3 Best Restaurants in Bamberg, Franconia and the German Danube

If sausages and sauerkraut are getting a bit tedious, head towards the Gartenstadt for some healthier options. This family-run restaurant, part of the Hotel Europa, combines local Franconian ingredients and produce with a modern and international flair. The flavors are distinctly German but enhanced with international nuances; think sesame-crusted trout fillet with celery purée, or home-smoked duck breast with a walnut dressing.

This massive old stone-and-half-timber house has been standing since 1533, making it Bamberg's oldest brewpub. The cuisine is simple, filling, and tasty, with items including schäuferla (pig shoulder) with dumplings and sauerkraut, and Jägerschnitzel ("Hunter's Schnitzel") with mushroom cream sauce. Klosterbäu brews a fine Rauchbier, but its renowned brown ale is the reason to come; they've been making it here since the very beginning. There are almost as many seating options as there are items on the menu: choose between the brewery restaurant, the "Braun-Bierstübla" (Brown Beer Hall), the Schwemme courtyard, the stepped terrace, or the beer garden; private groups can also dine in the tithe barn or vaulted cellar.

Set in the middle of Old Town, this tavern has been serving beer inside an ancient half-timber house since 1405. The food is standard German brewhouse fare—think bratwurst, beef brisket, or pork shoulder, all drowning in beer sauce—but the real reason to come here is to sample the Aecht Schenkerla Rauchbier, a dark beer brewed with smoked malt. It's an acquired taste (something akin to liquid ham), so the best strategy is not to sip and enjoy, but to take large gulps. And if you can polish off the first half-liter, you'll be a fan for life. Expect a queue to get inside at weekends and during high season.