4 Best Restaurants in Bamberg, Franconia and the German Danube

If massive sausages and sauerkraut are getting a bit tedious, head towards the Gartenstadt for some healthier options. This family-run restaurant combines local Franconian ingredients and produce from the Gartenstadt, with a modern and international flair. The flavors are distinctly German but enhanced with international nuances; the grilled savoy cabbage with curry and brook trout shouldn't be missed.

This massive old stone-and-half-timber house has been standing since 1533, making it Bamberg's oldest brewpub. The cuisine is basic, robust, filling, and tasty, with such items as a bowl of beans with a slab of smoked pork, or marinated pork kidneys with boiled potatoes. Klosterbäu brews a fine Rauchbier, but its brown ale is the reason to come.

Set in the middle of Old Town, this tavern has been serving beer inside an ancient half-timber house since 1405. The real reason to come here is to try the Aecht Schenkerla Rauchbier, a dark beer brewed with smoked malt that tastes like liquid ham—it's an acquired taste but worth sampling. The best strategy is not to sip and enjoy, but to gulp down the first half; if you can choke down the first one, you'll be a fan for life.

Not everything in Bamberg is smokey beer; Franconia produces some of Germany's finest wines. This small traditional wine bar below the cathedral has an extensive wine list. They don't serve food, but if you bring your own German Brotzeit, an evening meal of bread, cheese, cold cuts, and pickles, they will provide you with dishes and silverware.