A local’s guide to Leipzig: dumplings, diversity and delightful G&Ts

With glorious boat trips on its canals and sumptuous food, from traditional Saxon to Vietnamese, this is a destination ripe for a city break, says restaurateur Nancy Naumann-Hirt

You can find really good Saxon food in Leipzig, which means very hearty dishes often incorporating dumplings (called Klöße or Knödel) served alongside meat and fish, especially carp and trout. At the Ratskeller, near the new town hall, you can get almost anything from traditional spiced meat to Saxon roulade (usually beef filled with bacon, onions, pickles and mustard), and it’s really good quality and reasonably priced. There is also a pleasant terrace. Max Enk is more high-end, and serves pretty much everything the region has to offer, including its version of Leipziger Allerlei, which is made with crayfish and morels (rather than the traditional mixture of vegetables served as a main or side dish). Food doesn’t get more typically Saxon than this.