Doesn’t look much like Franconian food? Well, Haxen and other meaty treats are not the only food options in town. Especially in cities that are quite touristy but accomodate a lot of students, the food scene ranges from traditional beer houses to hipster homes.

Wunschlos Café (Perfectly Happy Café) in Würzburg caters to modern tastebuds. The menu offers vegan choices, vegetarian meals and a sprinkle of meat here and there. Way to make everyone happy. Interior is on trend and absolutely instagram-worthy. It was packed when we went on a Friday night, but we squeezed in and enjoyed a nice meal. The presentation could get a makeover but the food still looks very much edible 😉 It is not topnotch but the atmosphere is great and the mix of guests intersting to watch. For dessert, we tried their vegan waffles which were one of their signature dishes. Definitely get some toppings, we got them pure and well, it was ok, but not a win-me-over-dish.

The next day, we got some fruit juices from Fruchtbar, a juice bar right in the city center. It was quite good and got us some vitamins for the day.

We then proceded our journey to Bamberg, home to a lot of different beers (Franconians love their beers!), but most famous for being the home of “Rauchbier” (smoked beer). Locals will tell you that the more you drink, the more delicious it will get, so don’t stop at the first one.

Don’t worry, if the strange taste is not for you, Bamberg’s restaurant hold plenty of other, more palatable choices ready for you. Look out for those stars (nothing to do with Jews, this time), the sign of the breweries. Look closer to count the little bells hanging from the corners. One bell means beer is available, two bells: food and drinks, three: food, drinks and a bed, four: horses allowed in and five bells: parking for carriages possible.

Easy enough! Today, those stars are mostly there for decorative reasons, but food and drink should satisfy most customers.

A lot of restaurants gather right next to the cathedral, mostly serving traditional Franconian foods. Bamberg is priviledged to have its own vegetable gardens right inside the city, so a lot of products are also regional. Their potato variety “Hörnla” is what they pride themselves on as well as their onions. The most famous dish from Bamberg is a whole onion with pork-filling. Other typical dishes are pork knuckles, shoulders, but also a large variety of fish freshly caught in their own fishing neighborhood. So “prost” and “Guten Appetit!“

While you can definitely expect to find decent, solid foods that will fill you up and warm your insides, don’t expect anything instagram-worthy. Liver dumpling soup and a fried up carp just don’t look that good on camera.

Vegetarians can get by fine in those places, vegans might find it challenging since all the vegetarian options (not many) have cheese in it. Traditional places just don’t specialize in those things and well, they are supposed to be traditional. The dishes we got were delicious and filling, and the beer was great too.

The next day, we explored a much less touristy part of town and took a stroll towards the north end. For lunch, we had made reservations at Café Zuckerl (Café Sugar), a vegetarian/vegan café surrounded by parks and rivers. It was the cutest little witch’s hut in the midst of a massive playground and surrounded by birch trees.

They typically serve breakfast and lunch options like paninis and salads. We went for a tofu-balsamico and a hummus-grilled vegetable-panini alongside some bruschetta. Especially the tofu panini was extremely tasty.

For a sweet treat, we got cake popsicles before heading to the playground. I’m a kid at heart.