A forty-kilometre sandbank with three starred kitchens, Germany’s only oyster and a beach hut where champagne meets currywurst. How to eat Sylt in one long weekend.
Arrive by train, eat by bicycle
The Hindenburgdamm carries the train and your car across the Wadden Sea; on the island a bicycle beats a taxi at dinner time. Base yourself in Kampen or Rantum, and plan the island north to south: Gosch in List for the first fish sandwich, Gogärtchen in Kampen for the aperitif, Söl’ring Hof in the Rantum dunes for the dinner.
The starred kitchens
Söl’ring Hof holds two stars in a thatched house with the North Sea beyond the terrace; KAI3 cooks at the southern tip in Hörnum with the Wadden Sea in the windows; Bodendorf’s sits in a farmhouse hotel in Tinnum, and Jörg Müller has cooked the classics in Westerland since 1988. Book all of them weeks ahead in summer and over New Year.
The myth
The Sansibar takes no reservations on its beach terrace in summer; you arrive at four, put your name down and wait with a glass of rosé on the sand. The wine list runs to thousands of positions, the currywurst and the oysters share tables, and the sunset over the dunes is the reason everyone puts up with the queue.
The oyster
The Sylter Royal grows in the beds off List, Germany’s only oyster, and is at its best from September to April. Eat it on the harbour wall at Gosch, on ice at the Sansibar or opened at the table at Söl’ring Hof; our oyster page has the mignonette.
When to come
June to September for beach dining and long evenings, autumn for oysters and storms, New Year for the island at its most glamorous. November and January are quiet and several kitchens close; check the dates before you book the train.
Try it
Gourmet Weekend PlannerPick a city, one to three days, your pace and your budget.Dinner BudgetTasting menu or à la carte, wine by the glass or the pairing, two people or eight: the Dinner Budget estimates the bill per person in your city and compares it with the other eighteen..Frequently asked questions
Is Sylt expensive?
The starred restaurants are priced like the island; Gosch, the beach huts and lunch menus keep it approachable.
Can I do Sylt without a car?
Yes. Train to Westerland, then bicycles and the island bus; taxis are scarce at dinner time.
Does the Sansibar take reservations?
For the indoor restaurant in the evening, yes; for the beach terrace in summer, no.
