Wolfsburg's Aqua shines as the only three-star restaurant in Lower Saxony!

Wolfsburg's Aqua shines as the only three-star restaurant in Lower Saxony!

Today is a celebratory day for the culinary scene in Germany, because the new Guide Michelin Germany 2025 was presented in Frankfurt am Main. Particularly noteworthy is the “Aqua” restaurant in “The Ritz-Carlton” in Wolfsburg, which was awarded three stars. This makes it the only star-rated restaurant in Lower Saxony to hold this highest gastronomic honor.

A total of 341 restaurants in Germany were awarded, including 282 restaurants with one star and 47 with two stars. “Aqua” is now at the top of the culinary rankings in Lower Saxony, followed by the two-star restaurants “Jante” and “Votum” in Hanover. The restaurant “Marie” in Hanover and “Joseph’s Fine Dining” in Bad Sachsa were also pleased to receive one star.

Stars and their meaning

What does it actually mean to be awarded a Michelin star? Stars represent culinary quality: a star indicates that the cuisine is full of finesse and worth a stop; two stars describe top-class cuisine that is worth a detour; while three stars represent unique cuisine that is worth the trip. Particular attention is also paid to awarding the Green Star for sustainable gastronomy as well as special awards for service and value for money. The Guide Michelin was first published in Germany in 1910 and has established itself as the “gourmet’s bible”.

The evaluations are carried out by anonymous, internationally experienced testers who only evaluate the food. Various criteria play a role: the quality of the products, the craftsmanship, the personal kitchen style, the price-performance ratio and the consistent quality over a longer period of time. Crucial meetings take place in star conferences, which take place several times a year. Even though people often talk about “star chefs”, the stars are awarded directly to restaurants and not to chefs.

The history of the Michelin Guide in Germany

The Michelin Guide has a long and interesting history. After a 51-year hiatus, Michelin brought out the first guide to Germany in 1964. At that time, however, the list did not include any stars because a longer observation process was necessary for the award. It was not until 1966 that the first 66 stars were awarded in Germany. Over the years, Germany developed into a leading gourmet country, and the stars increasingly awarded themselves to exquisite establishments in the big cities.

Over the decades, the guide has transformed from an advisor for drivers to a respected hotel and restaurant guide. Nowadays, great value is placed on the anonymity and independence of Michelin inspectors, who travel around 40,000 kilometers a year and make around 800 official visits. The development of the guide is also reflected in the increased number of award-winning restaurants, which has increased regularly in recent years, indicating the high gastronomic quality in Germany.

All the excellent restaurants in Lower Saxony, like “Aqua” and “LaVie” in Osnabrück, clearly show that northern German cuisine is on the right track. And if you have an appetite for the finest dishes, the star restaurants are in the best hands - a visit is definitely worth it!