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Dining in Europe > Hanover Despite the fact that a typical Hanover restaurant is much the same in Hanover as anywhere else, the city has a great number of diverse and different cuisines and restaurants. Some of these restaurants have been honoured by international gourmet guides, as for example Sterns Restaurant in the hotel Georgenhof or Landhaus Ammann. In Hanovers surroundings, La Forge in Schmiedegasthaus Gehrke has been number one in Lower Saxony for years; and the creative cuisine of the restaurant Endtenfang in Fürstenhof Celle is improving by the year. But there are also a great number of smaller, but very individual places which are really worth discovering. As in most German cities, there is a substantial number of Italian restaurants, which are very diverse in value and quality. You also will find many Greek and Balkan restaurants and ethnic Spanish places. French cuisine, however, is rare, but high class. Last but not least there are the German restaurants. You'll get all the facets which are as diverse as the country itself: hearty Bavarian dishes, pancake specialities, potatoes in all possible variations, sauerkraut and highly nutritious vegetarian meals. It is not possible to mention every exquisite restaurant in a guide such as this, but as well as the internationally honoured places, we'd also like to mention some rustic restaurants which are also worth visiting. You won't find one specific district in Hanover where all the worthwhile and interesting restaurants are gathered you'll find them spread over the whole town. With the exception of the municipal district Linden, theres also no particular area, where one nations food is hugely represented. Lets start with the centre: If you love rustic Bavarian comfort, ambience and dishes, should visit the Bavarium. As well as good hearty food and Bavarian beer, you can also experience the blue-white folklore style, just like the American images a Bavarian Bierzelt. Although the restaurant has 200 seats it is very crowded most of the time if you go there in groups, reservation is recommended. If you love homemade German food, you should also check out the Pfannkuchenhaus in the Calenberger Strasse. You get all sorts of pancakes in this "Pancake House" of course, and they are baked over an open fire and are served with solid maple syrup. You can also expect a cosy and homely German ambience at Vater & Sohn, one of the most rustic and best restaurants specialising in different varieties of fried potatoes. You can experience German dishes of a high international level at Entenfang. As the name implies, you mainly get high quality duck dishes here. The restaurant has been honoured many times! Very central, right beside the historic Kröpcke Clock in the middle of the pedestrian district, you'll find Mövenpick. Here you'll not only be able to taste the legendary ice cream which gave the place its name, you can also enjoy high quality international dishes, as the house encompasses several restaurants: Café Kröpcke with Swiss specialities, the american-oriented Opus One, the vegetarian Grünschnabel and, last not least, the latest addition, the Expo-Café. For years now, a central and highly recommended address for South American specialities has been Chimu.Besides the very famous turkey in chocolate sauce, you can get high quality fish dishes and other delicacies from South America. Chimu is also a favourite meeting point for many prominent people. The same can be said about Da Lello. For over 17 years it has been a Mecca for high society and VIPs. The restaurant is also a guarantee for high class Italian dishes. Talking about good Italian restaurants, we must also mention Gattopardo and the small but very exclusive Roma. If you are looking for Chinese food in the centre of Hanover, you should note the Ente Von Peking, it is the only restaurant in Hanover where you don't have to order the Peking duck in advance. And if you love Mexican cuisine, we recommend both of the Mexcal restaurants. You can also expect high quality in the Oststadt, better said in the municipal district List. You'll find one high class gourmet temple after another, especially on the Listermeile and around the Weiekreuzplatz. We must mention Clichy here of course, run by Eckkehard Reimann, a brilliant, much honoured cook who is very popular not only in Hanover. Clichy offers French cuisine; the second Reimann restaurant Königsberg, which opened in January 2000 on the Lister Meile and very quickly became famous for its high quality German and international meals. In New Concept you'll be faced with a minimalistic, stylish ambience, a bar and a restaurant with a cigar lounge perfectly integrated under one roof. As the name says: A new concept! The historic Plümecke is quite the opposite: You can experience the old List and the Old Hanover here in a rustic ambience with curried sausages and brawn! From the Oststadt to the Südstadt: Pier 51 is built on the lake. It is an old yacht school which has been rebuilt into a wonderful restaurant with international food. One of the best 600 restaurants in Germany is the multi-honoured Die Insel. The speciality here is pheasant with cream and cabbage in Champagne! If you dine on the big terrace, you also have a great view of the Maschsee. Fes, a French restaurant in the Sallstrasse is also worth a visit, as it offers delicious Moroccan dishes and an extraordinary wine menu. The municipal district Linden is is also special: Entertainment in HanoverArt Internationally renowned is the Sprengel museum for its collection of classic Modern art. Located right beside the Maschsee, it presents high value exponents from recent times: Beckmann, Chagall, Ernst, Klee, Nolde, Picasso and also Hanovers famous Dada-ist Kurt Schwitters. A very interesting place is also the Kestner museum. Since 1884, it has presented diplomat and collector August Kestners collection. Above all you can see exponents from Egypt, Greek, Etrustic, Roman and post-antique art here. Those who like modern, contemporary art must also visit the Kestner Society, right next to the Anzeigerhochhaus. You have the chance here to experience experimental art by popular German artists like Immendorff, plus constantly changing exhibitions by big international names like Andy Warhol and Helmut Newton. Highly recommended! Besides the Kestner Society, the second biggest private art association is the Kunstverein Hanover. It also presents contemporary renowned artists, but has also acquired an international