Eating in Colonia Tovar is one of the main reasons to come. The town's bakeries turn out Black Forest-style breads — dense rye, plaited Zopf, sourdough — alongside cakes and pastries that are unusually good for South America: apple strudel, Linzer torte, Schwarzwälder cherry cake. Smoked sausages, hams, and locally-made cheeses are widely sold. Several restaurants serve plates of bratwurst with sauerkraut and potatoes — incongruous with the surrounding tropics but a fixed part of the local identity.
A handful of Venezuelan-German fusion places — strawberries with arepas, hallacas with mountain cream — are worth seeking out. The Cervecería Tovar, the town's small brewery, makes a respectable Pilsner served at most pubs and restaurants in the centre.