Best and worst restaurants:

Best: Hotel Kranenturm
Why: A beautiful spot except for the trains racing past your table! But if you are a train buff then this is your place! Good food and good service!

Lori Brubaker in Downingtown, PA USA 10/20/2009

Best: Hotel Kranenturm in Bacharach,Alter Keller in Rothenburg,Hotel Gute Quelle in Beilstein and Gruner Anger in Hallstatt.
Why: All of these restaurants had excellent food,ambiance and tasted like home cooking.

Worst: Burger King at Munich Train Station
Why: How can you ruin a hamburger and fries??

Russell Dole in Highlands Ranch, Co USA 10/15/2009

Best: Hotel Sonne
Why: It was obvious that Antonio makes every effort to present the most delicious Italian fare. He goes above and beyond! Great selection, large portions, fair prices. The best ingredients. The dining room is nicely decorated, comfortable, and welcoming. Three cheers for Antonio and Hotel Sonne!

Brenda Kish in Port Orange, FL USA 10/14/2009

Best: Zille Markt -- Berlin
Why: Great food and drink at a decent price! Staff was very friendly.

Rob R. in Alexandria, VA USA 10/08/2009

Best: Berlin - Schawrzes Cafe
Why: Two doors down from Pension Peters, this is s classic place with good food at damn fine prices. Staff is fun and helpful, much better than the Dicke Witten around the corner.

Worst: Berlin - Dicke Witten
Why: We've tried this place three times and each visit grew worse, due entirely to the unfriendly, arrogant, unhelpful staff. The food's been pretty good, but this year we skipped the food and went elsewhere.

Bill in Miami, FL USA 09/22/2009

Best: Saran Essbar -Salzsburg
Why: After eating German food all week it was a pleasure to choose from a menu with more variety. Wonderful dish with chicken & saffon rice!!This resturant was small but delightful. Sat in an alcove and watched people walk by. Mr. Saron has a picture of him & Steve outside and his food lives up to Steve's recommendation.

susan knutter in rockford, il USA 09/07/2009

Best: Hasir Turkish Restaurant in Berlin
Why: Great food

Vijay Goradia in Houston, Tx USA 08/03/2009

Best: Zillemarkt Restaurant in Berlin
Why: Great food & service, reasonable prices, good location, group singing by spirited customers

Chris Peter in El Cajon, CA USA 07/30/2009

Best: Hotel Lohspeicher, Cochem
Why: Tender fish with delicious vegetables. Worthwhile splurge.

Worst: Peter am Leo's Cafe, Baden-Baden
Why: While relatively inexpensive, the vegetarian options were extremely limited - the salad was just lettuce. Preferred Leo's restaurant nearby, as the meals included vegetable sides.

Emily S in Berkeley, CA USA 07/21/2009

Best: Suppenkücke in Munich's Viktualienmarkt.
Why: Very good soup along with the atmosphere of the market made for a real life German meal.

Worst: Dicke Wirtin in Berlin
Why: Menu selection was limited.

Jack Smith in Batesville, IN USA 06/26/2009

Best: BOSNA GRILL
Why: Such a cool hole in the wall place!! Would have never found it without Rick! I love little local places like this.

Judge Leverich in SALT LAKE CTY, UT USA 06/01/2009

Best: Saran Essbar in Salzburg
Why: Indeed, as you say in your book, Saran cooks with his heart and certainly with his imagination. With a restaurant emblematic of Gemuetlichkeit, food whose preparation is exquisite and fresh from the local markets, and Saran's welcoming human warmth, we were at home in Salzburg and in this restaurant. Thank you!

James Johnston in Redmond, WA USA 05/28/2009

Best: Hotel am Markt in St. Goar
Why: Wonderful dinner and great service, with nice river view seating and fresh orchids grown by the owner.

Brad Franklin in Portland, Or USA 04/22/2009

Best: Weinstube Baldreit in Baden-Baden
Why: Everything the guidebook says about this fine restaurant is spot-on. The outdoor patio, the fine french cooking, friendly staff, and reasonable prices. Between this and the spas, Baden-Baden is definitely a repeat destination for us.

Gary P in Ramona, CA USA 04/18/2009

Best: The Grunne Gasthous in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Why: Great food!! Great service!!