reputation by supporting young talented artists. We should not forget the Wilhelm-Busch-Museum (named after the first comic artist in the world who lived in a village near Hanover). You can expect ever-changing exhibitions of the genres comic, cartoon, caricature and graphics in this classic little palace in the middle of the Herrenhäuser Gärten. Of course you can find Wilhelm Buschs works here too. Cinema We should mention the three Cinemas on the Raschplatz. As well as the latest Hollywood movies, you can also expect special films and movies which are not mainstream. And when the cinema mogul Flebbe built his big complex on the Nikolaistrasse, cinema got a new name, not only in Hanover: The Cinemaxx has 10 different cinemas and 3,200 seats. Theatre Above all, the Landesbühne deserves a mention. It successfully presents classics in a modern style. The Opera at the Opernplatz, as well as the Schauspielhaus are popular all over Germany and even abroad. You can also expect high class acting and plays at the Ballhof. The theatre is divided into two halls and presents smaller revues and contemporary theatre. If you take a walk through the Hanovers centre, you can't overlook the Theatre am Aegis big imposing glass façade. This theatre is without a doubt the towns premier address for boulevard theatre, high-class comedy and cabaret. Nearly all famous German actors have been here at least once. You can experience Cabaret, political as well, and smaller comedy acts, at the Theatre in the Küchengarten which was founded by the German cabaret artist Dietrich Kittner. the best venues for cabaret and variety acts are the Alcazar and the GOP-Variety in the Georgspalast. Both locations present international art in the genres travesty, Magic and Comedy. Last but not least, this guide would not be complete without mentioning the Theaterwerkstatt (theatre workshop) which is located in the Pavillion on the Raschplatz. Here, fine dramas and plays are presented with a great sense of atmosphere. The work there has, in the past, often been highly commended. Music The only venue acceptable for a medium pop act is Capitol. In this former cinema you can see most of the decent temporary bands in a good atmosphere and for reasonable prices. Many international artists avoid Hanover, however, because there are very few attractive alternatives. You are confronted with the situation that you have on one hand very big halls (or the stadium) which only megastars like Tina Turner or Phil Collins can fill or you have music clubs which are sometimes far too small for a popular act. You can count the bigger venues on the fingers of one hand: The Eilenriedehalle is a big concrete block with awful acoustics and not worth mentioning. You must also be a very devoted fan to survive a concert in one of the big Messehallen at the fair, which are often misused for concerts as well: the anonymous, factory atmosphere and the bad acoustics are hard to bear. Be warned! The historic Kuppelsaal right beside Eilenriedehalle is far better: This hall with its plush ambience and very good sound is an ideal place for classic concerts and high standard pop events. Acts like the Pet Shop Boys and Bryan Ferry have been featured here. Superacts like the Scorpions and Pink Floyd can be seen during the summer months in the Niedersachsenstadion. This stadium can hold up to 40,000 people. Last of all, we should mention the music clubs and music theatres. Hanover has a lot of these, the good ones are listed quickly: Beside the traditional and unique music theatre Bad and Capitol mentioned before, Altro Mondo and Faust in the municipal district Linden have gained a very good reputation, especially in the last few years. Nightlife Anyone who loves good pop and party music in general and wants to get to know people should visit Osho.In the uncomplicated, ambience of this Bhagwan club you can meet people and make friends very quickly. Osho is interesting even if you're a little longer in the tooth: On Wednesdays they have a "Thirty something" special: Anyone over 30 years gets in free! Unfortunately there are very few options for alternative sounds in Hanover, just two, to be honest: Eternity and Base. Both clubs are located near Steintor and are not very far away from each other, so you can check out both quite easily. Hanover certainly has no curfew. That means that the nights can be very long if you want them to be, even during the week. Recommended for insomniacs are once more Zaza, which normally closes in the morning, and Odeon, where you can get delicious hot meals at any time of night. Parks and leisure centres Contrary to other cities which have their parks and green areas far more integrated in the street life, in Hanover you have bigger oases with a life of their own: Often described as the "Green lung of Hanover" the Eilenriede is a city forest which stretches from the zoo to the inner city. The ideal place for joggers, walkers and kids. Also worth a visit are the Herrenhäuser Gardens, especially the Groer Garten, an impressive and artful arrangement of theme gardens, orangeries, labyrinths, water games and ponds. We also should mention the Maschpark with the artificial Maschsee (Masch Lake) and the possibilities this big lake offers such as swimming, sailing, rowing and ice skating. Last but not least, a visit to the zoo is recommended: it gets bigger each year with more attractions, and it is family friendly (with a giant playground for your children) and can also offer superb gastronomy. Areas The municipal district List also has a life of its own. In the 60s it was the favourite place of students and alternative people who have now grown up into distinguished lawyers, teachers and business people. Behind the imposing Stuck-facades you can therefore find exquisite restaurants, and the Lister Meile is the most exquisite shopping mile in Hanover and offers a lot of high quality shops. If you come to Hanover by train you can't escape the Passerelle, a long shopping mile in the subway that stretches from the Kröpcke to the Raschplatz. Despite the big choice and the different shops, good quality is not common here. Many shops offer no name products, cheap quality and junk. The high class contrast to the Passerelle is Georgstrasse. If you leave the Passerelle at the Kröpcke and walk over the big square with its historic clock, you'll find high quality shops and restaurants (like Möwenpick) on this splendid mile right opposite the opera house. Dining in Europe > Hanover
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