14 Best Restaurants in Franconia and the German Danube, Germany

If there's one city food experience you shouldn't miss, it's the succulent, charcoal-grilled Regensburger sausages at this 500-year-old "sausage kitchen". The small, homemade pork-ham würstchen, available in portions of six, eight or 10, are served with the restaurant's own cellar-fermented sauerkraut and signature Wurstkuchl mustard. There are plenty of other options on the menu, too, but they hold less interest. Try to grab a seat at one of the wooden benches outside, where you can eat while looking upriver to the nearby Stone Bridge; otherwise, head inside the wood-paneled restaurant next door.

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.

Brewing traditional craft Veste beer in the heart of Coburg, this small brewery, which is part of the larger Brauhaus Coburg, is just the place for massive portions of roasted meat and other Franconian specialties. As for the accompanying beer, you can pour it fresh yourself from the taps at the table.

Shaded by magnificent old trees, this brewery's enormous beer garden (which can seat more than 1,000) is a popular stop for sipping a summertime Hacklberger beer, while tucking into a plate of sausages or the pumpkin-seed breaded roast chicken.

For atmospheric dining, this 14th-century monastery-turned-wine cellar is a must. In summer you can eat beneath chestnut trees; in winter seek out the warmth of the vaulted, dark-paneled dining rooms. The wines—made in Austria from grapes from the Spitalkirche Heiliger Geist vineyards—are excellent and suit all seasons.

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.

A traditional German pub with a summer terrace that spills out across Maximilianstrasse, this popular place specializes in high-quality Franconian fare, from roast venison with dumplings and cabbage to grilled pikeperch with potato risotto. Look out for seasonal specialties, too, such as strawberry and white asparagus salad. Don't worry if it's too chilly to sit outside: the huge glass ceiling over the dining room gives it a light and airy atmosphere, even in winter.

The beer you sip on the high, sunny terrace overlooking the Danube is brought fresh from Peschl's own brewery below which, along with this traditional Bavarian restaurant, has been owned by the same family since 1855. Expect hearty Bavarian cuisine, from schnitzels to steaks.

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.

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.

This self-described "Franconian nostalgic inn" harks back to the 17th century, when the local Wirtshaus (inn-pub) was the meeting place for everyone from the mayor's scribes to the local carpenters. Beer and hearty traditional food (with a hint of Mediterranean influence) are shared at wooden tables either in the rustic interior or out in the shady beer garden. If it's on the menu, opt for the freshly caught trout fried in almond butter.