If you’ve been craving the best rotkohl with apples near me, you’re after one of Germany’s most comforting side dishes — sweet-and-sour braised red cabbage, slow-cooked with tart apples, vinegar, and warming spices like cloves and bay leaf. It’s the dish that turns up next to schnitzel, sausages, and Sunday roasts in German kitchens around the world, and once you’ve had a properly made batch, it’s hard to settle for anything less.
This guide covers two things: where to actually find good rotkohl with apples at restaurants across the UK and USA, and exactly how to make a restaurant-quality batch yourself, step by step.
Where to Find the Best Rotkohl With Apples Near You
Rotkohl is a side dish, not a standalone menu item, so the best way to find it is to look for genuine German or Bavarian restaurants — places that make their sausages, sauerkraut, and red cabbage from scratch instead of buying it pre-made.
In the United States
A few spots consistently get praised for serving the real deal:
- The Heidelberg (New York City) — a century-old, family-run restaurant known for its hearty platters and traditional sides.
- Kuby’s Sausage House (Dallas, Texas) — a restaurant and European deli in one, where the German potato salad and red cabbage are made fresh in-house.
- Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter (Stillwater, Minnesota) — family recipes brought over from Bavaria in the 1950s, still on the menu today.
- Old Stein Inn (Edgewater, Maryland) — a beer-garden favourite where the full platter, schnitzel to apple strudel, is made the old-fashioned way.
- Schmidt’s Sausage Haus und Restaurant (Columbus, Ohio) — serving traditional sides like red cabbage and potato pancakes since 1886.
In the United Kingdom
London has a growing German food scene, with several venues serving traditional sides alongside their mains:
- German Gymnasium (King’s Cross, London) — a grand, Grade II-listed restaurant with a menu that goes beyond the usual schnitzel-and-sausage formula.
- Bierschenke (City of London) — a proper Bavarian beer hall serving classic plates with traditional sides.
- Munich Cricket Club (multiple London locations) — an almost entirely German menu, including hearty sharing dishes.
- Stein’s (Richmond and other London spots) — imports most of its food directly from Germany for an authentic biergarten experience.
A quick tip wherever you are: check the restaurant’s reviews or photos for mentions of “red cabbage” or “Rotkohl” specifically, since not every German-style restaurant makes it from scratch. The ones that do usually call it out on the menu.
What Is Rotkohl With Apples?
Rotkohl (also called Blaukraut or Apfelrotkohl, depending on the region of Germany) is red cabbage that’s slowly braised with apples, onion, vinegar, sugar, and warming spices until it turns deep purple-red and tender. The apples are essential — without them, the dish can taste sharp and one-note from the vinegar alone. With them, it becomes sweet, tangy, and rounded, which is exactly why so many people search for the best rotkohl with apples near me rather than settling for a jarred version.
It’s traditionally served with sauerbraten, roast duck, pork schnitzel, bratwurst, and potato dumplings, but it works just as well alongside a simple roast dinner or even vegetarian mains like mushroom gravy and lentils.
How to Make Rotkohl With Apples at Home
You don’t need any special equipment — just a large pot and about an hour of mostly hands-off cooking time. This recipe makes roughly 6 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of red cabbage (about 2 lbs/900g), cored and thinly sliced
- 2 tart apples (Granny Smith works well), peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp butter or oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup (240ml) apple cider or apple juice
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2–3 whole cloves
- 1 tsp salt, plus pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp redcurrant or lingonberry jelly (optional, for extra depth)
Steps
- Sauté the base. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and diced apples, and cook for 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add the cabbage. Stir in the sliced red cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so it wilts slightly.
- Add the liquids and spices. Pour in the vinegar and apple cider, then add the bay leaf, cloves, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together.
- Simmer low and slow. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45–60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. The cabbage is ready when it’s tender but still has a slight bite — not mushy.
- Finish and adjust. Remove the bay leaf and cloves. Stir in the redcurrant jelly if using, and taste — add a touch more sugar for sweetness or vinegar for tang, depending on your preference.
- Serve warm. Rotkohl tastes even better the next day, so it’s a great make-ahead side. It also freezes well for up to three months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rotkohl with apples? Rotkohl is a traditional German braised red cabbage dish made with apples, vinegar, onion, and warming spices like cloves and bay leaf. It’s slow-cooked until tender and has a signature sweet-and-sour flavor.
What’s the best apple to use in Rotkohl? Tart, firm apples like Granny Smith are the classic choice because they hold their shape during cooking and balance the vinegar’s acidity. Sweeter apples like Fuji or Honeycrisp also work if you prefer a milder, sweeter result.
Is Rotkohl the same as sauerkraut? No. Sauerkraut is fermented green cabbage with a sharp, sour taste, while Rotkohl is braised red cabbage cooked with apples and vinegar, giving it a sweeter, milder flavor and a completely different texture.
Can I make Rotkohl with apples vegan? Yes. Simply swap the butter for olive oil or a plant-based butter alternative. The rest of the ingredients are naturally vegan.
How long does Rotkohl last in the fridge? Stored in an airtight container, homemade Rotkohl keeps for 2–3 days in the fridge and tastes even better as the flavors continue to develop overnight.
What dishes pair well with Rotkohl? Rotkohl is traditionally served with schnitzel, bratwurst, roast duck, sauerbraten, and potato dumplings. It also pairs well with simple roast dinners and vegetarian mains.
Conclusion
Whether you find the best rotkohl with apples near me at a traditional German restaurant or make a batch yourself, this dish is far more than a side — it’s a genuine taste of German comfort food culture. From the slow-braised texture to that perfect sweet-and-sour balance of cabbage and apples, it’s worth seeking out, whether you’re sitting down at a restaurant in London, New York, or Dallas, or simmering a pot of it on your own stove at home.
