Brauerei Spezial

Brauerei Spezial is nothing short of a Bamberg treasure. Steeped in centuries of history – brewing since 1536 – this place embodies the very essence of Franconian tradition. From the moment you step inside, you’re struck by its authentic charm: a beautifully preserved interior that feels both rustic and welcoming, filled with the warmth of Bavarian culture. The food is absolutely exquisite. We tried the Schäufele (roast pork shoulder with crackling), served with the traditional potato dumpling and sauerkraut, and it was simply perfection – tender, full of flavour, with a crispy skin that was pure delight. The schnitzel, golden and perfectly fried, paired with crispy fries, was just as impressive. This is traditional German cuisine at its finest, executed with care and authenticity. An interesting detail: the menu is only in German, which makes the experience feel even more genuine, though the staff speak English and are happy to help guide you through the choices. It’s all part of what makes this brewery-restaurant so unique – you truly feel immersed in local life. Of course, no visit would be complete without their legendary smoked beer (Rauchbier), which is a speciality of Bamberg and brewed here with centuries of expertise. Rich, distinctive, and unforgettable – much like the entire experience. Dining at Brauerei Spezial was not just a meal, but a journey through Bamberg’s culinary and brewing heritage. An unforgettable experience that I would recommend to anyone seeking the real taste of Bavaria.

First stop in Bamberg when we arrived. Our kelnerin was kind and efficient. Dunkel smoked beer was delicious! I was surprised 😮 to find vegan currywurst. It was also delicious. Great place not far from the train station.

I visited the bar a couple of times and had food on one occasion. The two smoked beers are excellent and the currywurst was the best I had during this trip to Germany. Excellent quality and very good value for money.

Lady with short, black hair - unbelievably bad service! She don't even noticed us in a complently empty restaurant, we felt like intruders. No hello, no response, no smile, eye contact. It's the worst customer service I've seen!

Good beer Very nice location Extremely rude staff

Besides the internet is totally useless, this one of the two still drying there malts by burning woods to create the world famous smoky flavor beer is very charming with great location! This three (brewery, restaurant and hotel) in one establishment is one of the many places that you got to visit when you’re in Bamberg! The hotel has three floors without elevator. Restaurants serve very nice traditional German food. And of course the beer is fantastic! This is a historic place that makes Bamberg ~ Bamberg!

First time having smoked beer. Taste like someone rescued a cask from a burning brewery. Not my cup of tea. Food was great. Ordered the pork schnitzel and Nuremberg bratwurst. Both excellent and I especially loved the pork salad with the schnitzel.

Nice old place for a beer. We went whilst kitchen was closed so couldn't sample the food. It was busy with plenty of people eating and drinking. The smoke beer was superb! A strange locking mechanism on the toilets, presumably to keep passers by from using them, meant you have to wait to be buzzed in.

My favorite restaurant in Bamberg. Only are there once during our recent visit. They have fantastic Franconian food and bier. Get there well before closing time to ensure the kitchen is still open so you can eat.

Okay, so not a touristy location, very local, some German is helpful for great biers and a schnitzel. I think they have better rauchbier than Scherlenkerla, not knocking the King of rauchbiers. Old German small brauhaus setting, neighborhood hangout, highly recommend it. Bamberg is the Bier city of Germany in medieval architecture in a beautifully quaint town....

Stopped in for some beer and brats at 1:30PM. Unfortunately, the kitchen was closed. Gotta dock a star for closing so early for lunch. Kind of upset me as food for the staff was served after 2pm as they sat with the customers to eat. Self service? No. :) Although the waitress did serve me a refill during her lunch when she saw I was out without asking. Sounds good to me. 4 stars from 3 for it! Another yelper mentioned crazy serving hours. I'll second that. On to the beer, the spezial brau is really worth the trip to have on tap. They bottle it and you can get it at a store in Bamberg but I was told they don't ship outside 15km to keep the beer fresh. There's a variety of beers but the original tastes best. It has a slightly smokey taste and lot lighter than Brauerei Schlenkerla (not to be missed... the original smokey beer with hints of bacon... yumm!!) I've included the menu in German. No English version i'd available, so you may want to use a translator. I've eaten here before and the brats are decent. I prefer Colburg brats (best in Germany! or Nuremberg sausages (small but delicious... think Jones sausages in USA, but much better!) Overall, worth a stop. Tip: Also, try Fassla brewery next door. Great beer in Bamberg all within walking distance of mile. Prost!

This is truly a pub that is frequented by locals. We were the only English speaking tourists there and there was not an English menu in sight. Even though it was so busy, the waitress took some time to talk to us and help us with our beer and food choices - which were excellent!! Big thumbs up for the pork shoulder!! The rauchbier here is a little less smoky that the rauchbier served at Schlenkerla and there is one "rauchfrei" beer option available.

The smoked beer is tasty!! Did not expect such goodness! The ambience is great too! There were a few old folks at a table next to us and they were playing a card game while enjoying their bier. Three other people were sat with us at our table and like everyone else in the brewery, were very friendly- they were locals and there was a debate amongst them as to which braurei was the best in Bamberg and one of the guys argued that Spezial is the best. Spezial got my vote with one sip of their smoked bier! We did not eat anything here however the schnitzels we saw being brought out were huge. If you have not tried smoked bier, I highly recommend you give it a shot at Brauerei Spezial. Yummy!

I used to live in Bamberg many moons ago and was finally back for a visit after 25 years. I've become accustomed to waiting for a hostess to direct you to a place to sit but that's not the custom here. Open seating. We wanted to be sure they were still serving dinner before we sat though and let's be honest the hospitality is a little... well let's just say we were greeted with a scowl and "what do you want". Food was good, great atmosphere, just be sure to remember to specify you want non-carbonated water instead of just asking for water. Had a friendly family to our left and a girl from Korea on holiday sat across from us. It was a fun dinner spot. European travels for Americans lead to the awkward... tip, no tip, how much tip? It was encouraged here. A local said that's how you get the server to crack a smile.

Nothing too special about Spezial. This was stop three on our Brewery Tour of Bamberg. It is a little out of the way from the historic/tourist friendly part of Bamberg, but still a part of town worth seeing. While beer was good and food looked nice, this place lacked the charm of the other stops on the brew tour. Service was slow even by European standards and the surroundings weren't as quaint as other brew halls. Tip: If on brewery tour check it out, since another stop is across the street. If just visiting Bamberg for a weekend, no need to stop here.

Enjoyed our meal here with friends from our language school. Our weekly Stammtisch was another success! I had the Leberkaese and German Potato Salad, no mayo, and they were tasty, tho I will say that I prefer Greifenklau's German potato Salad, as it has a bit more flavor. The Leberkaese was good, tho I have had some that were spicier. The private room we had was nice, tho at times due to the echos we ended up having problems carrying on conversations. The Rauch beer here is less smokey and tends to be more popular than Schenkerla's. The service here was good, and the atmosphere is very homey. I would recommend this place for beer and for food, the prices are reasonable.

omg I loved this place. it's a classic The food was very tasty, plentiful, and reasonably priced. We got there early and it filled up with German tourists and locals. Going in later and one would share a large table as is the German custom. The waitress was a very pleasant and seems to be handling 30-50 people on her own - wow - and the food came without undue delay. I really got to like the smoked beer which I've now call Bacon Beer!