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Dining in Europe > Dresden Dresden's local cuisine is what one might describe as hearty: Sour roast, potato soup, christmas stollen - those are but of a few of the typical treats of a Saxon kitchen. Good old, tasty, home-cooked eats make you feel like you're right at home with all you need for the perfect feast. By the late sequences of the Second World War and due to the constraints of the GDRs economy, the traditional recipes were somewhat simplified. But fortunately, a fresh wind has lifted Dresdens cuisine to brand new heights since reunification! The creative use of spices, and the development of various new twists anchored on an old theme (the time-old tradition of Saxon gastronomy) replaced a momentary bland repertoire of local dishes into an undeniably modern, cosmopolitan way of life amongst Dresdeners. This new approach to cooking is particularly pronounced in the popular Dresdner district of Neustadt. This is a multi-cultural quarter, which seems to have grown into the centre of all culinary excursions, due to the density of worthy chefs in the area. In the Äussere Neustadt (Outer New Town) you will stumble across an array of well-known Dresden bars, like the Havanna Club Bar, Franks Bar or the Studiobar. If when you make your appearance in these hot-spots, they are crammed wall to wall, fear not, there is still a vast tally of other taverns to choose from whose credentials are by no means limited to the scope of their happy hour. Should you have an unquenchable weakness for all things French, don't miss a trip to La Vie en Rose. Also, the La Rue is worth its salt. It is set up to mimic a French street, complete with Bistro, restaurant, wine cellar and Creperie. Mind you Italian fans will not go home empty handed either: the temperamental Ristorante Al Capone the La Casina Rosa or the bistro-like La Pergola is at your service. Indian food is on the menu in the Scheune Café, and in the Raskolnikoff Restaurant you will be treated to a critics choice fusion mixture of Russian-international cuisine. Friendly Turkish establishments selling superb lunch dishes seem to be ten a penny and on every corner.(e.g. Dueruem, Rothenburger Strae), Baguetterieas (e.g. Bags, Louisenstrae); fans of Spanish Tapas will surely meet their match in El Perro Borracho, which is situated in the beautiful Kunsthof. Innumerable small and large Cafés offer the perfect spot to stay and savour a bite to eat or wake up with a coffee. Many of the taverns have a large variety of breakfast and brunch deals on the menu. To be fair, the requirements of your average "breakfast-crazy" Dresdener, who swarm into the cafes on a Sunday are by no means easy to satisfy. In the Kontinental, in the Blumenau, the Planwirtschaft or in the Café Reale (with a bit of a Buffet) you can celebrate in style and easily get dragged into Dresdens breakfast culture. Part of the Innere Neustadt is characterised by noble, restored buildings and the ambling mile of the Königstrae. Many tourists love to be here and with good reason. Yet it is not just foreigners that enjoy the citys restaurants, such as the Czech Wenzel - Prager Bierstuben or the fine New California, and the many small Italians everywhere, you will see many a local out for dinner For drinking Cappuccino, eating great big ice-creams and writing postcards. Both the Schwarzmarktcafé or the Eiscafé Venezia are very enjoyable. A significant tavern scene has also sprung up in the City Centre. Directly above the Shopping mile Prager Strae is Café Börse, which is mostly overfilled. The Barock is also ideal for the Apres Shopping recovery process. At Zwinger and Semperoper one finds the exotic Busmanns Brazil alongside various other Cafés. The small restaurants of the Art'otels in Maxstrae are particularly well fitted-out, as is the Fischgalerie. Most would agree, I'm sure, that students are primarily a pub-going and hard-drinking species and because of that on the campus is positively riddled with inexpensive facilities. Most central is probably the ale-house Bierstube in der Neuen Mensa and students can also expect to salivate over Hübners, Müllers and Café B.Liebig. Directly between Frauenkirche and Elbe is a further maze of gastronomical highlights. In the short Muenzgasse, one of the oldest lanes of the city, one can dina and stroll in beautiful surroundings wonderfully. In the Café zur Frauenkirche, you are very close to the famous church and its construction and are also spoilt with a choice of both German and French cuisine. Around the Hilton Hotel you will find the Crêpe Galerie, the Australian(esque) Ayers Rock, the historical Kleppereck and the rather elegant Ristorante Rossini. In the summer time it is most beautiful outside! Lucky that there is a sterling choice of beer gardens Elbe and catering with outside facilities. It is so nice after a trip with the bicycle to get up calories again or to cool yourself with a Radeberger beer! This is possible among others in the Drachen, in the Lindenschänke or in the Fährgarten Johannstadt. The Kahnaletto is a restaurant which one finds not only ON THE EDGE OF, but ON the river Elbe! In the picturesque Villa Marie garden, you can see the river rushing and the famous bridge Blaues Wunder, with exquisite Italian cuisine right next