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We've compiled the best of the best in The Pfalz and Rhine Terrace - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Tucked behind a wooden portal on a cobblestone street, this vaulted sandstone "cellar" (it's actually on the ground floor) feels very cozy, but equally inviting is the Tuscan-style terrace, with its citrus, olive, palm, and fig trees. The regular menu includes rustic regional dishes as well as Mediterranean-inspired options.
Sure, it's a bit of a tourist trap, but then again, how often do you get the chance to eat in the world's biggest wine barrel? The two-story "giant cask" is divided into various rooms and niches with rustic wood furnishings, but you can also sit outside to enjoy the restaurant's regional wines, regional specialties, and international dishes.
It's loud, it's busy, and the small selection of high-quality beer is brewed on-site in a labyrinth of vaulted cellars. The menu offers regional snacks as well as hearty Bavarian fare, from Schweinehaxen (pork knuckle) to pork schnitzel. You can take a tour of the brewery for €7.90 per person (arranged in advance).
Heiliggeist's modern, minimal decor is a striking contrast to the historic vaulted ceilings in this former almshouse and hospital church, which was built in 1236. This lively café-bistro-bar serves elaborate salad platters, creatively spiced fish and meat dishes, and the house specialty, Croustarte, an upscale version of pizza. It's a popular brunch spot on weekends.
This tiny, historic wood-paneled pub close to the river is a favorite with locals young and old, who come to enjoy glasses of regional wine with traditional Mainzer snacks such as Handkäse (a sour milk cheese marinated in vinegar and caraway).
The Esel (donkey) lends its name to this wine pub serves homemade Palatinate pork specialities. The excellent menu is dictated by the seasons, and the ingredients—from cheese and meat to fruit and vegetables—are all sourced locally.
Behind a group of lush, potted plants and a sign on a pink-and-white house reading "Bier und Weinstube Tenne" is Petersilie, a traditional wine tavern in the heart of the town on the Römerplatz. The menu offers both homey Pfälzer fare and international cuisine, from Saumagen (stuffed pig's stomach) to chili con carne.
Wines, fine spirits, and regional delicacies are offered in the former premises of the family-owned distillery. Don't miss a chance to sample their fruity Muskateller wine, and you might also want to pick up a bottle of their fresh red or white Pfälzer Traubensaft (grape juice) as a tasty souvenir.
This 19th-century vaulted brick cellar has rustic wood furnishings and cozy niches perfect for settling down for an evening of hearty Pfälzer and wider German food. The restaurant has long been a promoter of the global Slow Food movement, and its dishes, created using locally sourced ingredients, include Blutwurst (blood sausage), Maultaschen (large ravioli), and Tafelspitz (slow-cooked rump cap of beef, with horseradish sauce).
Located a little to the west of the center, by the banks of the Rhine, this house brewery serves a good range of classic German dishes such as meat loaf with Spätzle (egg noodles) as well as regional specialties. Service and decor are bright and cheery, and you will be surrounded by copper vats and oak barrels as you dine.
