12 Best Restaurants in Frankfurt, Germany

Reminiscent of a traditional coffeehouse, this café has been offering all types of sweets and pastries, along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner since 1915. Open daily, it's on a quiet, tucked-away street that's steps from the main shopping area, Zeil. In warm weather, there's a lovely outdoor garden.

Come to this Bornheim favorite for the delicious selection of tapas, paella, and other Spanish specialties. The dark interior has wooden tables brightened by fresh-cut flowers and candles, making it a good spot for an intimate dinner. In summer you can dine outside, German style, at long tables.

There aren't many classic Apfelwein locales left, but this is one of them. It's just as it has been since the end of the 19th century: walls covered with giant paintings darkened with age, giant stoneware pitchers called Bembels, glasses that are ribbed to give greasy hands traction, long tables that can seat 12 people, schmaltzy music, hearty food with daily specials, and, as is traditional, no beer. Try this one if you want to truly capture the spirit of Old Sachsenhausen.

The ambience of an old-time Viennese café pervades this popular spot, where there's a lovely garden in summer—as well as some of the city's best freshly baked pastries and cakes year-round, best teamed with a Kaffee mit Schlag (coffee with whipped cream). It closes early, by 7 pm.

This sleek establishment at the Palmengarten is accessible either from the botanical garden or from the street, offering fresh-baked pastries throughout the day and a limited prix-fixe lunch menu that changes daily. It closes at 7 pm. The Palmengarten also has the Linden Terrace for snacks in season, and the elegant and pricey Restaurant Lafleur for dinner.

This friendly Apfelwein restaurant offers typical decor, with traditional wood paneling and coat hooks on the wall. It's popular with locals, who come for regional favorites, including dishes with the ubiquitous Frankfurter green sauce, but also a rarity: beer. Save room for appelkranzen, battered and fried apple rings dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with ice cream.

The menu is typical of Old Sachsenhausen—apple wine and sauerkraut are served—but the interior is bright and modern and the Frankfurt specialties are a cut above the rest. As proprietor Kay Exenberger puts it, \"We're nearly as fast as a fast-food restaurant, but as gemütlich (quaint) as an apple wine locale must be.\" It's so popular that reservations are recommended, even at lunch, and everything can be wrapped up to go. Many rave about the chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce.

This restaurant is regarded by many as the best burger spot in Frankfurt, famous for its beef ground 100% in-house, homemade sauces and toppings (including mayo and BBQ), relish, and guacamole. You can also get American-style french fries and chicken nuggets, German-style cucumber salad, and garlic knots. The atmosphere is decided casual, and it's usually crowded. There's kids’ menu, too.

Breakfast is the main attraction at this café near the Römerberg and Dom. The dining room is large, and in the warmer months there are also tables on a garden patio. The kitchen serves until 11 pm. Reservations are accepted for dinner only, and not for the terrace.

At this friendly spot, diners share long wooden tables beneath traditional clothing mounted on the walls. The house specialty is a raw steak brought to the table with a heated rock tablet (Stein is the German word for stone) where you do your own cooking. The house beef broth is the perfect antidote to cold weather. By the way, if you order a beer, specify a Kleines, or small glass; if not, you'll automatically get a liter.

There are few inner-city restaurants that brew their own beer, so Zu Den Twelve Apostles is one of the pleasant exceptions. Enjoy homemade pilsners in the dimly lighted, cavernous cellar, and sample traditional regional favorites along with Balkan dishes.

Named for the huge Rad (wagon wheel) that serves as a centerpiece, this is one of the few Apfelwein taverns in Frankfurt that still makes its own apple wine, which it's been doing since 1806. It's located in the villagelike district of Seckbach, on the northeastern edge of the city. Outside tables are shaded by chestnut trees in an extensive courtyard. The typically Hessian cuisine, with giant portions, includes such dishes as Ochsenbrust (brisket of beef) with the ubiquitous herb sauce. Reservations recommended on weekends. Cash only.