Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [561]
Best Western Stadtpalais ( 241 024; www.palais-braunschweig.bestwestern.de; Hinter Liebfrauen 1a; s €78-170, d €95-190, tr €135-220; ) This former 18th-century palace is now a hotel that really works, striking a good balance between historic and modern. Lots of cream, gilt and blue furnishings create interest, while great care has been taken to ensure comfort and functionality. The central, but fortunately quiet, location is another plus.
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Eating
Tandir ( 165 67; Südstrasse 24; 8am-2am Sun-Thu, 8am-5am Fri & Sat; ) This top takeaway Turk is the place to head to after a night out in the venues on Katenwall. It also has a couple of tables.
Strupait ( 2392 9494; Magnitorwall 8; soups €5-10; 9am-10pm Tue-Thu, 10am-10pm Fri & Sat, 10am-6pm Sun; ) Nestled on a corner in the Magniviertel, this cafe and bar also serves a few light dishes such as quiche to accompany the wine in an elegant interior. It has outside seating in summer.
Mutter Habenicht ( 459 56; Papenstieg 3; mains €5.75-18, weekday lunch menus €5.50; 11am-midnight; ) This ‘Mother Hubbard’ sure doesn’t have a bare cupboard, as she dishes up filling portions of schnitzels, potatoes, steaks, spare ribs and the occasional Balkan dish. Seasonal specialities like Spargel (white asparagus) are also served in the dimly lit, bric-a-brac-filled front room, or in the small beer garden out the back.
Rondo ( 123 4595; Magnitorwall 18; mains €6-19.50; 11.30am-10pm Tue-Fri, from 6pm Sat & Sun; ) A great find on the top floor of the Staatstheater ‘Kleines Haus’ building, Rondo has a modern bistro-style room decorated with dramatic photos of opera diva Maria Callas, plus a roof terrace offering city views. The food is plain and simple at lunch, but steps up a notch at dinner. Coffee and cake can be had when the kitchen closes from 3pm to 6pm.
Restaurant Brodocz ( 422 36; Stephanstrasse 1; soups €3.50-4.90, fish mains €9.30-23, vegetarian mains €5-14; 11.30am-10pm Mon-Sat; ) This Braunschweig institution specialises in salads and vegetarian soups and mains, augmented by piscine delights, with everything from English-style fish and chips to dorade, perch and salmon. The evening menu offers a smaller selection of dishes.
Stechinelli’s Kartoffel-Keller & Gewandhaus ( 242 777; Altstadtmarkt 1-2; dishes €4-26; 11.30am-10pm; ) In the basement of the Rathaus, these adjacent restaurants are touristy but ever-popular. You can indulge in potatoes over three courses in casual Stechinelli’s, from potato soup to potato waffles for dessert. Gewandhaus has an identical menu but closes from 2pm to 6pm.
Hansestube/Boom ( 243 900; Güldenstrasse 7; mains €10.50-22.50; 7am-11pm; ) Widely regarded as Braunschweig’s leading restaurants, these sister establishments in a renovated half-timbered house serve a seasonally changing menu of modern international cuisine. Enjoy Braunschweiger Mummebraten (€13.50), a roast stuffed with mincemeat and served in a sauce based on Mumme, a local nonalcoholic malt extract. Rooms in the comfortable hotel cost €90 and €110 for singles and doubles, respectively.
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Drinking
The Magniviertel is a good district to head to for drinks, with several traditional pubs. More listings can be found in Cocktail, Da Capo or Subway, the tourist office’s Braunschweig Bietet or the quarterly Hin & Weg.
Barnaby’s Blues Bar ( 356 9560; www.barnabys-bs.de, in German; Ölschlägern 20; entry free-€25; from 6pm) A regular flow of artists take the stage each month in this poky, smoky blues bar that gets local unknowns to legends, like Mitch Ryder, on tour.
Merz ( 181 28; www.merz-bs.de, in German; Gieselerstrasse 3; entry €3; 8pm-late Thu-Sat; ) Spacious and relaxed, Merz is a long-standing favourite especially among the student crowd, with table football, a beer garden, and a few snacks to nibble with inexpensive drinks. The lounge area opens at 10pm.
Schwannensee ( 458 33; entry €5; 10pm-late Fri & Sat; ) In the same building as Merz, Schwannensee serves up hip-hop, house and rock.
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