Leipzigers love their roast with potatoes and rich gravy - and everything's made to go perfectly with cold beer. Vegetarians should try the typical Leizpiger Allerlei, a hearty vegetable stew. The local tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) in the afternoon is well worth a try too.

Traditional café: Zum arabischen Coffee-Baum
The 300 year-old Coffee-Baum (Kleine Fleischergasse 4), is one of Europe's longest-running coffee houses. Sip fresh coffee and try a home-made piece of cake, just as Schumann, Wagner and Napoleon did before you.

Hearty Saxon fare: Auerbachs Keller
Sample a Rindsroulade (beef roll) at Leipzig's most famous cellar (Grimmaische Straße 2 - 4), where Germany's most famous playwright, Goethe himself, spent many drunken hours as a student.

Quick bite: Bagel Brothers
For a quick snack on the go, head to this shop on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, where you can choose from a huge variety of richly filled and reasonably priced bagels.