4 Best Restaurants in Stuttgart, Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley

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.

This is a popular American-style steakhouse chain which ages its own beef. There are some 50 outposts in Germany, including two in Stuttgart. There are daily lunch specials, including burgers, goulash and a vegetarian chili. Dinner focuses on T-bones, rib-eyes and filet mignon. Portions are large, except for the children’s menu. Save room for dessert, including a Belgian waffle with powdered sugar and cherry compote and New York-style cheesecake. Reservations essential on weekends.

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.

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.