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Food & Drink

Culinary Sylt... or Culinary temptation

Food and feasts: Countless restaurants invite you on a culinary journey of discovery and guarantee variety. There is a wide range of over 200 restaurants to choose from with something for every taste and budget, from modest beach bistros and traditional inns serving hearty country fare to elegant gourmet temples. Outstanding dining is available all year round on Sylt, but the level of the offerings is exceptionally high during the annual Gourmet Festival, which is staged by a group of the island’s hotels, restaurants and other partners. During this period the top local chefs will be joined at their stoves by colleagues from all over Germany, and famous windegrowers will also be coming to present their fine vintages. They will also participate in the supporting programme – the legendary Gourmet Safari. Here the safari guests are transported in a luxurious chauffeured limousine to the venues where they can try the wines of the guest grower and the dishes created by his favourite chef.

Über 200 Jahre alter Gasthof – anno 1804

The "Over a 200 Years Old Inn" in List, or as the locals say "The Centenarian", is one of the few Frisian inns on Sylt to have been preserved more or less in its original state. It has served as a restaurant since 1804, and since 1991 has been run by its proprietors Christa & David Kaplan as a sophisticated/well-to-do restaurant for crustaceans and shellfish well as fish and native produce of Sylt. The "Over 200 Years Old Inn" is one of the oldest buildings on Sylt and the oldest in List. The old inn embodies the spirit of these times like almost no other building on Sylt with its uniquely captivating charm. Nevertheless, not everything in the Alter Gasthof is old and historical – the cuisine and its produce are as fresh as you can get.

Dittmeyer's Austern-Compagnie

Connoisseurs in search of a unique speciality need look no further than the “Sylter Royal”, an oyster reared in the List tidal shallows. Germany’s only oyster farm can be found there, a tradition with long roots: Oysters have been fished off List from the 15th century. The company "Dittmeyer's Austern-Compagnie" has professionally marketed these delicate shellfish since 1986. Around a million oysters are harvested each year in List under the name "Sylter Royal". The oysters feed on tiny floating particles, filtering up to 20 litres of water an hour through their shells to do this. During the cold season, the marine inhabitants spend the winter in large water tanks on the company premises in List. The oysters are ready for harvesting once they have grown to between 80 and 100 grams in weight after three years.

Fährhaus Sylt

Dine in style: The "Fährhaus Sylt" built in the Victorian style and situated in the harbour at Munkmarsch features a nostalgically elegant restaurant whose window front provides guests with a marvellous view onto the tidal shallows. Champagne-coloured wooden panels and ceilings with wooden beams in a watery blue shade of colour ensure a stylish atmosphere further enhanced by the cordon bleu cuisine. The furniture made from ancient Transylvanian pine wood invites you to a sumptuous meal. Alternatively, the Frisian-style restaurant "Käpt'n Selmer Stube" promises a delight to the palate – the Frisian room with its original blue and white tiles and antique seats captivates through its traditional charm. In the modern kitchen star cook Alessandro Pape and his team give their best. Not long ago this was rewarded 16 out of 20 points by "Gault Millau" and received one star from "Michelin".

Gogärtchen

The best names in town: The restaurant "Gogärtchen" has been among the most popular meeting places for the rich and famous for decades. Ideally located in the "Whisky street" of Kampen, Lena and Rolf Seiche offer their guests not only mouth-watering delights but also long nights at the bar. To see and be seen – this popular past-time is a timeless element of Kampen. As early as the afternoon people come to pass their time in the garden terrace. A wide selection of home-baked cakes and pastries is available as well as a bistro menu with light or country-style dishes. In the evening contemporary and light dishes are created in the kitchen from fresh products of the highest quality. Whether “Sylter Deichwiesenlamm“ or “Keitumer Ziegenfrischkäse“, Mediterranean or with a hint of Asia – the dishes are as varied as the diners. This is best accompanied by a glass of one of the restaurant’s fine wines. And after the meal: Why not enjoy a cocktail at the homely bar or the legendary outside bar as the sun goes down on a warm Sylt summer evening.

Fisch-Gosch

Hardly any other native of Sylt is so well-known as this individual: The name of Jürgen Gosch has become familiar well beyond the shores of the island. Thirty years ago he wandered the beaches selling holidaymakers eels – today the self-made millionaire not only has a head office at List harbour but branches in several major German cities. The latest innovation of the Sylt "Fish King": From Easter 2004 onwards an impressive fish palace will replace the "northernmost fish-stall in Germany". The bottom of the new building resembles a fish stall with rows of benches and bistro tables while the first floor incorporates a restaurant overlooking the sea.

