betcha can't eat more than one and other Regensburg, Germany Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Spitalgarten

Spitalgarten may not be a true beer garden by Munich standards as you cannot bring your own food, nor are there self-service kiosks dolling out liter sized mugs of beer, but with ample and inexpensive food and a bustling atmosphere, it is surely more than a mere outdoor restaurant. With a fantastic view of Regensburg’s skyline across the scenic Danube, the casual eatery offers up big leafy chestnut trees and wooden benches that beckon you to do more than just wolf down a meal in between sightseeing.

Favorite Dish: One thing to always keep an eye out for in Germany is the “tageskarte.” This daily menu offers up the best value meal you can find for lunch. It’s generally very filling, tasty, and a good accompaniment to beer. On this particular day, we had schwammerlbraten mit semmeknodel und salat. This is pork in a creamy mushroom sauce served with a bread dumpling and cold cabbage salad. At only 7.50 Euros, it would have been a bargain if served alone but it came with a half liter of your choice of house-brewed beer. The food was delicious and went perfectly with both the helles and dunkles beers on tap. The former was a fruity brew that dried out considerably in the clean bitter finish while the dunkles started out with a bitter coffee palate before an uncertain and somewhat disappointing finish. When you consider that most beer gardens in Munich charge close to 7 Euros for just a liter of beer compared to just 5 here, it is not such bad form that you can’t bring your own food, especially when even that is quite reasonable.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0941 84774
Address: St. Katharineplatz 1
Website: www.spitalgarten.de
Other Contact: double rooms 46 Euros

Restaurant Name: Kneitinger Brauerei

I must admit I didn’t eat nor even drink a beer here. I did pop in to check it out and it’s a bustling place full of locals and tourists alike. It’s right in the center of town and pretty crowded at main hours. The Kneitinger Brewery has another outlet called the Kneitingerkeller up at Galgenberg-strasse 18. It’s a bit away from where most tourists go but that’s another reason I like it. It’s also quite handy from the train station though a steep short climb! I’ve literally jumped out of a train on a short layover and made it up here for a few beers. So, why no photo of this great treasure you might ask? Well, I did take photos but the camera was lost in a Munich beer garden, along sadly with the film from the trip. At any rate, I have sweet memories as you can read in my General Tips. Suffice it to say, it’s a classic old Bavarian restaurant/beer hall with dark wood paneling, some stuffed animal heads with horns, and chuck full of locals enjoying some of the regions finest brews. In summer, there is a nice beer garden to enjoy them under a shady chestnut tree. A must see!

Favorite Dish: Kasslerbraten is a smoky ham generally served with simple boiled potatoes and sauerkraut. We were lucky enough to be served this at their annual bock beer tapping festival and much to our surprise, it was free. I also had classic Regenburger sausages on a subsequent trip, which were tasty and quite inexpensive. Out in the beer garden, we enjoyed kalterbraten(5.80 Euros for a huge portion), a cold roast beef that goes perfectly with their great beers. Their helles or light lager is their most popular brew and certainly a thirst quencher that hits the spot on a hot day, but the dunkles or dark lager is the one to seek out. Though generously hopped, the bitter signature comes from roasted malt and makes a perfect accompaniment to German culinary treats well represented on their menu. Their bock beer comes out in November at which time there is a ceremonial tapping of the first keg. It’s a joyous affair full of camaraderie and a great place to meet up with the friendly locals who are quite astonished that you found our about their coveted secret. The beer is a sublime nectar that both mocks and transcends their dunkles, chuck full of rich malt for density and strength but well hopped for a balance that makes it most quaffable.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0941 76680
Address: Anulfsplatz 3
Directions: The historic old pub is right in the center of the old town and the keller is uphill from the train station on the other side of the river.
Website: http://www.kneitinger.de/

Restaurant Name: Die Alte Wurstkuche

This historic old restaurant is purported to be the oldest in Germany, clocking in at over 800 years old. It’s obviously become quite a tourist attraction and on the blue dye rinse set tour, be it by bus or boat. It manages to not be engulfed by this madness and exudes some old world charm. With such early opening hours, it’s easy enough to avoid the masses by having a breakfast of their famous Regensburger sausages before the boats dock or buses ramble into town. The inside is a bit cramped but there is a nice outside seating area where you can soak in the ambience of the flowing Danube.

Favorite Dish: Regensburger sausages are one of Germany’s most coveted. Most Germans are strong proponents of their particular brand of sausage but Regensburg’s variety draws raves from most. They go well with the Thurn & Taxis Pils, a rocky-headed straw colored brew that straddles the hop/bitter fence well into it’s clean dry finish. You can buy the sausges in groups of two depending on how hungry you are and they are served with a basket of locally baked rustic rolls that you pay for per roll. It's reasonable but not as inexpensive as other less touristed places.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0941 59098
Address: Thundorferstr. 3
Directions: This is right on the waterfront of the Danube near the old stone bridge and an impossible to miss tourist part of town.
Other Contact: 7am-7pm

Restaurant Name: Hotel Bischofshof

I can’t say I was overly impressed by this place though I was amused by a group of young Bavarian guys who were obviously quite drunk and enjoying a day out from the farm in their lederhosen. It was a bit of an upscale place and since we had eaten and the food was on the expensive side (it is right next to the Dom), I got right to business. I was there for one thing only, to sample the beers of the Bischofs Brewery. It does have a nice enough outside seating area to take a break from sightseeing if you're in the mood for refreshment.

Favorite Dish: The Bischofs Original 1649 Hell was a golden beauty with a creamy head. Its fruity palate was dry for a helles beer with a distinctive floral hoppy nose and finish. The Pils was uncharacteristically fruity as well but very light in body as befits the style and the long dry bitter finish brings it back to form.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: Am Dom

Restaurant Name: Klosterschenke Weltenburg

This gem of a beer haven is not in Regensburg but well worth the pilgrimage to get here. Actually, many people make a pilgrimage out here and don’t even drink beer. The monastery is quite a draw amongst older Germans but those in the know are quite aware that the monks make some divine beer too. The stone vaulted beer hall is atmospheric but we were there in summer so the beer garden was the place to sit. With the monastery as its backdrop, I was in beery heaven. 

Favorite Dish: Before we toured the monastery, we sat down at a table beneath the chestnut trees and ordered a schweinebraten (roast pork) with knodel (dumpling) that went very well with their Barock Dunkle beer. This ruby brown treat has a frothy tan head and low carbonation, making it quite drinkable. The full bodied brew has a roast malt palate that becomes bittersweet in the finish. After checking out the monastery and before hoping on the boat back, we enjoyed the monks’ special klosterkase (a spicy white cheese) that complimented their Asam Bock quite well. This very dark beauty has reddish highlights and a creamy dense tan head. There is licorice in the nose and the palate is full of dried fruit and malt but finishes with some roast in the surprisingly dry for the strength finish.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 09441 3682
Address: Asam-strasse 32 in Weltenburg
Directions: The monastery can be reached by boat from Kelheim which is accessible by bus from Regensburg. It's a bit of a haul but well worth it!
Website: http://www.klosterschenke-weltenburg.de/