Stacy Addington in Bischberg, Germany, USA 03/07/2009

Best: Knoppke’s Imbiss (Berlin) and cafeteria at the top of the KaDeWe (Berlin)
Why: Knoppke’s Imbiss is excellent - we took the U-Bahn back 18 stops the next day for more! Top of the KaDeWe is cheaper than a restaurant and just as fancy!

Dave W. in Seattle, WA USA 01/20/2009

Best: Salzburg, Sound of Music tour. Fisch Krieg, and Saran Essbar restaurants
Why: My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the Sound of Music tour, particularly since the weather was very clear. The Fisch Krieg restaurant served excellent fish at a reasonable price and we enjoyed the Saran Essbar on New Years Eve dinner!

Worst: Stifskeller St.Peter
Why: Too expensive!

Ken in Dallas, TX USA 01/02/2009

Best: Andechs Monastery Cafeteria; Saran Essbar
Why: Even with an Octoberfest-related frenzy, the beer and food at the Monastery were probably the best beer and Bavarian we had in 2 weeks! Then, the quality of the food at Saran Essbar was great - both the wurst plate and the chicken curry.

Worst: Flies in Hotel Maximilian dining room, Reutte
Why: The soups: Outstanding. The hostess and server: friendly and funny. The entrees: one great, one overcooked. The flies (end of September): terrible!! They need flytraps or screens or something.

Jim Koster in Santa Fe, NM USA 10/17/2008

Best: Zur Goldenen Rose in Rothenburg, Germany
Why: Good food at good prices (for lunch anyway!)

C. J. Goodlander in West Chester, OH USA 10/15/2008

Best: Hotel Kranenturm, Bachrach, Germany
Why: The food and service was so good. We spent 2 wks in Germany and Austria and this was by far the best resturant.

Karen F in Cary, il USA 09/26/2008

Best: Melk Spar Supermarket
Why: 1 Euro lunch special - simple sandwich and a drink (soda or beer)

Denise Schlotfeldt in Ann Arbor, Mi USA 09/04/2008

Best:
Why: We branched out this time. It's nice to try a place that is not full of Americans. We do appreciate those that you recommend, but it's also fun to experiment. We're rarely disappointed.

Julie & Ed Wrabetz in Madison, WI USA 08/22/2008

Best: Too many to list but the Nurnberger in Munich would be our choice
Why: We shared a table with three German men who shared conversation and stories with us for 2 1/2 hours. One of the most delightful experiences we have ever had in Europe.

Mike Roberts in Cincinnati, Oh USA 08/18/2008

Best: Saran Essbar in Salzburg
Why: Very personal, friendly, and comfortable place. Owner offered food recommendations when asked and really cared that we were there. We were sincerely greeted and invited to come back again. Food was excellent!

Leslie Meyer in Mankato, MN USA 07/27/2008

Best: Julius Meinl am Graben, Vienna
Why: We ate at the little outdoor cafe. We ordered what, from the menu description, seemed to be prosaic ham-and-cheese sandwiches. We were pleasantly surprised to have delicious pitas stuffed with ham, melted white cheese and arugula.

Worst: Ruckenbauer, Vienna
Why: I didn't know how to find it. There was no description in the guidebook for how to recognize the above-ground entrance to the "underpass," so my husband made me eat at Subway.

Charlotte in Vermillion, SD USA 07/12/2008

Best: Bacharach Altes Haus
Why: Great food and wonderful atmosphere!

Worst: Nuremburg Barfuesser
Why: I enjoy relaxed service as much as the next person, but I sat at the table outside for over an hour before a waiter showed up. Then, the beer took twenty minutes. Wanted to eat but had a 7:00 train ...

David A. Fiala in Melbourne, FL USA 07/12/2008

Best: Alpenhotel Ernberg, Moserhof Hotel & Gasthof Zauner
Why: Sumptuous meals, friendly service

Gwen Ashworth in Lake Charles, LA USA 07/09/2008

Best: Rhein Hotel, Bacharach, Germany
Why: The food was incredibly delicious and was a good value. I love Spaetzle (German pasta) and this SpaetzleA was homemade. As well, eating outside on the terrace overlooking the Rhine was wonderful.

Worst: Kurpfalzische Munze, Bacharach
Why: We had a grumpy waitress and the Spaetzle was not homemade.

