7 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.

At first glance, this restaurant doesn't look particularly promising—a small part of a large cinema complex on the edge of town, with an uninviting terrace overlooking a busy street—but the fact remains: this is the best burger joint in Bayreuth. The beef patties are excellent, and there are topping options galore, from the classic (like cheddar and bacon) to the adventurous (like goat's cheese and fig sauce). There are chicken and veggie burgers, too, along with a choice of sides. Start your meal with a small salad, loaded nachos, or mozzarella sticks, and end it with a syrupy pancake, apple crumble, or a chocolate brownie.

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.

In a city famous for its cafés, Anna is a safe chain of high-quality bakeries in Regensburg and one of the best places for coffee and cake in the afternoon. Breakfast under the vaulted ceilings is pleasant, as are the sandwiches to go. The wonderful bread and pastries more than make up for the often-surly baristas.

A modern two-level café and bar, Felix offers everything from sandwiches to steaks, and buzzes with activity from breakfast until the early hours. Light from an artsy chandelier and torchlike fixtures bounces off the many large framed mirrors.

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.

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.