True. OTOH, waitstaff in Germany will look in on you quite regularly throughout that time, bringing drinks quickly and refilling them often (this is Germany, after all ). There is also a tendency to overfeed you like, well, a German grandma/oma. I do not exaggerate when I say that, after a long lunch, someone will invariably suggest, "Let's go for a walk and coffee," "Coffee," being code for coffee/tea and cake. Lots and lots of varieties of pastries and cakes. Fortunately, it is a walking culture, food is made of fresh ingredients, and it's cold year round (I have had to wear a sweater and trench in July), so, if you are judicious, weight gain is minimal.