Susan Langin in Cranbrook, BC Canada 07/08/2008

Best: Gasthauf Zauner (Hallstatt)
Why: The best meal we had in two weeks! Great atmosphere and service. They actually had a fresh vegetable platter on the menu. Vegetables are not something you see a lot of (other than potatoes & cabbage) in this part of the world. The fresh fish (Reinanke) was wonderful! We each ordered something different and it was ALL good!

Worst: Don;t recall the name
Why: A restaurant in Fussen which Rick said had great fondue. The problem was, that they require you order it one day ahead!

Mike Greene in Wildomar, CA USA 07/08/2008

Best: Cafe Konig, Baden Baden
Why: Delicious food with beautiful presentation and very friendly staff.

Ann Doty in Juneau, AK USA 07/07/2008

Best: Restaurant Beim Novak, Vienna
Why: We ate there in May 2008 based on the recommendation in the 2003 tour book. The atmosphere was elegant yet comfortable and relaxing, with classical music in the background. Service was impeccable and the food was excellent. The chef surprised us with an additional appetizer free of charge. The Kalbsbutterschnitzel patties and Gulaschsuppe were outstanding.

Janet in Scottsdale, AZ USA 07/06/2008

Best: GeorgBrau Brauhaus
Why: Reasonably priced, tasty German food, with friendly waitstaff and a great courtyard area for dining outside.

Karis in New Berlin, WI USA 07/05/2008

Best: KIimatisiert Markthalle
Why: This isn't really a "gourmet" recommendation, but after living here in Freiburg, my husband and I discovered a place that only the locals and "in-the-know" tourists go to. It's called Klimatisiert Markthalle, located near Martinstor and is essentially an inerior food court with veeeeery inexpensive and well-made food, including regional speciallties, Alsatian cuisine, Bio (organic) food, crepes, and even a counter devoted to champagne, allowing you to try different flights of champagne. All in all, they offer sushi, Persian, Chinese, Italian, Greek, a specialty dessert counter, Crepes, Brasilian, a wine stand to sample regional and select wines, and Austrian specialties. My husband and I ate a full menu, plus wine and spent under €7 (we were completely stuffed afterwards!). The ambience isn't exactly striking or spectacular, but it is also an interesting market, full of Lebanese and Indian foods, as well as cheeses, fish, meats, etc. you can buy for picnics. Highly recommended, especially for any students coming to Freiburg or tourists on a budget.

S & J in Freiburg, BW Germany 06/25/2008

Best: Vienna's wine garden
Why: If you enjoy wine, this is a must. Very atmospheric and relaxing. Inexpensive food and wine and they serve different wines. I thought that they only served sturm and luckily that is not true. Also, in Frankfurt, visit the sachsenhausen district. We visited Adolf Wagner and it was great

mike in tempe, az USA 06/22/2008

Worst: Pschorrbräu restaurant in Viktualienmarkt - Munich
Why: Ate there this past April and it was horrible. My wife had Wienerschnitzel and potatos - dry and tasteless. I had beef tips and they were tough, over-done, and the sauce tasted burnt. We each had a beer - no dessert. The bill was over $60.00! First bad meal I ever had in Germany.

Steve in Richmond, VA USA 06/21/2008

Best: Wilder Mann, Salzburg
Why: Cute place, good food. First waitress was a bit testy and unhelpful; her replacement was fantastic, helping us to make changes in the menu.

Jack in Newtown Square, PA USA 06/18/2008

Best: Prinz Myshkin, Munich
Why: Very interesting menu and outstandingly delicious food.

Barbara in Eikenberry, CA USA 05/23/2008

Best: Alte Haus Bacharach
Why: Great food in a beautiful old building. Friendly staff.

Kate Buechler in Winnipeg, MB Canada 05/22/2008

Best: Ritterstuben-Fuessen; Gasthof Goldener Greifen & Zur Goldenen Rose - both in Rothenburg
Why: All 3 great restaurants with good prices. Delicious food, terrific service, and pleasant ambience. Highly recommend!

Amy in Wiesbaden, Germany 05/17/2008

Best: Saran Essbar, Salzburg
Why: Mr. Saran was fantastic, very accommodating and the food was excellent. This tucked away little restaurant had a great feeling to it and the food was terrific. I would recommend it, Thanks Rick for putting this place in your book.

