From traditional Franconian dishes to Michelin-starred chefs crafting elevated cuisine, we’re happy to share our list of the best restaurants in Nuremberg, Germany.
We crafted this list thanks to recommendations from Visit Nuremberg, locals, tour guides, and restaurant experts, and then personally tasted each restaurant to pick our favorites.
Although we have been to Germany many times (don’t miss our guides on What to do in Frankfurt on a Layover and Everything you Need to Know Before Heading to Oktoberfest), this was our first time to Nuremberg.
This picturesque town in Germany is most famous for their Christmas market with German goods and Christmas decorations, but for an amazing experience with less crowds, consider visiting in the offseason.
Culinary delights have always played an important role in Nuremberg. In the Middle Ages, it was an important trading city for selling spices.
Today, the city is still known for traditional franconian cuisine, like their iconic gingerbread, bratwurst and red beer.
Traditional German food isn’t all that Nuremberg has to offer, it’s also a great place for elevated dining and some of the top culinary talent in Europe.
From iconic dishes to contemporary restaurants with a modern twist, these are the best restaurants in Nuremberg, Germany.
Before talking about restaurants in Nuremberg, it’s important to understand the importance of Nuremberg bratwurst.
Dating back to the early 1300s, these sausages are smaller than the traditional brats you know and likely remind you of an American breakfast sausage.
These pork sausages are only about 7-9 cm in length and are protected throughout the European Union as a “protected geographical indication” as well as the Nuremberg Sausage Protection Association.
Much like champagne can only come from the champagne region in France, Nuremberg sausages can only come from Nuremberg.
There are three types of Nuremberg sausages you can order. They are typically served with German potato salad or sauerkraut, but sometimes you’ll even see horseradish as a side dish option, which is also delicious and a pleasant surprise.
- Grilled: Grilled Nuremberg sausages are prepared over an open fire, which typically is a spotlight in the center of the restaurant. The grilled sausages are a personal favorite of ours. The casing has a nice char and the inside of the sausage is hot and juicy.
- Smoked: You can also choose to order smoked Nuremberg sausages. While the size and shape are the same, we noticed that the casing had much more of a snap to it. The sausages were juicy and delicious and almost reminded us of mini Polish sausages.
- Sour: The third option for ordering Nuremberg sausages are boiled in vinegar. The sausages come in a crock in a broth of wine and vinegar with cooked sliced onions. Overall, the dish was well balanced and didn’t taste too much like vinegar. They had a soft skin since they were boiled and stayed nice and hot in the flavorful broth.
Zum Gulden Stern
There are many traditional restaurants in town serving up Nuremberg bratwursts, but for a historical bratwurst kitchen, head to Zum Gulden Stern Historische Bratwurstküche.
The history of this historic bratwurst kitchen goes back to 1419!
Here, the original Nuremberg grilled sausages are cooked fresh over a beechwood fire where the hearth is lined with copper pots and pans.
When ordering your plate of sausages you can choose between 6, 8, 10, 12, or 20 sausages. You can choose between grilled or smoked sausages so we recommend getting half and half in order to taste more of the famous sausages all on one plate.
Restaurant Trödelstuben
Trödelstuben is another one of our favorite places in town for traditional food.
Enjoy your meal on their charming patio, which is just steps away from the Trodelmarkt bridge in the center of Nuremberg old town, which makes it an ideal setting for enjoying a German beer outside during the warmer months.
We enjoyed Schäufele, a crispy pork shoulder with a German potato dumpling. The pork entree is juicy with a nice crispy skin and is quite the filling meal!
Additionally, be sure to also order the kaesespaetzle.
Spaetzle is a German dumpling, and when served with cheese and crispy onion, it’s about one of the best renditions of mac and cheese you’ll ever taste.
We can confidently share that after making spaetzle at home, and tasting various plates of spaetzle both in the USA as well as across twelve different towns in Germany, this is the best kaesespaetzle we’ve ever tried.
Now you know why it’s one of our favorite restaurants in Nuremberg, Germany!
This historic restaurant is also next to the Deutsches Museum Nürnberg (Future Museum) which is a really interesting place to visit.
Our favorite part was having a surprisingly knowledgeable conversation with AMECA, their humanoid AI robot.
Fränk’ness
Explore cool, upscale dining from Alexander Herrmann, a German culinary powerhouse. at Fränk’ness.
The dining room offers a more modern ambiance compared to traditional German eateries.
This restaurant makes authentic classics with modern accents and features local produce.
The classic Nuremberg sausages were custom made to include truffle, for a unique and sophisticated taste compared to typical restaurants.
The beef tartare featured the most incredible fresh horseradish sauce that had us begging for more.
Finally, for the main course, we savored local free-range bavarian beef with a gigantic dry aged ribeye steak.
