A beer garden below the wall and a Rotbier brewery on Bergstraße offer two regional stops.

Where can you eat Franconian food and drink beer after Nuremberg’s Imperial Castle?

The Imperial Castle dominates Nuremberg’s Old Town from a rocky rise. After climbing to its rooms and courtyards, food need not wait until you return to the main market. Beneath the fortress edge stands Hexenhäusle, with a beer garden and Franconian dishes; downhill on Bergstraße, Hausbrauerei Altstadthof makes Rotbier and serves food close to the city’s underground history. Both work after a castle visit, but one puts the garden below the wall first and the other centres beer made on site.

Let the fortress set the meal’s pace

The castle was one of the Holy Roman Empire’s important fortified palaces. Its visit covers spaces with set hours and, for the Deep Well, a specific guided visit included with admission according to the Bavarian administration. Allow time for views, rooms and displays before booking a table. Do not confuse a venue’s closing time with that of its kitchen either: both restaurants publish separate food-service hours. The walk down from the fortress follows old streets, so consider the return climb if mobility is limited.

Hexenhäusle: a garden beneath the wall

Hexenhäusle Nürnberg stands at 4 Vestnertorgraben beside the historic gate area. Its 2026 menu brings together Nuremberg sausages, beer-sauce Schäufele, Schnitzel, cheese Spätzle and a vegetarian celery cutlet. The garden comes into its own in good weather; the indoor room gives shelter. Visitors value the setting and portions, though they also describe waits when the terrace fills. It closes Monday, and on Sunday its kitchen finishes earlier than on Tuesday to Saturday.

Altstadthof: Rotbier on Bergstraße

Hausbrauerei Altstadthof, at 19 Bergstraße, has made local red beer since 1984 and has a restaurant, courtyard and shop. Its menu allows a beer to be paired with Franconian food. Tours of galleries cut beneath the city start nearby, but a ticket for that experience is not included with a restaurant table. Comments often praise the beer and atmosphere, with occasional observations about noise or delays. On weekdays the kitchen pauses after lunch; check the exact sitting before walking down.

For a short stop at the foot of the castle and an outdoor table, Hexenhäusle is the most direct sequence. To explore Rotbier and extend the walk towards Bergstraße, Altstadthof is the more specific choice. You can order food without drinking alcohol at either; the important thing is that the experience fits your time and appetite after the fortress.

Bottom line

Hexenhäusle suits a garden and food beside the wall; Altstadthof suits beer brewed on site and Franconian dishes.

Editorial selection

Options to compare

These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.

01

Franconian restaurant and beer garden

Hexenhäusle Nürnberg

Vestnertorgraben 4, 90408 Nürnberg, Alemania

4.4 /5 2,525 reviews

Hexenhäusle occupies a small historic house below Nuremberg’s Imperial Castle wall. The tourism office identifies an old building linked to the nearby city gate and highlights its tree-lined beer garden with a view towards the fortress. That position changes the pause after a castle visit: there is

Why it made the selection

Schäufele and a beer garden below the Imperial Castle

Hours: Closed Monday; Tuesday–Saturday 11:00–22:00 (kitchen until 21:30); Sunday and holidays 11:00–21:00 (kitchen until 20:00). Verified: October 11, 2026

View Maskay profile → Official website ↗

02

Craft brewery with restaurant

Hausbrauerei Altstadthof

Bergstraße 19, 90403 Nürnberg, Alemania

4.5 /5 3,735 reviews

Hausbrauerei Altstadthof stands at 19 Bergstraße in the Old Town descending from the castle. The business has brewed beer since 1984 and is particularly associated with Nuremberg Rotbier, a local tradition worth distinguishing from a generic “German-style” beer. In addition to brewery and shop, it h

Why it made the selection

Local Rotbier and Franconian food on Bergstraße

Hours: Hospitality from 11:00; kitchen Monday–Friday 12:00–14:30 and 17:00–22:00, weekends and holidays 11:00–22:00, according to the dining page. Verified: October 11, 2026

View Maskay profile → Official website ↗

Verification

Sources & references

Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.

Official website of Hexenhäusle Nürnberg ↗ Primary source Hexenhäusle · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
Official website of Hexenhäusle Nürnberg ↗ Primary source Nuremberg Tourist Office · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
Official website of Hausbrauerei Altstadthof ↗ Primary source Hausbrauerei Altstadthof · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
Official website of Hausbrauerei Altstadthof ↗ Primary source Hausbrauerei Altstadthof · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
Official website ↗ Primary source Bavarian Palace Administration · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
Official website ↗ Primary source Hexenhäusle · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
Official website ↗ Primary source Hausbrauerei Altstadthof · Accessed October 11, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
Valoración de Vestnertorgraben ↗ Secondary source Restaurant Guru · Accessed October 11, 2026
Google 4.4/5 en 2525 reseñas de Hexenhäusle, Vestnertorgraben 4; consultado 11/10/2026.
Valoración de Bergstraße ↗ Secondary source Restaurant Guru · Accessed October 11, 2026
Google 4.5/5 en 3735 reseñas de Hausbrauerei Altstadthof, Bergstraße 19; consultado 11/10/2026.