Café & Konditorei Gaier
Konditorei Gaier on Hauptstraße is the kind of family-run pastry shop that every German small town used to have and most have since lost — the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte here is made with actual Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps distilled in the region), not flavouring, and the cream is whipped fresh each morning. Sit at one of the small marble-topped tables and order slowly.
What to Order
The Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is the obvious starting point — layers of chocolate sponge, morello cherries and cream with enough Kirschwasser that you feel it gently — but the Bienenstich (bee-sting cake), a yeasted dough topped with caramelised almonds and filled with vanilla custard, is arguably the better bake.
In winter, the Gugelhupf — a ring-shaped bundt cake studded with raisins and almonds — appears in the window and disappears by mid-morning; arrive before 10 am if you want a slice.
Coffee & the Room
The coffee is proper filter Kaffee served in a white porcelain pot with a small jug of cream on the side — the way it has been served in Black Forest Konditoreien since the 1950s and the way it should stay.
The room itself is unhurried and unpretentious: checked tablecloths, a glass display case of tarts and a wall calendar from a local agricultural supplier. It feels genuinely local rather than curated for visitors.
Bread & Savoury
Gaier also bakes a daily selection of sourdough rye loaves and the regional Dinkelbrot (spelt bread) that makes an excellent breakfast with the small pots of local honey sold at the counter.
If you are self-catering or picnicking along the Kinzig trail, the bakery counter opens at 7 am and the fresh rolls — Brötchen with sesame or poppy — are still warm until around 9 am.
More of Alpirsbach
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Alpirsbach →
