How to order food in Germany

Last updated: August 2026Written by Anthony Toast7 sources

Germany has three mainstream delivery apps. Lieferando is the broadest first search, but it isn't the automatic winner. The other platforms can beat it on interface, restaurant choice or the live total at a covered address.

Start with Lieferando for breadth. Before a large order, compare the other two platforms at the same pin. Whichever wins, give the surname on the bell, floor, rear-building or courtyard detail and a reachable number. The last checkout screen and the restaurant's delivery model matter more than a permanent app ranking.

Choose your first German delivery app

Your priority	Start with
The widest marketplace or guest ordering	Try Lieferando. Its current store listing advertises more than 48,000 restaurants, supermarkets and takeaways.1 2
A polished multilingual interface	Check Wolt, then confirm your city in its current German directory.3
You already use Uber	Open Uber Eats. It now has a broad German city list and belongs in the comparison.5
Fees are high or the restaurant is close	Compare direct collection with the restaurant's own menu before paying a platform premium.6

App details

Wolt

A polished multilingual alternative for meals, groceries, and local shops in many German cities.

Pro tip: Enter the exact accommodation first, compare the same restaurant's total, and avoid starting a subscription you do not need.

App Store Play Store Website

Lieferando.de

Germany's broadest food and grocery marketplace, with delivery or collection from more than 48,000 listed businesses.

Pro tip: Some restaurants use their own drivers, so tracking can be limited. Check the final fees and keep the receipt until any refund is resolved.

App Store Play Store Website

Uber Eats

A mainstream restaurant and grocery delivery alternative with a broad current German city directory.

Pro tip: Reuse your Uber account, but compare the same basket with Lieferando and Wolt before committing to a large order.

App Store Play Store Website

At a glance

At a glance	Wolt	Lieferando.de	Uber Eats
Signing up	A phone number and account are normally used for ordering, delivery contact and support history.	Web guest ordering can be available; an account improves order history but is not always required to start checkout.	A working Uber account carries across; new registration needs a reachable mobile number for verification.
Paying	Cards and supported digital wallets are available; cash eligibility and refund treatment require checking.	Online methods vary, and some merchants offer payment at delivery or collection. Confirm the live order choice.	Saved cards and supported digital wallets are the normal visitor options; the checkout shows what is accepted.
English	The app and German marketplace offer a polished English interface, but merchant content can remain German.	An English web experience is available, while restaurant menus, calls and support can still be in German.	Account settings, receipts and help can stay in English; German business names remain untranslated.
Where it works	Strongest where its local storefront exposes both current merchant inventory and platform courier supply.	Nationwide breadth anchored by a marketplace that includes groceries as well as prepared food; local stock is merchant-specific.	Uber Eats publishes broad city and locality coverage across Germany, subject to the exact delivery pin.

How it works here Uber Eats operates in Germany, but Lieferando.de and Wolt provide enough coverage for a focused traveler shortlist.

How to get a SIM in Germany→

Germany has three mainstream choices

Lieferando remains the best national first search. Its Google Play listing claims more than 48,000 listed restaurants, supermarkets and takeaways. Scale isn't the whole answer. The terms allow online payment or payment at the business's door where the merchant offers it, and some businesses use their own delivery staff. That changes the tracking and support path.1 2

Wolt publishes a long current directory from Aachen and Berlin to Munich, Potsdam and smaller surrounding markets. Uber Eats also shows a broad German footprint. Recent local discussions treat all three services as the ordinary comparison. That makes the live address search more useful than a fixed national ranking.3 5 6

The surname on the bell is part of the address

German apartment addressing often gets a courier to the building, not the flat. Add the surname exactly as it appears on the Klingel, then specify the floor, staircase, Hinterhaus or courtyard entrance. If the bell is broken or uses another name, say so in the delivery note and meet at the front door. A building number without that detail can turn a warm meal into a support case.7

Hotels and offices can restrict courier access. Ask reception whether the order should be handed over in the lobby and use the public entrance as the pin. Keep the phone charged and the registered number reachable. English may cover the app interface, while a restaurant's menu, driver call or building label remains German.3 5

Check who delivers and how you pay

On Lieferando, the restaurant may fulfil the order with its own driver. Tracking can be less granular, and support may start with the restaurant. Competing platforms more often present courier tracking inside the order, but a moving map still isn't a guarantee. Save the confirmation before the food leaves the kitchen.2 4

Card, PayPal and wallet options vary by service and merchant; a cash choice on one order does not establish cash for the next. Wolt's German terms say a refund for a cash payment may be issued as Wolt credits. That is a meaningful tradeoff for a short-term visitor, so read the refund method before using cash on an expensive basket.2 4

The app price may not be the restaurant price

Compare identical items where possible, then add service, delivery and small-order charges. A free-delivery banner can coexist with higher menu prices or a minimum basket. If the restaurant is nearby, its own website or collection counter may be cheaper and gives the kitchen direct responsibility for the handoff.6

A tip is optional, and the app's prompt does not create an obligation. Grocery delivery can appear on Sundays even when ordinary shops are closed, but store hours, local rules and courier capacity still control the live result. Order earlier for a time-sensitive meal and avoid relying on a late-night estimate that has not yet found a courier.7 3

If the app does not work

If all three apps fail, check the restaurant's own website for Lieferung or Abholung, call directly, or collect the order. A hotel desk can often identify a nearby place that accepts phone orders. Confirm the total and payment method before leaving, because cash-only independent restaurants still exist.6

What this does not cover: Checked on 24 August 2026. App directories, delivery polygons, fees, merchant payment methods and courier supply change live; foreign-card and building-access outcomes remain address-specific.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best food delivery app in Germany?

Lieferando is the strongest first search for breadth. In supported cities, Wolt and Uber Eats are worth comparing for interface, restaurant choice and the final total.