It’s an exceptional quality of food.
If you’re looking for something other than traditional German food, head to Fränk’ness at lunch in order to try their ramen.
While ramen might be an unexpected dish to eat in Nuremberg, this restaurant uses the best handcrafted noodles and features their own homemade soy sauce.
The vegetable ramen was bright, flavorful, and delectable.It was an overall splendid dining experience with excellent service.
Tafelzier
Enjoy stunningly beautiful desserts at Tafelzier.
This is the perfect stop for a coffee break as you admire masterfully created small cakes and desserts.
This coffee shop also offers a large variety of macarons and craft chocolates.
It will have you thinking that you’re in a patisserie in Paris.
You’ll be able to find traditional flavors, as well as modern concoctions like mango-passionfruit, so it’s the perfect selection for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Be sure to stop by early, this spot is very popular and their desserts sell out fast.
Die Wirtschaft
Head to Die Wirtschaft for “Brotzeit” which means bread time.
For a unique lunch, try the “Gudzerla”, which translates to Franconian tapas.
Choose from one of three ”Veschber” sets, which includes small snack plates such as croquettes, traditional marinated limburger cheese, and Stadtwurst mit Musik, which is a thick sausage which is sliced and served in mustard vinegar with oil.
The tapas-style plates are perfect for sharing with a group while you enjoy their homemade beer.
Bratwursthäusle
Just steps outside of the stunning 800-year-old St. Sebald Church (we highly recommend joining a tower to climb the 250 stairs of the tower to be rewarded with a fantastic view over the city), lies the Bratwursthäusle.
At Bratwursthäusle they serve grilled Nuremberg sausages three to a bun, which is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
The delicious bread is something that is nearly impossible to find at German restaurants in America, which is disappointing because they are incredible.
The sausages are grilled on the open fire fresh before your eyes.
If you enjoy sauerkraut on your sausages, be sure to tell them when placing your order at the counter.
For under four euros, this is the best place to grab a quick snack while wandering around the town square to see the Schöner Brunnen fountain and the Frauenkirche church.
Brasserie NITZ
If you’re looking for good food during the breakfast hours, head to this modern restaurant overlooking the Pegnitz River.
Breakfast at Brasserie NITZ is in the Augustinerhof, which is a completely new neighborhood in the middle of the old town center.
The modern decor is a big contrast compared to some of the more traditional restaurants in town.
You’ll get a taste of contemporary design while overlooking the historic bridges and buildings along the river.
While dining during breakfast, an array of delectable dishes arrived on an adorable brunch tower.
From yogurt parfaits, to elegantly plated meats and cheeses, it’s the perfect way to sample a number of satisfying bites while sipping on craft coffees and fresh squeezed orange juice.
If you stop by later in the day, be sure to enjoy a libation at their chic cocktail bar!
Hausbrauerei Altstadthof
A historic part of Nuremberg’s history lies below your feet in the vast tunnels of beer caves under the city.
We explored this underground lair while on a private guided food tour with Wie Schmeckt Meine Stadt.
The food tour combines vast information about the town’s history as well as culinary facts about the cuisine of Nuremberg.
The best part was the private tour of the Nuremberg beer caves.
Below the streets and feet of locals and tourists, lie the beer caves.
These tunnels date back to the late 1300’s and were originally used to store beer barrels for private individuals.
Throughout the years, this changed to create bunkers for protecting citizens from the bombings of WWII, to also becoming a pickled vegetable factory.
Today, the caves are mostly empty and are used to provide educational tours to share Germany’s history to visiting tourists.
The one exception is Ayrer’s Distilling who uses the caves to age their beer brandy!
Taste it for yourself along with other beers made in Nuremberg at Hausbrauerei Altstadthof.
It is both a brewery and distillery; they craft beer, beer brandy, as well as a variety of spirits.
Pop in for a beer tasting for a fun activity in between your sightseeing adventures.
We tasted the traditional Nuremberg red beer, as well as a black beer and a helles.
All were delicious!
Wicklein Lebkuchen Hauptmarkt
Scrap everything you know about gingerbread, the gingerbread cookies from Nuremberg are unlike anything you’ve tasted.
They’re thick, moist, nutty, and chewy!
Since Nuremberg was a spice trading hub, all of the best vibrant spice flavors gets put into these iconic cookies.
You’ll find gingerbread cookies topped with nuts, glaze or even chocolate.
For a hands-on experience, join the Gingerbread baking workshop at Wicklein Lebkuchen Hauptmarkt.
You’ll learn more about the tradition and history of the Nuremberg gingerbread by creating your own handmade gingerbread cookies.
It’s such a fun experience even if you’re not a great baker back home.
Back in the 1800’s the legend also states that the gingerbread cookies seemed to heal an incredibly sick young girl named Elise.
