3 Best Restaurants in Nurnberg (Nuremberg), Franconia and the German Danube

The oldest restaurant in Nuremberg, built in 1550 as a meeting place for the city's wine merchants, is also the city's finest dining establishment.Today its tiny but elegant period interior caters to the distinguishing gourmet, with vegetarian-centered dishes (such as the signature beetroot with caraway caramel) that make the most of local Franconian produce. For dinner, you can opt for anything between four and seven courses (from €180 to €210, with wine pairings or soft drink accompaniments extra), or you can come for a (relatively) lighter four- or five-course lunch.  Don't be put off if the restaurant looks closed—just ring the bell and a friendly receptionist will help you.

Established in 1419 and the oldest bratwurst restaurant in the world, this Historische Bratwurstküche (Historic Bratwurst Kitchen) should be your first stop for trying the city's most famous delicacy. After all, it's here that the city council decided upon the official size and weight of the Nürnberger bratwurst; the sausages must be small enough to fit through a medieval keyhole, enabling old-time pub owners to sell them after hours. Today, you can order your "Röstla" (as this place calls their bratwursts) in batches of between six and 20, served simply with potato salad and sauerkraut. Also available are Saure Zipfel (sausages boiled in a spicy vinegar and wine), along with a handful of non-sausage-based dishes.

Heavy wood furnishings, hearty German food, and an extensive wine list (with more than 100 wines) make this enormous old wine tavern a popular spot. Built as the refectory of the city hospital, the building's 650-year-long history is visible throughout. The menu is vast, but you can't go wrong with the local bratwursts.