on the 20th floor or higher.
One noteworthy establishment is the NFT Skybar on the 47th floor of the "One" high-rise in Europaviertel, behind the main station. Marketed as the highest bar in Germany, it boasts a stunning view sweeping from the skyline to the Taunus, with a design theme centered around money. Cryptocurrency enthusiasts will feel right at home, as the walls are adorned with Bitcoin symbols, and coins decorate the bar stools.
Held in higher esteem by some is the Panoramic Bar in the Maintower high-rise, located in Frankfurt's banking district. Below the observation platform on the 53rd floor, the bar at 187 meters soars above the NFT Skybar on the 47th floor.
The Main Tower Restaurant in the Maintower skyscraper offers Michelin-starred cuisine on the 53rd floor. Judges of the Michelin Guide praise its location smack dab in the middle of Frankfurt, and the cuisine certainly lives up to the hype. Lift tickets are free with a reservation, providing access to the observation platform as well.
Other dining options in Frankfurt include the FRANZISKA in the new Henninger Tower, located in the Sachsenhausen district south of the Main.
Cologne
Nestled on the 28th floor of the Triangle Tower, at around 100 meters high, is the CologneSky restaurant. Despite its relatively conservative height, it offers a breathtaking view of Cologne's cityscape. The prices are correspondingly high, with a 4-course menu starting at 90 Euros, plus drinks. The vegetarian menu features items like a Tartelette of morels and chervil, Sylt bread, and Eifel fresh goat cheese.
Victor Hugo would be proud of the view from CologneSky. From a distance, Cologne has an awe-inspiring quality to it. You can feel the age of this westernmost German metropolis: 2,000 years. The black cathedral colossus, the spiky silhouette of the Romanesque church towers, and the pointed roofs of bourgeois houses below create an imposing sight.
Düsseldorf
North Rhine-Westphalia's state capital is home to the largest Japanese community in Germany and the highest restaurant in the city: the Qomo in the Rheinturm. This popular meeting place for sushi, sashimi, and Wagyu beef lovers sits at 172.5 meters above sea level. On clear days, you can even see the Cologne Cathedral on the horizon.
What's even more remarkable is that the restaurant rotates around its own axis once every 72 minutes, ensuring that every seat offers a different view. The lift ticket to the restaurant is free for local residents.
Stuttgart
Whether enjoying breakfast or a cocktail in the evening, at Leonhardts Panoramacafé in Stuttgart's TV tower, one should not have a fear of heights. Drinks and food are served at 147 meters, with a panoramic view sweeping across the state capital of Baden-Württemberg and out to the Swabian Alb, the Black Forest, and the Odenwald.
Those planning a leisurely weekend brunch should book well in advance, as the champagne and white sausage breakfast dates are already fully booked until mid-August. Various events are also offered at high altitude, from sushi or barista courses, wine tasting, and piano evenings to yoga courses.
Stuttgart's SWR TV tower rises 217 meters high and serves as a prototype for many other TV towers worldwide. The steel-concrete structure was inaugurated in 1956 and is considered an architectural masterpiece, although today it is no longer a tower for TV. Since July 2006, the first television program of the ARD has been broadcast via the adjacent telecommunication tower of Deutsche Telekom, according to SWR.
Mannheim
In Mannheim's "Skyline," one should also be free from dizziness. The restaurant in the telecommunication tower is located at 125 meters and rotates once an hour with its 180 seats. The lift whisks you up to the restaurant at a speed of six meters per second, enabling you to gaze far into the Odenwald, the Palatinate, and over the Rhine plain.
The telecommunication tower, which opened for the Federal Horticultural Show in 1975, serves to supply TV, radio, and telecommunication services in the Mannheim area. Thanks to antenna extension in 2016, the tower stands proudly at almost 218 meters, making it not only the highest building in the city but also one of the tallest telecommunication towers in Germany.
Jena
Whether a panoramic breakfast, lunch menus, or dinner with a view of the "City of Light" Jena: In the "Scala" restaurant high up in the JenTower, guests dine in elegant surroundings at 128 meters. The restaurant on the 28th and 29th floors of Thuringia's tallest office building is a destination for foodies and is known for its modern cuisine.
