44 Best Restaurants in The Rhineland, Germany

Just off the town's pretty Marktplatz (Market Square), this popular bar-restaurant serves classic German fare: think goulash soup, currywurst, and schnitzel. But the undoubted highlights (and best value options) are the flammkuchen—wood-fired, thinly rolled-out discs of dough covered in a variety of toppings (a little like a thinner, crispier pizza). The traditional version, topped with onions, bacon, and cheese, is superb, but there are also fish and vegetarian alternatives. Sit out on the spacious, sunny terrace to watch the world go by.

Beneath the exposed beams and painted ceiling of this cozy hotel restaurant, trout from the hotel's own fish farm will grace your table, served alongside German and French wines. It's on the site of a historic mill that belonged to the current proprietor's great-great-grandfather, tucked away in the forested hills of the Enderttal (Endert Valley) around 3 km (2 miles) northwest of Cochem's center.

When the Bundestag was still in town, this Bonn institution used to be cited in the press as frequently for its backroom political dealings as for its Lombardy-influenced food. Locals, prominent and otherwise, still flock to the restaurant, in an 18th-century house in the suburb of Kessenich. The style is pure Italian farmhouse, with stone walls and exposed beams, but the handmade pastas often stray from the typical, as in the salmon-filled black-and-white pasta pockets in shrimp sauce.

The name means "gourmet owl," and, indeed, the chef caters to gourmets in the 19th-century Palais Walderdorff complex opposite the cathedral. In the evening, the menu is à la carte and truffles are a specialty, along with excellent fish. Wines from top German estates, particularly those along the Mosel, are featured along with an extensive selection of reds.   Come at lunch for a great value, three-course set menu, including a glass of wine and coffee that is cheaper than the cheapest main course at dinner.

At this Schloss Johannisberg restaurant you can sit on the patio, in the restaurant, or the glassed-in terrace, which affords a spectacular view of the Rhine and the vineyards where the estate's wines originate. The regular menu includes several meat dishes, with a smattering of fish and vegetarian options, but it's the seasonal specialties that really stand out. Depending on the season, look out for wild garlic soup, white asparagus with schnitzel, and duck with cabbage and potato dumplings.

This stylish guesthouse sits at the foot of the castle, next to a venerable stone tower on the riverbank, offering dinner and lunch on Sunday. The restaurant serves classic German dishes (steaks, soups, schnitzel) with an emphasis on fresh seasonal ingredients such as white asparagus in spring and chanterelle mushrooms in summer, accompanied by wines from the region's finest producers. In summer you can dine alfresco on the garden patio.

Daily soups and stews, hearty fare, cold snacks, and fresh, regional cuisine are served with wines from the Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt estate. The Tagesgericht (daily special) and Aktionsmenü (prix-fixe menu) are a good bet; Das Beste der Region (the region's best) is an ample selection of local hams, cheeses, fish, and breads, served on a wooden board for two.

A five-minute drive south of Bingen town center—you'll need to cross over the Drususbrücke, Germany's oldest medieval stone bridge, to reach the west side of the Nahe River—this charming restaurant and wine bar is a longstanding local favorite. Expect refined country cooking with seasonal house specialties including Geschmorte Schweinebacken (braised pork cheeks) and Winzerschmaus (a casserole of potatoes, sauerkraut, bacon, cheese, and herbs), alongside wines produced by the Rumpf family. Sit inside the light and airy 1790s house or outside on the large, wisteria-draped suntrap of a patio.

The Bastian family (also owners of the vineyard Insel Heyles'en Werth, on the river island just north of town) runs this cozy tavern in a half-timber house dating from 1421. The "wine carousel" is a great way to sample a full range of wine flavors and styles (11 wines) alongside light snacks that include delicious Wildsülze (game in aspic), with potato salad, sausages, and cheese.

Whether you dine inside or out, this city center weinstube (wine bar) is a great dining and drinking option. In addition to the German dishes on the regular menu, you can order à la carte or prix-fixe based on recipes attributed to the Roman gourmet Marcus Gavius Apicius in the evening. If eating outside, take a trip down to the cellar anyway for a peek at the collection of Roman artifacts on display.

Wine-maker Josef Laufer more than lives up to the hospitality promised by the wreath and Krug (an earthenware pitcher) hanging above the front door of his hotel and restaurant a few kilometers from Eltville. The wood-paneled dining room, with its old tiled stove, is cozy; the service is warm and welcoming; and the regularly changing seasonal German fare includes Riesling cream soup, rump steak, trout from the Wisper River, along with the odd international curveball (Thai green curry, anyone?)