The Best Restaurants in Nuremberg A curated food guide and interactive restaurant map

Nuremberg is one of Germany’s most charming cities, famous for its medieval Old Town, festive Christmas markets, and hearty Franconian cuisine. But beyond sausages, pretzels, and beer halls, the city’s food scene is full of surprises. Here you’ll find everything from Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants and modern German bistros to cozy wine bars, specialty coffee shops, and family-owned bakeries. Whether you’re craving hearty German classics like bratwurst or schäufele, gingerbread, or a creative tasting menu at one of Germany’s top restaurants, Nuremberg has something for every kind of food lover.

Franconia, the greater region surrounding Nuremberg, is equally rich in flavor. It’s a landscape of rolling vineyards, charming small towns, and culinary traditions rooted in craftsmanship and locality. Franconia is a wine-growing region for Bocksbeutel and Silvaner wines, and with over 300 breweries, it has the highest density of breweries in the world. From traditional beer gardens and rustic inns to destination restaurants like Aura, Franconia showcases the best of modern German cooking while staying true to its heritage of local produce and seasonal ingredients.

In this foodie map of Nuremberg, we’ve gathered all our favorite restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and bars – from historic institutions serving sausages over open fires to Michelin-starred kitchens redefining Bavarian cuisine. You can explore the best restaurants in Nuremberg and beyond by scrolling through the list on the right or clicking the points on the map. All locations are listed in geographical order.

Our favorite restaurant in Nuremberg is Etz, a sustainable, modern Bavarian fine dining restaurant that has held two Michelin stars since 2022. The experience begins with a tour of the test kitchen and “aroma library,” where chef Felix Schneider gives an introduction to the cooking techniques and philosophy that shape their work. Etz showcases the region through local ingredients; the name “etz” is the Northern Bavarian word for “now,” and the menu is seasonally rooted, changing frequently, sometimes even weekly. There were playful nods to German traditions, such as the deep-fried bread “knieküchle” and the “brotzeit” (“bread time”) serving of sourdough bread with house-made cheese, charcuterie, and pickles. Another favorite dish of the night was the pumpkin brûlée: steamed and caramelized Zucchetto pumpkin from their garden, served with a smoky, sweet char bisque.

Located on the cobblestoned corner of one of the town’s most picturesque streets is Bergbrand Kaffeerösterei, our favorite coffee shop in Nuremberg. The café has a cozy vibe, with tables and chairs spilling out onto the street – a perfect spot to enjoy a coffee in the sun. In addition to espresso-based drinks, Bergbrand serves a wide selection of their beans as pour-overs. Our favorite was the Costa Rican, with notes of lime, cacao, and passion fruit, though we also loved the Ethiopian, which had flavors of Darjeeling tea, lemon, and orange.

Die Kleine Eismanufaktur (“The Little Ice Cream Factory”) is a charming shop on one of the city’s coziest streets. Everything here is house-made, from the small-batch flavors to the cones – and they even make ice cream cookie sandwiches! We loved the chocolate chip cookie sandwich with vanilla ice cream, like a gourmet take on the classic Tollhouse version, with a perfectly salty finish. The vanilla ice cream was so good we ordered an extra scoop on the side – creamy and delicious. Other fun flavors included eggnog, “cookie cookie” (mascarpone with cookie pieces), piña colada, licorice, and rosy raspberry with berries and rose petals.

If you like piña coladas, you’ll want to stop into Die Blume von Hawaii (“The Flower of Hawaii”), a tiki-style bar and tropical getaway in the heart of Nuremberg. With over 50 cocktails on the menu, including more than a dozen Mai Tai variations, there’s something for every palate – with fun glassware to match. Our favorite drink was the Calypso Colada, a coconut-forward mix of guava, pineapple, and rum, served in (you guessed it!) a coconut.

