Kassel's local speciality is Ahle Worscht, a dry-cured pork sausage hung in farmhouse attics until it develops a deep flavour distinct from anything in southern Germany. The best place to try it with regional sides like Weckewerk is at Gleis 1 in the Kulturbahnhof or at the long-running Weinhaus Boos in the Mittelgasse.
For more ambitious cooking, Pfeffermühle in the Markthalle is a reliable seasonal kitchen. Voit near the Friedrichsplatz has international ambitions and a Michelin recommendation. Vegetarian and vegan options have multiplied around the university quarter — El Erni is the go-to falafel and Middle Eastern stop, Lebenslust is the bigger sit-down option. Cheap and good: any of the kebab places along Friedrich-Ebert-Straße.