Iconic GDR restaurants in Dresden: memories and new trends!

Iconic GDR restaurants in Dresden: memories and new trends!

What do you think when you think of gastronomy during GDR times? In Dresden there are many memories of the culinary highlights of this time. The article by Sächsische.de highlights the most popular restaurants and asks women about their eating habits. Their memories bring the city's history to life and invite nostalgia. More and more users are providing insights into other culinary hotspots, especially on social media.

One of the best-known addresses is the “Fress cube” on Postplatz, formerly the HO restaurant complex “Am Zwinger”. It opened its doors at the end of the 1960s and quickly received great praise for its attractive prices. With over 1,465 seats and 380 employees, the restaurant was a popular meeting place until it was closed in 1992 for construction and hygiene reasons and demolished in 2007. Today the SAP building can be found there.

Popular locations in the GDR

Another classic is Café Prague on the Old Market. This “first socialist concert and dance café” opened on December 20, 1956 and was a center of cultural life in the city for a long time. Initially dedicated to a fashion show, in 1958 the café was transformed into a variety theater with dance evenings and gastronomic offerings. A place where artists from both German states performed, it became an institution that was on everyone's lips until it closed in 1988. After several changes and closures, the house is now used as an Italian restaurant Aposto and a gaming room. De-academic.com has impressively summarized the architecture and cultural significance of the building.

Food from the GDR era can also be found at Luisenhof in Loschwitz, one of the few restaurants from that era still in operation. This place, known as the “Balcony of Dresden”, has been welcoming guests since 1895, and even after the fall of the Wall, the ambience was largely preserved. The current operators, Carsten and Carolin Rühle-Marten, continue to rely on the tried and tested with traditional Saxon dishes. In keeping with the nostalgic heritage, the rustic dishes are also served in the “Planwirtschaft” restaurant, which has been popular with locals and tourists for over 30 years and is characterized by its “Ostalgie” charm.

Traditional ambience and culinary experiences

In the “Planwirtschaft” restaurant, which opened in 1990 at the time of reunification, you can enjoy classic GDR dishes such as solyanka or beef roulades. The cozy atmosphere with wooden furniture and rustic decoration attracts many guests. The beer garden is particularly recommended, where you can relax with friends and family on warm summer evenings. The menu also offers seasonal dishes and regional specialties and online reservations are recommended, especially on weekends ( that's how Dresden lives ).

An interesting chapter in local gastronomy is the history of the “Dreckscher Spoon” on Straßburger Platz. Opened in 1961, it was the most modern fast food restaurant in the city. But due to cleanliness issues, it had to change its name. After serving as an event location for a while after the fall of the Wall, it was demolished in 2022 and is now making way for a residential and commercial building.

The tower café in the television tower, which is considered a popular excursion destination, attracts around 200,000 visitors every year and is considered the most expensive restaurant in the region. Here guests can enjoy views over the city, although it has only been used as company premises since 1991. However, those interested can look forward to plans to reopen by 2027.

In a retrospective look at Dresden's gastronomic past, it becomes clear that the memories of GDR cuisine and its restaurants are still alive decades later and shape the culinary face of the city.