Jennifer in Seattle, WA USA 04/29/2008

Best: Goldener Rose and Zum Mohren, Reutte
Why: Great atmosphere, great food, friendly service

Debra Livak in Boise, ID USA 04/20/2008

Best: Cafe Mozart
Why: Genuine Austrian quality!

Worst: Saran's Essbar, Salzburg
Why: Awful food!

Sandra in St. Charles, MO USA 03/14/2008

Best: Hofbrahaus
Why: Beer, wurst, and oompah band - you can't beat it, even if it is touristy!

Robert Villigram in St. Louis, MO USA 02/28/2008

Best: Cafe Adler(recommended in older books) - across from Checkpoint Charlie
Why: Cozy German atmosphere(minus the smoke will be nice!)...Great food for all in our party. Even the kids enjoyed Nurnburgers, pasta, even breakfast(until 5). Plus, most of the "tourists" are eating at Subway next door!

Tina Cox in Erlangen(formerly Lynchburg, VA), VA germany 01/08/2008

Best: "Herzl," the less expensive cafe in the Goldener Hirsch
Why: We had a very delicious Christmas Eve meal at Herzl. Not much is open on Christmas Eve in Salzburg, as this is their most holy evening which they spend with their families.

We reserved ahead a couple of months for this dinner and it was exceptional. Before dinner we went to Oberndorf, with Bob's Tours, for the Silent Night outting. It's a wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve afternoon and evening.

One other mention is Stiftskeller St. Peter where we watched the Mozart concert and had dinner on Christmas night. The concert was excellent, very enjoyable, but the dinner was not good. Some people at our table sent back each course except dessert. We quietly ate it, but were very disappointed in the meal. I would return for the concert,which was so enjoyable, and beautifully decorated for Christmas.

Worst: Spagetti & Co.
Why: The pizza here is horrible. We had excellent pizza and soup earlier in Salzburg at Zum Mohren on Judengasse.

Lorrie in Cincinnati, Oh USA 01/07/2008

Best: La Provence, Baden-baden
Why: Quiet, romantic... Fantastic, unique French inspired food.

Worst: The place with the arrow on the map in Koln
Why: The place with the arrow on the map (somewhat near the train station)... never could find it....

Dane Kantner in Chicago, IL USA 11/28/2007

Best: Zum Finstern--Vienna
Why: You will have to really search for this restaurant as they have no sign. It is in a wonderful old building and supposedly Mozart performed there at a young age. Great food, friendly staff, full of locals, and not espensive. We loved it.

Worst: Wrenkh--Vienna
Why: This restaurant gets good reviews from many guide books. We found it to be a disappointing dining esperience. The food was less than mediocre and waiter had a surly attitude. He ignored us completely. My salad never arrived--except on the bill. We did not leave any tip needless to say. We felt like we had intruded on someone's private party.

Susan Jennings in Atlanta, Ga USA 11/25/2007

Best: Gaststube Puerstner - Vienna
Why: This restaurant is not in Rick's book - I found it on a local Vienna dining site. The interior of the restaurant is very authentic and it seemed we were the only tourists there. My 17 year old daughter still raves about her favorite dish on our entire trip, mastochsenbraten (meat stuffed w/ham & cheese). She refused to give out any more bites to family members and ate quickly (she knew better). We over-ordered as the portions are very large. This restaurant is about 4 blocks behind St. Stephan's Cathedral. Address: 1010 Wien Riemergasse 10, #0043-1-5126357, www.puerstner.com. The host was friendly and they did have a menu in English that I had to resort to (my German only goes so far!)

Sandra Potter in Arlington, TX USA 11/20/2007

Best: 12 Apostles in Berlin
Why: We enjoyed eating at this very busy restaurant near the Savigny Platz SBahn stop. The food and atmosphere were excellent and the service was very good; it's a good idea to make a reservation to get a table. Try the group pasta dinner that is served for 4 people -- it is amazing.

H Bartholomew and T Brown in Pittsburgh, PA USA 11/13/2007

Best: La Vecchia Masseria
Why: Good food and nice on the wallet.

Brian Autke in Asheville, NC USA 11/10/2007

Best: The Menza in Budapest
Why: The food was good, the service was fine and the whole restaurant was enjoyable.

