At the Apicius gourmet restaurant, the culinary beacon at Zwischenahn Lake for over 30 years, mouthwatering delicacies are created by Martin Heinrich, Thomas Eilers and their teams. But it's not only the food that ranks among the best in north Germany. The four-star-superior Hotel Jagdhaus Eiden, which has its own private beach and stands in an idyllic ten-hectare park, is also perfect for a wellness break, offering hotel rooms with a mediterranean country-house feel and a large spa.

Head chef Benjamin Meusel is the driving force behind the creative cuisine at this luxury wine-lovers' paradise. The wine list is legendary – it extends to 1,850 wines and has won many awards. Die Insel is in a prime location, right on the idyllic south shore of Lake Maschsee, with a sun terrace, a redesigned event area and a beer and wine garden. This haven of pleasure provides the perfect setting for private celebrations or corporate events.

The Schillingshof in Gross Schneen near Göttingen dates back to 1648. Today, top chef Stephan Schilling, his wife and his team serve modern cuisine in a rustic country-house ambience. This is a family-run establishment offering high-end gastronomy and a friendly, authentic atmosphere. The Schillingshof enjoys a blissfully quiet setting and guests stay in beautiful, well-appointed rooms.

Chef de cuisine Jens Kommerau – who trained at various top-flight hotels in Germany and abroad – prepares creative dishes made from international, mediterranean and Euro-Asian delicacies. The restaurant is in the heart of the picturesque artists' village of Worpswede near Bremen and has won several restaurant guide awards for its outstanding, sophisticated food. In combination with sculptor Bernhard Hoetger's unusual architecture, Kaffee Worpswede offers a truly memorable experience.

Romantikhotel Schmiedegasthaus Gehrke is in the over 900-year-old village of Riepen in the Schaumburger Land region, in the heart of Lower Saxony. It is close to Lake Steinhude, the Weserbergland hills and Wiedensahl, the birthplace of the famous poet and illustrator Wilhelm Busch. There are three different restaurants and 20 hotel rooms at this traditional family establishment, now in the fourth generation. At La Forge gourmet restaurant, Andreas Gehrke and Michelin-starred chef Ernst-August Gehrke offer fine dining in an elegant atmosphere.

Park Hotel Bremen retains its royal estate charm and perfectly blends the city and the country. In the historical ambience of Restaurant La Terrasse, head chef Norman Fischer indulges his guests with compositions based on carefully selected ingredients. His approach focuses on modern interpretations of classic French cuisine. Manager Andreas Butzkamm and his team ensure an enjoyable evening for all.

The finest ingredients, meticulously prepared, and impeccable service from a committed team add up to a blissful gastronomic experience. The high-quality cuisine includes fresh interpretations of classic recipes, some ambitious experiments and one or two little surprises. Head chef Götz Knauer has his most fun with braised dishes and, as a lover of chocolate, his desserts.

Schlosshotel Münchenhausen is a moated palace in the Weser Renaissance style. Beautifully restored and renovated, it lies in the glorious Weserbergland hills, not far from Hamelin. Achim Schwekendiek has been stamping his culinary signature here since 2004. Imaginative dishes, fine wines and a historical ambience make dining here a true pleasure.

Badhotel Sternhagen lies on the North Sea coast and looks directly out onto the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park. For over 50 years it has ranked as one of Germany's best hotels. The gastronomic centrepiece is the elegant Sterneck gourmet restaurant offering panoramic views of the sea. Here, Markus Kebschull offers modern classic cuisine – based mainly on regional, organic ingredients.

Sven Elverfeld, head chef at Restaurant Aqua at The Ritz-Carlton in Wolfsburg, presents top-flight, modern European cuisine. He creates imaginative food of great visual beauty and exceptional quality, as his most recent accolades show. The Aqua's refined style is echoed by the timelessly elegant interior by French designer Andrée Putman.

Restaurant La Vie is in the heart of Osnabrück's old quarter, opposite the town hall where the Peace of Westphalia was signed. Thomas Bühner and Thayarni Kanagaratnam have been hosts at La Vie in Haus Tenge, a listed neo-classical building from the 18th century, since 2006. As the name suggests, La Vie celebrates the finer things in life: uncomplicated, relaxing and revitalising – quite simply, sublime.

Food was first served in the spirits department of the Grashoff store in 1968, when it was still on Sögestrasse. As this unusual place to eat became more popular and the food more elaborate, Grashoffs Bistro quickly became established. The regional and French cuisine here has always been open to mediterranean and Asian influences, and this has led to some truly great Grashoff classics.

COLUMBIA Hotel Wilhelmshaven, set between the main harbour and Banter See lake, is an ideal base for shopping in the town or leisurely walks on the beach. The Marco Polo has that cosmopolitan feel so typical of the coast and celebrates a new style of independent cuisine, free of prejudices and inspired by its 'pure north' philosophy. Naturally this means using regional produce in all its wonderful diversity.

Gasthaus Lege is located in Thönse, in rural Burgwedel, not far from the regional capital Hannover. Now managed by the fourth generation of the same family, it was built by the great-grandfather of chef de cuisine Hinrich Schulze, who runs the establishment with his wife Claudia. The food, which comprises nothing but the finest ingredients, is unpretentious, uncluttered and delicious, and the service is friendly and attentive. There is also a terrace in the farm garden, a function room for parties and a holiday apartment.

Michelin-starred chef Hans Sobotka serves flavour-centric mediterranean cuisine to his guests at Endtenfang gourmet restaurant at Althoff Hotel Fürstenhof in historic Celle. Classic duck recipes are also a traditional feature of the menu, for example the 'Entenvespers' that reinterpret duck in seasonal variations. Maître d' and sommelier Sebastian Wilkens whisks wine-loving gourmets away on a vinicultural journey with a focus on South Africa. In fine weather, guests can dine outside on the leafy garden terrace.