Dining and Drinking

Nuremberg has managed to emerge as a hip city in the last few years and as far as dining and drinking is concerned, it now has no problem with being rated alongside cities such as Munich and Berlin.
Nuremberg is the soul of Franconia and as is to be expected, it’s the perfect place to enjoy this region’s cuisine. Nonetheless, it also has a very cosmopolitan feel about it, so you can enjoy culinary specialities from an array of other countries. There are also numerous watering holes with a great atmosphere—they’ll soon make visitors feel at home.

Dining

Enchiladas is one of the city’s favourite restaurants. The menu is full of tasty Mexican dishes and during the happy hour (starting at 5p), the place tends to get packed—hardly surprising when cocktails are being served at half price! You can also eat Spanish fare at Tabasco, with the restaurant’s main specialty being a delicious Paella. If you prefer a nice juicy steak, then the staff at Enchiladas are waiting to take your order.


Asian and Oriental Cuisine is also well represented in Nuremberg. The Tadsch Mahal Indian restaurant serves up a range of tasty curries (great for homesick Londoners!). If you decide to eat at this restaurant, which is situated between the Hauptbahnhof and the traffic-ridden Plärrer, be sure to try some of the Indian Tea Liqueur. The Fulihua offers a splendid mix of comfort and good Chinese cuisine. The service is excellent, and the Fulihua is also popular for private functions. If you want to try Ayuverdian and vegetarian cuisine, then go to the Ceylon Lavinia. Even though Nuremberg is not the largest of Germany’s cities, it also boasts a range of exquisite Japanese restaurants, such as the Restaurant Ishihara or the minimalist Sakura on the edge of the Old Town.

Nuremberg’s small American community and the locals enjoy frequenting the Mississippi Queen, where real Southern Food is served on an old Steamer. It doesn’t take you up the river but be warned, you’ll soon think you’re on the high seas when the weather is bad and the boat starts rocking. The Carlos Lounge is known for its exotic fish dishes but if this sounds a bit too adventurous for you then you could always pop in at the more traditional Fischküche Pirckheimer, situated in the north of the city. All of the dishes are made from scratch so expect a wait between ordering and being served.

Nuremberg’s most famous food is of course roasted sausages, but there has been an ongoing debate as to who first made this type of pork delicacy–the Franconians or the Thuringians! You can actually catch the aroma of sausages being made on the grill whenever you walk through the Old Town and before you know it, you’ll want to tuck into some yourself. It has to be said that most of the places that do sell this Nuremberg speciality are very good, but only a few restaurants have acquired cult status. Worth a trip is the innovative Blauer Zipfel and the Bratwursthäusle, near the famous Hauptmarkt.

Upon visiting Nuremberg, you should also find out what Franconian cuisine as a whole has to offer. You won’t be disappointed—the fare is hearty and certainly pleases the palate. The Alte Post is always a sterling choice and at the Heilig Geist Spital you can enjoy the historic surroundings. For a more interesting meal, go to the Nassauer Keller, located in the cellar of one of the city’s oldest houses, the Nassauer Haus.

One of Nuremberg’s nicknames is the Gingerbread City. Gingerbread has been baked here for a very long time and it forms part of the German staple diet during the festive season. The most famous gingerbread producer in Germany, Lebkuchen Schmidt, keeps a shop near the Haupmarkt but, predictably, you can purchase Lebkuchen at numerous market stalls and in any grocery shop.

Drinking

Wherever you choose to eat, order a beer—this is Bavaria after all, the part of Germany where beer is considered liquid nutrition. Local beers include Tucherbräu, Lammsbräu (organic), Wolfhöher and Laufer Weißbier. During the summer, you can enjoy the atmosphere at the Wiesn Beer Garden, and if you drive through Zirndorf, try Zirndorfer Helles. Franconia is of course also one of Germany’s main wine growing regions and you may be pleasantly surprised after ordering a glass of ‘Wein’—not all of it tastes like Liebfraumilch.

Once you have laid your appetite to rest, it’s time to hit the bars. The Kloster Bar has décor that would be more at home in a thrift shop but it does contribute to the extremely cozy and interesting atmosphere. The Nassauer Keller, which as its name suggests is in a cellar, is also popular with the Bohemian crowd. Visitors with a taste for a good night out will relish the Ruhestörung in the historic Weißgerber Gasse. Or alternatively, put those dreams of the Caribbean on hold and enjoy some authentic Cuban Jazz at the Cohi Bar near the Hauptbahnhof. Those in the know tend to meet at the Wax Lounge, whilst business types frequent the Grand Hotel Atelier-Gastrobar, part of the city’s plushest hotel.

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