Sylt's reputation for serious eating is built on two things: very fresh fish straight off the boats, and the deep pockets of the summer crowd who can sustain expensive kitchens. The result is a concentration of starred restaurants well out of proportion to the size of the island, alongside no-nonsense fish smokehouses at the harbours of List and Hörnum.
Expect prices significantly higher than mainland Germany. The smokehouses (Gosch is the famous chain, but the local versions are usually better) offer a more affordable taste of the fish-by-the-North-Sea experience.