Robert and Janet Reiner in Sierra Vista, AZ USA 10/17/2007

Best: Most anywhere
Why: Must have had Wiener Schnitzel dail and all were good-don't have to go to a fancy restaurant to get good schnitzel. Also, there are Anker and Der Mann bakeries everywhere that serve great pastries and sandwiches for not much money.

John & Susan in St Petersburg, FL USA 10/08/2007

Best: The restaurant at Hotel Rathausgloeckel in Baden Baden and Stuber Restaurant at the Rhein Hotel in Bacharach
Why: We were in Germany during chantarelle season. The restaurant a Hotel Rathausgloeckel is excellent and has a special section on their menu devoted to chantarelle dishes. We actually ate here twice and everything was delicious. The Stuber restaurant in Bacharach was also very good and very reasonably priced. We sat out on the terrace and the trains didn't bother us a bit. It was raining when we were there and during our meal a rainbow appeared. The rainbow ended right on the Rhein River. It was a beautiful and magical experience.

Aimee in Anaheim, CA USA 09/26/2007

Best: Vienna, Kuck Kuck restaurant
Why: Pension Nossek recommended it for our anniversary dinner. A darling bistro with about 10 tables, fabulous service and delicious food and wine.

Cheryl & Bob in Vancouver, WA USA 09/25/2007

Best: Saran Essbar restaurant in Salzburg
Why: Very good food. Owner/waiter was very nice, good and very helpful and friendly. Excellent recommendation and would go there again. He mentioned Rick Steves had been there 3 times last year.

travelfan in Washington, DC USA 09/24/2007

Best: Altstadt-Cafe Alter Keller
Why: The food was excellent and the waitress, who spoke a little English, was so very helpful, giving us the English Menu immediately and further taking an effort to answer our culinary questions. )My wife wanted to know how to make these delicious Germany dishes; unfortunately calling for fresh ingredients not easily found at home.)

John S Treadwell in McDonough, GA USA 09/22/2007

Best: Augutiner Beer Garden
Why: Best beer in Germany! Great wait staff, good food!

Jamie Galis in Southlake, TX USA 09/14/2007

Best: Weisses Brauhaus and Vikturalienmarkt
Why: Great local places. If there were tourists-I didn't notice!

Alex Griffin in Danville, Ky USA 08/19/2007

Worst: Stuber Restaurant in Bacharach (Rhein Hotel)
Why: The food gave both of us indigestion!! The waitstaff was unfriendly...close to rude, even though the chef passed through with greetings, which was nice. A table out on the terrace is definitely NOT fun when trains pass close by every 10-15 minutes. Would not return...there are many other good places to eat in Bacharach.

Kathy Weeks in Portland, OR USA 08/15/2007

Best: Alte Mainmuhle in Wurzburg
Why: We ate there twice and had great food both times. The view out on the deck was wonderful. You could look out at the Mainbrucke (bridge on the Main River), up at the Marienberg Fortress, or across to the river and watch the barge traffic pass. We met a German couple there and have kept in touch with them since by email. They said that we had picked a great place to eat, too. "No," I said, "Rick Steves did it for us!"

Gary Hoffman in Baldwin, WI USA 07/30/2007

Best: Blobergerhof in Salzburg
Why: The quality of the food in this relatively unassuming inn on the outskirts of Salzburg was nothing short of amazing! We were quite shocked by the superb flavors and attention to detail of our mother-daughter hosts. Their restaurant can compete with any in Salzburg, and at reasonable prices as well.

Gary Fremerman in Falls Church, VA USA 07/10/2007

Best: Burgwachter in Nuremburg
Why: WHile it was quite a walk from our B&B, it's food, atmosphere, German cuisine, vine-covered patio was the best of our trip. In the shadow of the castle was all the more romantic. Trust the maps/street address. A little hard to find, but worth it.

howard sears in houston, tx USA 07/07/2007

Best: Berlin: Marche; Rothenburg: Lotus China, Pizzeria Roma; Reutte: Non Solo Pasta; Dresden: Wenzel Prager Bierstuben
Why: Great food and prices -- Lotus China had the best Chinese food we have ever eaten. Please note that Non Solo Pasta does not take credit cards. We were just about out of euros on our last night of the trip -- I had to walk to a Geldautomat to get cash.

