10 Best Restaurants in Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley, Germany

Steps from the Altes Schloss, the building dates from 1565, but the menu is modern, offering both pastas, traditional Swabian specialties and vegetarian dishes. In a nod to Bavarian neighbors, the menu also offers Weisswurst, or veal sausages, but only on weekends. The Käsespätzle, or noodles with cheese, served with a salad, is enough for lunch or a light dinner, especially when combined with Opfenschulpfer, an airy bread pudding topped with vanilla sauce. There are daily beer and wine specials featuring local and regional producers. It's popular with local office workers for its location, service, and good prices.

Beautiful ceilings painted with vine motifs, exposed beams, wooden wainscotting and an old tile stove make for a gemütlich (cozy) atmosphere. This small restaurant fills up fast, not least because of the Swabian specialties which dominate the menu and fresh, regional ingredients. Save room for dessert, especially the house-made Schwäbische Apfelküchle (Swabian apple cake) with vanilla sauce. There's also a children's menu.

Little more than a hole in the wall, this former cooper's workshop has been transformed into a candlelit pub. No matter when you go, it seems to be filled with people seated around the wooden tables (so dinner reservations are usually a necessity). The menu features regional specialties from Baden and the Pfalz, such as schäufele (pickled and slightly smoked pork shoulder); leberknödel (liver dumplings); and slices of saumagen (a spicy meat-and-potato mixture encased in a sow's stomach).

For more than 200 years, this wood-panel inn has been a favorite of students attracted by filling yet inexpensive selections; locals, because the food is the typical Swabian fare their mothers made; and out-of-town visitors, who love the old-fashioned atmosphere. Nearly everything is served with homemade Spätzle, the ubiquitous noodles so popular everywhere in Germany. In summer try to get a seat at one of the sidewalk tables,

Many of the rough-hewn oak tables here have initials carved into them, a legacy of the thousands who have visited Heidelberg's most famous old tavern. Mark Twain, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne may have left their mark—they all ate here, and Twain's photo is on one of the memorabilia-covered walls. Wash down simple fare, such as goulash soup and bratwurst, or heartier dishes like Tellerfleisch (boiled beef) with regional German wines or local Heidelberg beer. The "Red Ox" has been run by the same family for more than 170 years. Come early to get a good seat, including for the live piano music from 7 pm Thursday--Saturday, and stay late for the Gemütlichkeit (easygoing friendliness).

The motto here is "Wurst and Bier are friends," and there’s plenty of both consumed in this popular brewpub. Paulaner is a Munich beer, so you’ll find traditional Bavarian fare, including Weisswurst, on the menu along with Swabian favorites such as house-made Maultaschen (meat-filled ravioli). There's even an Austrian dessert, Kaisershmarrn, named for the ruler who loved pancakes cut in small pieces and mixed with fresh fruits and whipped cream. Tables upstairs are quieter.

This Baroque dining room inside the famous Heidelberg castle specializes in ente von Heidelberg (roast duck), but there's always something new on the seasonal menu. Whatever you order, pair it with a bottle from the extensive selection of international wines. Less pricey is the adjacent Backhaus, which has rustic furnishings and a nearly 50-foot-high Backkamin (baking oven). Light fare as well as coffee and cake are served indoors and on the shaded terrace. You can sample rare wines (Eiswein, Beerenauslese) by the glass in the shared wine cellar, or pick up a bottle with a designer label depicting Heidelberg. Reservations are essential for terrace seating in summer.

This lively old tavern dates from 1703 and is inextricably linked with Heidelberg's history and university. Young and old alike crowd around the wooden tables in the wood-panel room, decorated with historic photos and maps, and piano music adds to the din Wednesday through Saturday nights. From salads and pasta to hearty roasts and steaks, there's a broad selection of food, and beer is served from 7:30 am until closing. Upstairs are modern, pleasantly furnished guest rooms.

There are three adjoining eateries here: the Weinstube for a glass of good Swabian wine with a snack, the Restaurant for a full meal at lunch or dinner, or let yourself be tempted by the good-looking cakes from their own bakery in the Konditerei/Café.

Founded in 1398 and in this location on Heidelberg's Hauptstrasse (main street) since 1778—so you know they are doing something right—the White Swan specializes in regional fare. The menu includes several versions of Maultaschen (traditional Swabian ravioli) and local mushrooms and asparagus are featured in season. Unlike most German restaurants and pubs, which serve one local brew, there are a dozen on tap here; the most popular are Klosterhof and Heidelberger.