Today, you can even honor that tradition by ordering the EliseN-Lebkuchen cookies, a delicious variety that only contains 10% flour.
We love those cookies with a sweet glaze and our favorite cookies of that variety come from Bäckerei – Lebküchnerei Düll. They have a few locations across Nuremberg, but inside the old town, you can find a small shop down the street from the Imperial Castle.
Weinbar 075
While visiting Nuremberg, we stayed at the Hotel Elch, inside the The Wine Market neighborhood.
The hotel has been updated to modern standards, but parts of the building still carry a history of over 700 years!
The Wine Market is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Nuremberg, and at Hotel Elch you’re in the center of the action.
You’ll stoll down the cobblestone streets which are framed by traditional German architecture, which looks like something out of a storybook.
This area once acted as a place to sell wine, thus being called the wine market.
We even spotted a cute wine shop in order to share a bottle of wine on the streets of this iconic neighborhood: Weinbar 075.
The wine bar features an expert sommelier who previously worked for Michelin-starred restaurants.
This wine bar was even named “New Opening of the Year” for Germany, beating out 700 other wine bars and 2,300 cocktail bars.
Weinbar 075 features a memorable wine selection that spans globally, from local Franconian wines made not far from Nuremberg to even some favorite wines being brought in from the United States.
Choose between local white wine, a selection of red wines, or even some sparkling options.
The outdoor patio is the perfect place to enjoy a laid-back european lifestyle while you watch bicycles zoom by on the cobblestone streets.
Bistro oma & enkel at Posthotel by Alexander Herrmann
Okay, okay, technically this is outside of Nuremberg, but if you are a foodie who appreciates culinary expertise and big flavors, we highly recommend visiting top chef Alexander Herrmann’s destination restaurant and hotel in Wirsberg, Germany.
100 kilometers from Nuremberg, lies an absolute culinary oasis from TV chef Alexander Herrmann and his superstar team.
Enjoy the romantic atmosphere in idyllic Wirsberg, a small town of just over 1,000 residents, packing a big punch in the culinary world.
Herrmann’s culinary mecca is based at the Posthotel, a boutique hotel in a previous post office that offers their NASA-based power sleep beds with even four different pillow types to choose from.
Our spa suite was even equipped with a private patio featuring a sauna, a stunning bathtub and massive walk-in shower.
In terms of restaurants, chef duo Alexander Herrmann and Tobias Bätz provide regionally oriented cuisine in their modern and elegant gourmet restaurants.
For their menu, they use the best ingredients from Franconia and prepare them with an elevated twist.
Posthotel features two restaurant options. Aura has been awarded two Michelin stars in the Michelin guide, and although Aura was closed the day of our visit, wandering around the dining rooms and seeing the large mural that states “Fuck Normal I Want Magic” showcased their whimsy, creative approach to food.
We dined at Bistro oma & enkel, the restaurant that translates to “Grandma & Grandchildren”. This restaurant takes a modern twist on classic Franconian recipes.
We tasted both the five course signature menu as well as the Franconian tapas menu, which was a five-course meal where each course contained three small, creatively plated dishes.
Chef Sandra Hofers’ mastery was on full display as we savored plate after plate.
From the most amazing beet salad we’ve tasted, to a mind-blowing cup of Franconian slate truffle that looked like a cappuccino but it was really an umami bomb of truffle, to crisp-yet-chewy french fries that were made from German potato dumplings.
The end of dinner was capped off with a shot of local liquor.
It was an exquisite dining experience, and it’s honestly shocking they don’t have at least one Michelin star as well.
The breakfast menu at oma & enkel is also impressive.
Some of our favorite dishes were the crab bread deluxe with scrambled eggs and caviar, the pretzel croissant prepared “reuben style”, and the sweet bun with a luscious hay milk cream sauce.
Just a few meters beyond Posthotel lies Future Lab Anima, the culinary lab for the Alexander Herrmann restaurants.
During our tour we discovered all of the delicious foods that they were pickling, fermenting, distilling, curing, and preserving for all of the menus for the restaurant group.
The chef team had seven different soy sauces that they made in house, all establishing different flavors depending on the amount of wheat or ingredients used in the fermentation process.
Most notably, we fell in love with sauce blend number six: which included fermented leeks and created a smoky, almost bacon-like flavor to the sauce.
You can taste Anima’s creations throughout all of Alexander Herrmann’s restaurant concepts across Franconia.
The overall culinary experience in Nuremberg exceeded our expectations.
We loved how within a short walk from each other you can taste centuries-old dishes that are delectable comfort foods, but also walk down the street and find elevated world class food from award-winning chefs.
For more help in planning your Nuremberg adventure, be sure to check out Nuremberg Convention and Tourist Office’s resources and recommendations.
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