Trading meals like lunch or dinner for a time of kaffee and kuchen is acceptable if you like coffee and cake!
Life was good during my recent visit to the Baden-Wurttemberg region of Germany. Every afternoon at around 4 pm was the time set aside for sipping latte macchiato and devouring cakes of every color and texture.
Kaffee and kuchen tradition is much like the English tea time – the hours between lunch and dinner where coffee and cake are shared at home around 4 pm. In modern Germany, kaffee and kuchen (coffee and cake) ritual is no longer an everyday affair. Most families only observed this tradition of sharing coffee and cake on Sundays. Of course, most coffee houses throughout Germany still make time to serve customers their favorite coffee and cakes.
While visiting Tubingen, Rottenburg and Stuttgart recently I made time to drink plenty of coffee and tried lots of buttery and fruit-infused cakes. Cakes that were made from scratch were vastly different in every way compared to those made from cake mixes. Best of all kaffee and kuchen in these 3 cafes I’m about to share with you were at a terrific value – less than $10 for a cup of coffee and a piece of cake (including tips too)!
Take a look:
Ranitzky Kaffeehause, Tubingen Germany
Ranitsky Coffeehouse is located in an old building in Tubingen’s market square. It is a restaurant and cafe with seats on two floors and on warmer days customers can opt to sit outside. It is a popular place for lunch and coffee.
There were not many seats at around 3:30 pm when I visited. The cafe was filled with locals and students. The latte macchiato was the coffee of choice for many.
Latte macchiato is espresso poured into warm milk and topped with frothy steamed milk on top, basically forming a 3 layered coffee drink. It is served in a clear glass as shown below. Like most cafes around the world, the expresso macchiato was served with a glass of mineral water.
I noticed in all the coffee houses that the cakes were displayed near the front door. The menu for cakes changes daily and some of the cakes may not be printed on the menu. It is best to check out the displayed cakes and let the waitstaff know the cakes you want when you make your order. Black Forest cake and apple cake are some of the must tries in Ranitsky.Note: English was widely spoken in Tubingen, a university town about 40 minutes drive from Stuttgart.
Black Forest cake and apple cake are some of the must tries in Ranitsky.
Note: English was widely spoken in Tubingen, a university town about 40 minutes drive from Stuttgart.
Prinz-Carl Kaffeehaus Rottenburg
Rottenburg is a historic Roman town located by the Neckar River about a 15-minute drive from Tubingen and a 40-minute drive from Stuttgart. The town is not touristy which means where you go may not have tourists at all. My German friend brought me to her favorite cafe – Prinz-Carl Kaffeehaus on Poststrasse Road, across the street from Rottenburg train station.
Prinz-Carl Kaffeehaus has over 100 years of history. Their cakes are freshly baked and each table was lined with a well-pressed tablecloth.
Latte macchiato was the popular coffee here. Of course die-hard espresso and cappuccino fans will not be disappointed at Prinz-Carl Kaffeehaus.
My latte macchiato was served with a long spoon and a straw.
Our piece of cake was large, creamy and fresh. Look at the cake photos below (taken at Prinz- Carl):
Cafe Kunstlerbund Stuttgart
Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Wurttemberg is home to Mercedes-Benz and Porche. The city has plenty of coffee shops for coffee lovers. I want to highlight Cafe Kunstlerbund located in Schlossplatz, a popular square in the heart of the city because it was not a coffee shop that a tourist would hang out at.
Located on the second floor of an old building. It is a meeting place for artists and locals to have serious chats. On the walls were paintings for sale.
The espresso was just normal. The German cheesecake (kasekuchen) was light and not too sweet, making it a guilt-free treat.
Kaffee and kuchen for two cost between €14-€25 ($16- $28) including, two coffee, two cakes, taxes and tips.
Have you experienced kaffee and kuchen in Germany? Which was the best coffee shop and where was it located? Let us know so we can produce better content. Thank you!