Alte Friesenstube

Sylt's history and tradition come to life in the Alte Friesenstube. Built in 1648,the reed-thatched house is the island's oldest surviving building. Today the Friesenstube is a place of historical as well as culinary interest. Its traditional- minded owners, the Schachts, offer a menu of old Sylt and North German dishes and drinks.

La Grande Plage

Right by the sea: North of the red cliffs in Kampen the beach bistro "La Grande Plage" promises a culinary delight with a unique atmosphere. Situated on a 400 square meter wooden platform borne by pillars, the bistro in the northern log cabin style forms a popular meeting point for sun worshippers, walkers and sauna fans. In the bistro with seats both inside and on the terrace, breakfast variations, small snacks and salads, coffee and cakes as well as dishes with a French accent tempt guests for more. No menu would of course be complete without regional specialities - for example freshly caught mackerel from the grill in high summer. The beach sauna occupies a separate area, divided into a Finnish sauna and an aroma sauna. A room for quietly relaxing and, as a real highlight, a "hot pool" in the open air round off the range of things to do, while the North Sea provides a prefect way to cool down after a spell in the sauna. Massages given as physical therapy or thalasso treatment ensure relaxation and a sense of well-being.

Manne Pahl

Whoever sits on the "all-weather terrace" of the "Manne Pahl" café in Kampen has a perfect view of the comings and goings in the village. Pius Regli has been running his restaurant for 16 years. This reflects a mixture of countryhouse style and mountain chalet charm. The native of Lucerne manages to create a unique combination of Sylt lifestyle and Swiss charm. After long Sylt nights guests can enjoy a lavish morning breakfast on the restaurant terrace. In the afternoon visitors are seduced with home-baked cakes, and in the evening with distinctly regional cuisine with international influences. The latest addition to the Regli business is a cosy wine bistro in the Frisian village of Keitum. Pius Regli, himself a passionate wine lover, presents exquisite wines from around the world. And because it tastes so good, these don’t just have to be bought for home but can also be sampled directly at one of the bistro tables.

Jörg Müller

This is a familiar name to gourmets: Jörg Müller is the undisputed leading chef on the island of Sylt. This is documented in the current ratings awarded by renowned gastronomic guides: The "Gault Millau" awarded him the outstanding grade of 18 out of 20 possible points, "Michelin" decorated the star cook with one star. And there’s more: The "Gault Millau" sees in Jörg Müller "the best chef in Schleswig-Holstein", and even "Michelin" is not sparing in its praise. Exquisite specialities from Sylt oysters and finest goose liver pate to delicate saddle of venison are awaiting the connoisseur in the thatched restaurant of the Gourmet Temple. Next door in the "Bistro" lovers of lamb and fish dishes find themselves enthralled. Regional specialities characterise the menu. In addition to cuisine, the native of Baden has recently branched out into the “accommodation business”: The neighbouring guest house offers a selection of 23 luxury apartments.

Sansibar

Sansibar is the name of the most famous restaurant on the island run by Herbert Seckler. Here the rich and the famous meet, but “normal” people feel comfortabel too in this elegant and lovely restaurant close to the North Sea. This beach restaurant, nestling in the dunes south of Rantum, offeres a wide range of delectable dishes and over 30’000 wines. The wine from Sansibar is also in great demand throughout Germany. The fact is that this restaurant, also happens to be one of the best wine merchants in the country.

Sturmhaube

The finest cuisine accompanied by a panoramic experience! High up on the red cliffs of Kampen - under the bonnetshaped thatched roof of the Sturmhaube you can find excellent cuisine, a first-class bar, private lounging. From Mediterranean to Californian cooking! Host Markus Semmler and his team welcome you to the in May 2007 reopened Restaurants with a breath-taking view of the sea and dunes.

Sylt-Quelle

It’s not only the pure, iodine-rich Sylt water which has been flowing here for some time: The location is also is an abundant source of cultural creativity. Prominent and unknown cabaret performers, authors and artists come together here for events and exhibitions. The literary grant for the "Island Author", awarded annually by the Sylt-Quelle, is renowned throughout Germany. This year the company has taken over the famous “Sea Cabaret”, among others one of the cultural highlights on the island. The Sylt-Quelle at Rantum also provides an ideal opportunity for an epicurean “kitchen party”.

Wonnemeyer

Halfway between Wenningstedt and Kampen an imposing building resting on 100 wooden pillars rises up above the shore. The "Wonnemeyer" restaurant is a popular meeting place not only for those out for a walk along the beach. 60 seats in the country-style restaurant and 160 further seats on the spacious terrace invite you to linger awhile. Sylt specialities such as oysters, lobster or “Rote Grütze” (red fruit dessert) appear on the menu beside solid favourites like currywurst or juicy steaks. The relaxed and easy-going atmosphere is regularly enhanced with live music performances and parties.

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