Marianne Sullivan in Newark, DE USA 07/04/2007

Best: Zanoni and Zanoni Gelato, Vienna
Why: Nothing can describe how good gelato tastes on a 90 degree afternoon in Vienna...the Nutella flavor was heavenly, and the fruit flavors were outstanding as well. Lots of people there, but don't let that discourage you, the line goes fast and there's plenty of shaded seating. Perfect!

Laura in Seattle, WA USA 06/25/2007

Best: Pizzeria Roma
Why: We arrived late and hoofed it across town (15 minutes!) to Pizzeria Roma because they were still open at 11PM. Great restaurant! Excellent pizza, good service, great table wine. Pasta al forno (baked - I just butchered the spelling on that dish...) was awesome. There's another Italian place, very close to Hotel Kloster-Stuble (name escapes me) that was okay but Pizzeria Roma is alot better if you don't mind the walk (my 10-year old was exhausted so this was an issue for us late that evening).

Sandra Potter in Arlington, TX USA 06/16/2007

Best: Wirtshaus Goldene Rose
Why: The best dinner we had in Germany. The owner went out of his way to make all the guests feel special even giving us a DVD of the area.

Linda Bell in Sewell, NJ USA 06/12/2007

Best: Beisl - Vienna
Why: Asking the hotel for a beisl recommendation worked out really well - the place they suggested had good food at good prices.

Worst: Salzburg - Biergarten die Weisse
Why: Went on a Monday & the place was packed with locals. However, service was terrible - they brought my wife's main course after I had finished my main course. The waiter was completely unapologetic about the situation. When I mentioned it, he shrugged and said "that's Austria for you" (the service we had elsewhere in Salzburg and in Vienna was fine).

Nigel Bradbury in Toronto, ON Canada 06/06/2007

Best: Hotel Kloster-Stuble
Why: Fantastic service, great menu. Eat outside if the weather is nice, one can have a great view of the countryside.

Rachel Tagge in Burke, VA USA 06/06/2007

Best: Saran Essbar -Salzburg, Austria and Braugasthof in Hallstatt
Why: Great chicken curry...and the apple strudel was the best I had in Germany!! Braugasthoff is now run by Mrs. Lobbiser! Same as the hotel. It was great! EXCELLENT FOOD...it is the place to be at night there!! Lots of people hanging out and having a good time!

Taj in Sarasota, FL USA 05/29/2007

Best: San Marino Restaurant, Berlin
Why: Excellent food, reasonable price and Easy to find

Patti Siwajek in Toledo, oh USA 05/20/2007

Best: Weinhaus Happ,Weisses Rossl,Innsbruck
Why: Excellent food and wine and service in a very nice setting

Mike dela Pena in Shingle Springs, Ca USA 05/15/2007

Best: St. Paul's Stub 'n Beer Garden
Why: Great environment. Didn't seem touristy and the food was excellent.

Peggy in Nashville, TN USA 05/04/2007

Best: Augustiner Braustubl
Why: The food was very cheap, and the beer was very good. I loved the family atmosphere. We ate inside one night and outside the next. This was the best restaurant overall!

Susan Myers in Chesnee, SC USA 04/20/2007

Best: Hofbrauhaus in Munich
Why: The festive environment, huge pretzels/beers, and pig knuckles.

Russ and Mandy in San Diego, CA USA 04/15/2007

Best: Prince Myshkin (Munich)
Why: Great veggie food, friendly, english menu,

Worst: Donisl (Munich)
Why: They totally ignored us. We left after awhile

janet Archibald in San Francisco, CA USA 04/08/2007

Best: Hotel Maingau
Why: Some of the best food I have had anywhere (perhaps I need to get out more!). Seriously, Rick mentions this as perhaps a great way to spend your last dinner, and he was so right! Class restaurant, class service, and brilliant menu of food/wines. A must for those Culinary aficionados...

Eric Eiss in Rockford, IL USA 03/19/2007

Best: Hotel Frankenturm in Trier
Why: We didn't stay there, but the restaurant was recommended by a local as being authentic German. Loved the dinners, the wine, the waitress (Wanda), the atmosphere, and best of all, an incredibly fair price. Highly recommended.

Brien Muller in Ballston Spa, NY USA 03/06/2007