The story
Gasthof zur Sonne in Stuttgart has built its reputation on reliable Swabian cooking since Ludwig Gölz founded the establishment in 1885. The Stoll family now manages the property, carrying forward a lineage that includes earlier stewardship by the Nuffer family. Their steady ownership explains why the dining rooms retain their original timber accents while quietly updating facilities for modern guests.
The kitchen prepares gutbürgerliche dishes that follow the rhythms of the agricultural calendar. Chefs select vegetables and meats at peak freshness, then apply straightforward methods that let the ingredients speak clearly. Regular patrons frequently order the slow-roasted beef or the historic saure Nierle paired with pan-fried potatoes. This dedication to traditional German cooking ensures every meal feels familiar yet carefully executed.
The venue balances cozy seating arrangements with practical layouts suited for both weekday lunches and weekend gatherings. Travelers can extend their stay in the adjacent guesthouse rooms or the garden-facing apartments built during the late nineties. The Schlemmer Atlas awarded the location two and a half spoons for sustaining such consistent standards across menus and service. That accolade simply reflects what regular diners already experience when they pull up a chair.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Traditional inn with cozy and modern dining rooms, located in the picturesque Altmühl Valley in a river bend. Among other things, they serve pasture-raised lamb and a four-course menu.
Its shores are already almost completely built up; only Lake Zurich itself remains as it always has. And just as before, it supplies chef-owner Caesar Meyer with plentiful ingredients for the refined dining at the listed “Sonne” restaurant, complete with an elegant dining room and terrace. The small fish burger served as an amuse-bouche set the tone. It was followed by a Jerusalem artichoke soup featuring a parfait made from the liver of the smelt, a fish that professional angler Sämi Weidmann only catches in winter. Next came a reimagined Italian classic, the Vitello carpa: finely sliced roast veal is served not with tuna sauce but with carp sauce, proving that exquisite cuisine can certainly be achieved with a freshwater fish. Rather than marine delicacies, the invasive signal crayfish from Lake Zurich feature in another house specialty: an outstanding bisque crowned with a delicate pike dumpling. Also sourced directly from the lake in front of the house are the trout fillet prepared à la meunière, the confit pike fillet with olive tapenade, scallop mussels, and yacon purée, as well as the poached whitefish fillet served with a Stäfa mushroom sauce. Given such a strong emphasis on local sourcing, the impressive wine list naturally includes excellent crus from the vineyards along Lake Zurich’s shores.
Location
