Passau eats like Bavaria — roast pork, dumplings, schnitzel, and sauerkraut, accompanied by a half-litre of local beer. The restaurants in the old town are largely oriented toward tourists; for more local options walk north toward Innstadt or up into the residential streets above the old town.
The Innquai along the river below the old town has a stretch of cafes and beer gardens that are pleasant on warm evenings. Fresh fish from the Danube and Inn was historically a Passau speciality — zander and trout still appear on menus. The local white bread rolls (Semmeln) and cakes at the town's bakeries are of the high Bavarian standard.