Although it’s a newer addition to the city, 075 Weinbar & Handel has already become the go-to spot for wine lovers in Nuremberg. The name “075” refers to the standard volume of a wine bottle, and it functions both as a shop where you can purchase bottles to take home and as a bar where you can drink on-site, accompanied by small snacks like bread, cheese, charcuterie, and olives. Behind the bar is sommelier Difan Xu, who previously worked at top restaurants including Gordon Ramsay in London, Obauer in Austria, and Cordo in Berlin. With producers like Heinrich from Austria and Nyetimber English sparkling wine offered by the glass, there’s something here for everyone, whether your preference leans natural or more classic. With tables spilling out onto the charming street, 075 is a perfect spot for an afternoon glass or a relaxed evening drink.

Bratwurst is a must-eat dish in Nuremberg, and Bratwursthäusle is a great place to get your fix. It’s centrally located next to St. Sebaldus Church, with a beautiful terrace overlooking the Market Square. The sausages are made with local meat and grilled on an open beech wood fire grill inside the restaurant. The Rostbratwürste, small grilled sausages, were our favorite. Get them with a side of house-made sauerkraut or potato salad. If sausage size matters to you, also try the Nürnberger Stadtwurst, a larger Franconian sausage with a smoky finish and hearty bite. Of course, you’re in Germany, so a pretzel and a beer are always welcome additions to your table.

Karl August is the must-stay hotel in Nuremberg. This neighborhood property blends seamlessly into its central surroundings, with a courtyard passage along the riverfront that features shops and cafés for both locals and visitors. On-site you’ll find a coffee shop and bakery, a brasserie, an ice cream shop, and even a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant. The hotel’s design is sleek and minimalist, with concrete pillars and angled roofs creating dramatic spaces. The crown jewel of the property is the breathtaking gym and spa on the top floor, complete with lounge chairs, saunas, and a striking pool with windows overlooking the city.

Tisane is the one-Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant located at the Karl August Hotel. The name “Tisane” means “infusion,” which chef René Stein interprets as “the essence of something.” The entire restaurant is a gorgeous U-shaped concrete counter with 16 seats. There’s only one seating each night, and everyone is served each course at the same time. With a neon sign outside and rap music playing as the chefs plate the dishes, the vibe feels informal and relaxed, yet hip and modern. The menu changes monthly. Highlights from our meal included a buttery bowl of mushrooms cooked in beef fat and served with a cured egg yolk, a lobster bisque made with chicken stock and fresh herbs, and a dessert of Hokkaido pumpkin poached in maple syrup with caramelized pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin skin ice cream, and a pumpkin and orange juice reduction.

For the best ice cream experience in Nuremberg, head to Bonbon. The buttery cinnamon-sugar waffle cone is by far the best in town, and it pairs perfectly with a scoop of creamy Lotus Biscoff ice cream. If cookie butter isn’t your vibe, there are plenty of other creative flavors on the menu, such as buttermilk blueberry, apricot thyme, and mandarin sorbet. This cute and colorful shop is a paradise for ice cream lovers of all ages, with some of the friendliest staff in the city.

Café Pique Nique is a French-inspired patisserie and boulangerie inside Hotel Karl August. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, the pastries are worth a stop. Shelves are lined with classics like a sweet and salty Kouign-Amann with a caramelized base and a brioche feuilletée filled with praliné, alongside creative varieties like a peanut butter and jelly pain suisse, a banana-and-chocolate croissant, and even a crookie – a croissant stuffed with cookie dough. The colorful macarons are moist and delicious; our favorite was the vanilla filled with a buttercream frosting.

Lo3 Lorenzer Eiswerkstatt is another good option for ice cream in Nuremberg, serving creamy flavors “from cow to cone.” Their workshop uses only organic ingredients, including milk from Franconian farms and regional fruit, to craft the best possible ice cream. Lo3 offers a wide range of flavors, from yuzu vanilla to salted peanut chocolate chip to rocky road with vanilla, tonka bean, and salted caramel. Don’t miss the chocolate cookie cone – it tastes just like an Oreo!

