4 Best Restaurants in Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley, Germany

Family-owned and -operated, the historic eatery serves such favorites as the Vorspeisenvariation (a medley of appetizers), local fish, and goose that keep people coming back. Garden tables have a castle view. A meal here is a perfect start or finale to the concerts held on the monastery-castle grounds in the summer.  The prix-fixe menu is available for both lunch and dinner

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.

One of Germany's top chefs, Vincent Klink, and his wife, Elisabeth, are the down-to-earth, cordial hosts, offering artfully plated cuisine using locally grown ingredients in the ever-changing menu wherever possible. House specialties, such as saddle of lamb with a potato gratin and green beans or the Breton lobster with basil potato salad, are recommended. Her floral arrangements add a baroque touch to the otherwise quiet interior. The wine list is exemplary.

A 17th-century grain mill has been transformed into this romantic restaurant in the heart of the Altstadt (Old Town). The dark wooden beams add to the warm atmosphere. In summer, try to arrive early to get a table in the idyllic courtyard. You can opt for a three-course or four-course prix-fixe menu.