door. That in Dresden, people love to celebrate and eat well, is no secret. The Bunte Republik Neustadt is a multi cultural district party at which you'll get mainly an unstrained mixture of international cuisine. The Elbhangfest is popular amongst young and old alike. All along the river Elbe, you can not only drink wine and tuck in to some decent food, but enjoy all kinds of distractions. In winter, the Striezelmarkt is beautifully romantic, especially at Christmas, and at each second stand one can try all sorts of delicious Saxon specialities, have you ever tried a Pflaumentoffel? Entertainment in DresdenDresden, on the one hand the baroque art and culture city, on the other hand a young city with numerous scene attractions has quite certainly a very high entertainment value for all age groups. It is perfect if you are a typical city-hopper but also should you like to install yourself somewhere for several weeks: the experience-hungry are guaranteed superb entertainment for all occasions. A search for Dresdens representative of world - cinema can surely be narrowed down to but one special filmtheater, the Ufa Kristallpalast. It might have the right to boast some of Germanys most exciting architecture: the asymmetric, glass-front extends towards the sky, a disputed work of art created out of concrete and a great deal of glass. What the big screen offers here is, however, nothing particularly out of the ordinary. The repertoire includes Hollywood Mainstream, once a week a surprise film and the odd Independently made film. Similar program can be watched in the two other multiplex cinemas of the city, the Bofimax and the UCI Kinowelt. All three have got some reputable taverns and cafés in direct proximity. Somewhat smaller is the Schauburg, yet this is perhaps the cinema with the biggest cult acclaim. It is situated directly in the tavern quarter and is a good starting point for a post-movie evening-out. Here one gets commercial and lesser-known or classic films. The Casablanca, the Kino am Hauptbahnhofor the Programmkino Ostall show films of similar genres. For those who love the theatre, Dresden is a veritable melting pot: the Schauspielhaus shows modern productions of classic pieces and other well-known plays. In the TIF-Theater in der Fabrik, however, things tend to be a little louder and more risqué. Modern pieces address the problems of modern society and the distinctly out of the ordinary. The Schlosstheater captivates audiences with its beautiful backdrop, the Dresdner residence castle. This stages programme is, more often than not, original and alternative. If you prefer to laugh in a more cordial fashion, you should rather head for the Komödie Dresden, the Kabarett Herkuleskeule or the Theaterkahn Dresdner Brettl. Local comedians will surely make you laugh with their Saxon wit. Dresdens nightlife has its roots in one main area: the district of Dresden Neustadt. Nowhere else in Dresden will you stumble across such a concentrated mass of bars, inspired taverns and Cafés. Houses dating from courtly times with colourful, daubed walls and graffiti-decorated buildings characterise area where the bars and a handful of clubs have made their home. The Scheune Café, for example, is the perfect prelude for an evening out. This establishment covers all eventualities: the ground floor offers delightful Indian cuisine and guests return later on to dance the night away on the upper floors to alternative and electronic music. You can get your hands on inexpensive and delicious fodder to suit both large and small appetites in the Pizzeria Al Capone, Café Europa or indeed Café Reale. When visiting the likes of the Blumenau or Raskolnikoff Restaurant, its usually better if you are early, otherwise you are likely to remain standing! Here, it gets crowded at the drop of a hat, as these well-publicised taverns are two favourites amongst Dresdens party-goers. Why not move on to a few cocktails in Mona Lisa, the Studiobar or the plushy Déjà vu? Or perhaps a glass of a wine into the Leonardo, the cosy cellar of Die 100or in the Italian Alimentari? For the more serious night reveller, dancing is next on the programme! Whether you are looking for an alternative experience in the AZ Conni, a fun evening in the funky Down Town or something with a bit more style, in Schleuder Bar Room. There is something suitable for every taste and budget. Fans of Brit Pop should stop off at riesa efauor the Brit-Parade. If you prefer a stunning open-air garden party (in the summer months) you should venture towards the Saloppe. Guitar music prevails in the Star Cluband in the Groove station (directly beside Down Town). Untiring Techno fans should stop by in the Strae Eand note the dates of their annual Boundless Party, in the Showboxx or in the Kühlhaus. The Alter Schlachthof, however, stages alternating Techno-Parties, expertly mixing the big names with newcomers. One can experience summertime nightlife of another type altogether with the Nachtskaten: view Dresdens most beautiful buildings right across the city as part of a large group on roller skates! To receive an overview about events, check out the following sites: www.sz-online.de, www.cybersax.de or, especially for parties, www.technoidz.de. Dining in Europe > Dresden
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