The "Scala" has been awarded by the renowned restaurant guide "Gault&Millau" in the past. The offer includes, for example, evening sharing menus designed for sharing with other guests.
The former university tower, popularly known as the "cookie jar" in local slang, was once built according to the plans of DDR star architect Hermann Henselmann in the cylindrical style of an ocular—it was supposed to resemble a telescope. Today, the tower also houses a hotel on the floor below the restaurant.
Enjoying the best view of Leipzig while dining at the "Panorama Tower" restaurant in the City-Highrise is a memorable experience. Here, you dine at 120 meters in height, complete with a spectacular sunset. At 142.5 meters, this high-rise in the city center is the tallest office building and a landmark of the city of Leipzig. It is built in the shape of an open book. Leipzigers also call it the "Wisdom Tooth," "Uni Giant," or "Steep Tooth." The restaurant is divided into four areas: New York, Cape Town, St. Petersburg, and Tokyo.
The "Heavenly Bar" provides another breathtaking panoramic view, located on the 27th floor of The Westin Hotel, which stands at 96 meters tall.
Hamburg
While Hamburg also boasts a 276-meter high TV tower, no food is served there. However, plans for events at around 127 meters in height are underway, although it may take several more months before these become a reality.
Those seeking a dining experience with a view or a cocktail can head to the St-Pauli-Bunker, which has been extensively expanded and greened. Offering several dining and drinking options with a 360-degree view at around 50 meters in height, the bunker has already welcomed over a million visitors since its opening in the summer of 2024.
The "Constant Grind" offers coffee and snacks, while the "Green Beanie," a pop-up container on the green rooftop garden of the bunker at 58 meters, serves snacks, ice cream, beer, Aperol, and soft drinks.
In the main restaurant on the St-Pauli-Bunker, "La Sala," food is brought to the center and enjoyed communally. The "Karo & Paul," a bar and restaurant on three levels, offers drinks in a relaxed atmosphere, live music several times a week, and "Bunker Bites," small dishes from around the world.
Since its opening in the summer of 2024, over a million people have visited the bunker. The location has also gained international recognition, with Time Magazine listing the bunker on the Heiligengeistfeld among the "World's Greatest Places 2024."
Even higher up, you can dine at the rooftop bar and restaurant "Twosix" at the Dammtor station and the Skyline Bar "20up" near the landing stages.
Munich
In Munich, the Drehrestaurant 181, with its stunning 360-degree view and alpine panorama on clear days, was closed for a comprehensive renovation at the end of May 2024. The renovation is expected to take around two years.
You can still go up to the 15th floor of a high-rise in the "Fitzroy" in Munich's Werksviertel, where you'll find Australian cuisine, a bar, and a rooftop terrace. The atmosphere merges cosmopolitan taste with relaxed vibes, offering meat, fish, seafood, tofu, salads, or vegetables with Asian or Mediterranean influences. Brunch is served on Sundays, and there is music and drinks on the rooftop terrace, with alcohol-free options available upon request.
Back in Berlin, the best view is undoubtedly enjoyed while dining at the "Panorama Tower" restaurant in the City-Highrise. Here, you dine at 120 meters in height and can enjoy a magnificent sunset. At 142.5 meters, this high-rise in the city center is the tallest office building and a landmark of the city of Leipzig. It's built in the shape of an open book. Leipzigers also refer to it as the "Wisdom Tooth," "Uni Giant," or "Steep Tooth." The restaurant is divided into four areas: New York, Cape Town, St. Petersburg, and Tokyo.
An equally breathtaking panoramic view can be found at the "Heavenly Bar." Located on the 27th floor of The Westin Hotel, the building is 96 meters high.
From 2026, there will also be a Skybar on the 43rd floor of the new Estrel Tower in Neukölln.
The lifestyle atop high-altitude dining spots in Germany, such as the Sphere Tim Raue in Berlin and the Panoramic Bar in Frankfurt's Maintower, incorporates a blend of closed, home-and-garden ambiance with food-and-drink experiences, offering a unique fusion of interior design and culinary delights.
For those seeking a different lifestyle perspective, the NFT Skybar in Frankfurt's Europaviertel adorned with Bitcoin symbols and the CologneSky restaurant's vegetarian menu featuring local ingredients, contribute to a distinctive food-and-drink ambiance with a touch of home-and-garden charm.
