A brewery tavern, not a brewery tour

The Arnulfsplatz building is a Brauereigaststätte, meaning a tavern run by a brewery: you come to eat and drink, not to walk a production hall. A brewery on the site was first recorded in 1590, though the house itself traces its founding to 1530. Ownership passed through several families before Johann Kneitinger, a trained brewmaster, took over after marrying into the business in 1862, and his son opened the tavern at Arnulfsplatz in 1892.

The business has belonged to the Hans und Sofie-Kneitinger-Stiftung since 1991, a foundation set up in 1985 that directs brewery profits to elderly and youth welfare in Regensburg. That structure explains why the tavern feels like a civic institution rather than a branded visitor attraction. Treat it as a place to sit down for a proper meal and a beer in the old town.

For the wider picture of where this fits among the city's food landmarks, Regensburg Attractions: 7 Visitor Guides collects the places worth building a day around. Kneitinger belongs on that list as a sit-down tavern, which makes it a different stop from a quick counter lunch.

Where Kneitinger is and how to reach it

The address is Arnulfsplatz 3 in the Altstadt, Regensburg's old town, a short walk from the main shopping streets and easily reached on foot from the cathedral side of the center. Arriving by train, you can walk from the station into the old town and continue to Arnulfsplatz without needing transit.

The tavern opens Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 to 23:00 with the kitchen running until 22:00, and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 to midnight with food until 22:30; the bar closes 30 minutes before the stated end. A late-afternoon arrival is the safer bet for a full meal, since the kitchen stops well before the doors do.

What to order: Bockbier first

Bockbier is a strong, malty German lager style, historically brewed for the cold months, and Kneitinger's version is the house specialty. Johann Kneitinger developed it and his son refined the recipe, which is why it is the beer to try on a first visit rather than an afterthought. Order it by name and ask what else is pouring if you want something lighter alongside.

The tavern keeps its own beers on tap, and the menu is split between the Arnulfsplatz house and the separate Unter den Linden location if you want to compare before choosing. Food is cooked to the kitchen closing times above, so a Bockbier with a meal works best earlier in the evening.

The Bockanstich and the Kneitinger Gmoa

Each Bockbier season opens with the Bockanstich, a tapping ceremony accompanied by a festive procession through the old town, and it is the moment the year's Bock is officially broached. It is an October fixture at the Mutterhaus; the 2024 edition was held on 3 October, so treat any date you hear as that specific year's event.

The season also carries a charity angle: the Kneitinger Gmoa, made up of guests, publicans, the brewery and the foundation, runs a donation drive alongside the Bockbier weeks. It is a reason the tapping matters locally beyond the beer itself, and it fits the foundation's remit of supporting social work in the city.

Reservations and seating at Arnulfsplatz

Tables at the Arnulfsplatz house can be booked online, and the system requires a 15-hour lead time, so a same-day booking will not go through. Plan your table at least a day ahead if you want a guaranteed seat at a popular dinner hour.

Parties larger than 20 guests are handled by email rather than the online form, so a group booking needs a message to the reservations address instead. For smaller groups, the online route is the quicker option and keeps the confirmation in writing.

Kneitinger Unter den Linden in the Stadtpark

The second Kneitinger address is Unter den Linden in the Stadtpark at Dr.-Johann-Maier-Straße 1, and unlike the old-town tavern it has a beer garden. It is closed on Mondays; Tuesday to Saturday it opens 11:00 to 23:00, and Sunday 11:00 to 16:00 with the kitchen to 21:30. Reserve this location through its own online table booking, also with a 15-hour lead time.

Choose between the two by mood: the Arnulfsplatz Mutterhaus puts you in the middle of the old town, while the Stadtpark address trades that for outdoor seating and a quieter setting. In warm weather the beer garden is the obvious draw, and in cooler months the old-town house makes more sense.

Nearby in the old town

Arnulfsplatz sits within easy walking distance of Regensburg's other food landmarks, so you can pair a Kneitinger meal with a second stop on the same day. The Spitalbrauerei is another brewery-linked address worth knowing if you are comparing the city's beer houses.

Down by the river, the Historische Wurstkuchl by the Steinerne Brücke is the city's famous sausage kitchen, a very different kind of stop from a seated tavern meal. It works well as a light lunch before an evening at Kneitinger rather than as a replacement for it.

If you want to see how another of Regensburg's brewing names presents itself to visitors, the Thurn und Taxis Brewery in Regensburg is the nearest comparison in the city. Between the three you get a fair picture of how beer and food sit together in the old town.

Arnulfsplatz or the Stadtpark?

Pick the Arnulfsplatz Mutterhaus if you want the historic old-town tavern, the Bockbier by the glass and a proper sit-down meal, and book online at least a day ahead. Pick Unter den Linden if outdoor seating and a beer garden matter more than the old-town setting, keeping in mind it is closed Mondays.