Zur Höll ("To Hell") on Burggasse occupies one of the oldest buildings in Rothenburg — parts of the structure date to around 900 AD, which makes it not just the oldest restaurant in town but one of the oldest continuously inhabited buildings in Franconia. The name apparently derives from an old German term for a basement storage cellar rather than anything infernal. The vaulted stone rooms give it a genuinely medieval atmosphere that is not manufactured for tourists.
The kitchen serves Franconian cuisine in the traditional sense: sauerbraten with potato dumplings, roast pork, game dishes in season, and local sausages. The wine list is almost entirely Franconian — wines from the Main valley vineyards in the traditional flat Bocksbeutel bottles. The prices are not cheap by German standards but are reasonable given the quality and the location. Reservations are sensible on weekends and in high summer.
Zur Höll is the kind of place that would be unremarkable if it were in a major city but feels right in Rothenburg — an old building, honest regional food, no attempt to dress things up beyond what they are. It is on Burggasse, close to the Kriminalmuseum, and open for dinner from Tuesday through Sunday.