In the Middle Ages, monks in Franconia began baking honey cakes using exotic spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom, brought to Europe via the Silk Road. Because of its central location at the crossroads of major medieval trade routes, Nuremberg became the center of Lebkuchen (gingerbread) production. Nuremberg-style Lebkuchen are soft and nutty, made with candied citrus peel, ground nuts, honey, and spice, with little or no flour. The flavor reminded us of fruitcake, full of candied fruits and ginger, with an intensely spice-forward aroma that brought back Christmas memories. Lebkuchen is a beloved symbol of German Christmas culture, and many historic bakeries still operate in Nuremberg today. We sampled Lebkuchen at Schmidt, Witte, and Dornauer, but found our favorite gingerbread in town at Düll, a family-owned bakery. This was the nuttiest of all and quite hazelnut-forward. It reminded us of a moist muffin-top with a sugar glaze and a gooey, nutty center.

Nuremberg-based coffee roaster Rösttrommel Kaffeerösterei has been operating for over 15 years and is one of the top specialty roasters in the region. They have a few locations in the city, but our favorite is more of a shop than a café, and the artsy, dramatic interior design makes it worth a visit on its own. We tried two pour-overs: the Ethiopian was our favorite, with notes of apricot, raspberry, and hibiscus, but we also enjoyed the Colombian with mandarin, apple, and floral notes. If you’re craving something sweet, try the "Nussecke" ("nut corner"), a triangular treat with dark chocolate and hazelnuts that tastes like a Ferrero Rocher: nutty, dense, and sticky in the best way.

If you’re craving classic German comfort food in Nuremberg, head to one of the oldest buildings in town. Since 1897, the restaurant and hotel have been family-owned for five generations. Das Stiechele was one of the few buildings to survive the war, and stepping inside feels like stepping back in time, with the original interior preserved – complete with wooden chairs, hand-carved chandeliers, and stained-glass windows. A former war bunker has even been transformed into a wine cellar. The must-order dish here is the “knuspriges Schweineschäufele” – pork shoulder served on the bone, with crispy, airy skin and juicy meat, alongside a “Kloß,” a raw potato dumpling swimming in gravy. Other favorites include the "käsespätzle," like a mac and cheese with Alpine cheddar and roasted onions, and the light, airy veal Wiener schnitzel with fried potatoes and lingonberries. Be warned: this is not a light meal!

Our number one recommendation for sausages in Nuremberg is Zum Gulden Stern, the oldest sausage kitchen in the world. This institution has been serving bratwurst since 1419 and is now run by two young, passionate sausage lovers who took over the family business to honor their father’s legacy. So what makes these grilled sausages stand out from the rest? Instead of just boiling sausages and finishing them on the grill, they fully cook raw sausages over a beech wood fire for maximum flavor and smokiness. The taste speaks for itself. Also worth trying here is the “Saftiges Salzknöchla” (a juicy salted pork knuckle) and the “Sternla” cheese fondue, topped with chives, bacon, and onions, and served with a pretzel for dipping. Traditional sides include sauerkraut, horseradish, potato salad, and Obazda, a Bavarian camembert cheese spread served with bread. Finish with a classic German dessert such as apple strudel or frozen plum parfait.

Aura is a two-Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant from TV chef Alexander Herrmann and Tobias Bätz. For the last 15 years, these chefs, alongside their dedicated “food scout” Joshi Osswald, have been advocates for Franconia, promoting the region and its bounty of local ingredients. Aura uses 98% ingredients from Franconia, and their “future lab” (R&D test kitchen) employs techniques from around the world, such as fermentation and dry aging, to maximize flavor. They’ve dug deep to research everything Franconia has to offer and have also established strong collaborations with local farmers and producers. The menu changes four times a year with the seasons and features unique dishes and ingredients you’ll only find here, because they’ve developed them, like their cherry wood syrup or soy sauce made from lentils. The team is friendly and passionate, pushing boundaries and doing something modern and different in a small German town. Aura is definitely a worthy stop in Franconia.

If you’re planning a visit to Aura, staying overnight at The Post Hotel is an added bonus. This historic hotel is over 150 years old, opened in 1869, and has been family owned for six generations by Alexander Herrmann’s family. The rooms are comfortable and feature special beds made from natural materials, along with a pillow menu. The hotel also has a natural stone bathing area with saunas and a swimming pool. All stays include a delicious à la carte breakfast in the casual restaurant Oma & Enkel. Our favorite item was the juicy ham and cheese sandwich on a pretzel croissant. The charming town of Wirsberg is located about an hour outside Nuremberg.