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$$ | Sachsenhausen |
With sepia-toned murals of merrymaking above the dark-wood wainscotting, this Apfelwein classic succeeds in being touristy and traditional all at once, and it's a genuine favorite of local residents. The kitchen produces the same hearty German dishes as other nearby taverns, only better. Cider is served in large quantities in the noisy, crowded dining room with many large, communal tables. Reservations are recommended on weekends. Warning: it serves no beer! The family also operates a hotel upstairs.
Schweizerstr. 71, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60594, Germany
Known For
- Schnitzel
- Tafelspitz mit Frankfurter grüner Sosse (stewed beef with a sauce of green herbs)
- Fresh fish (a Friday special)
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$ | City Center |
Reminiscent of a traditional coffeehouse, this café has been offering all types of sweets and pastries, along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner since 1915. Open daily, it's on a quiet, tucked-away street that's steps from the main shopping area, Zeil. In warm weather, there's a lovely outdoor garden.
Töngesg. 23, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60311, Germany
Known For
- Great coffee
- Sacher Torte (chocolate layer cake)
- Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cake)
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$$$$ | Westend |
This tiny, unpretentious place in a quiet Westend neighborhood seems an unlikely candidate for the best restaurant in Germany, yet that's what one French critic called it. Fresh seafood, the specialty, is often flown in from France, as are the wines (the wine list boasts 600 choices). It's closed weekends, during the Christmas and Easter seasons, and during much of summer—in other words, when its patrons, well-heeled business executives, are unlikely to be in town.
Liebigstr. 15, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60323, Germany
Known For
- Elegant service
- Duck and seafood also from France
- Chef's tasting menus
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends and for 6 wks during Hesse\'s summer school vacation, Reservations essential, Jacket required
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For more than 30 years, this simple restaurant has been serving traditional dishes accompanied by potatoes cooked every way imaginable. The potato-and-broccoli gratin and the potato pizza are excellent, as are the Hessian potato pancakes with toppings including mushrooms, smoked salmon, or a fried egg. For dessert, try potato strudel with vanilla sauce. The charming decor includes colorful art deco dishes and lamps.
Audenstr. 4, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Hesse, 61348, Germany
Known For
- Good kids menu
- Potato soup with and without sausage or bacon
- Schnitzels
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Thurs.
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$$$$ | Westend |
Many say the M Steakhouse serves the best steak in Germany, all of it imported Nebraska prime beef. Prices are in line with the quality of meat, and the sides complement the dishes perfectly, but if you're looking for non-meat options, you won't find them here. A set of steps leads down into the restaurant's beautifully lit outdoor patio, a perfect setting for a private romantic dinner. The main dining room inside is warm, welcoming, and intimate. The same restaurant group operates Surf 'n Turf a few blocks away, with similar prices and ambience, and seafood dishes in addition to the steaks.
Feuerbachstr. 11a, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60325, Germany
Known For
- Rib-eye and porterhouse steaks
- American-style sides including fries and onion rings
- Large portions
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat., Reservations essential, Jacket required
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$ | Sachsenhausen |
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.
Schweizerstr. 67, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60594, Germany
Known For
- Favored by locals
- Apple wine and other fruit wines and liqueurs
- Sausage platters and cheese platters
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., and 1st 2 wks of Aug.
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$ | Westend |
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.
Bockenheimer Landstr. 67, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60325, Germany
Known For
- Viennese-style pastries and cakes
- Homemade soups
- Quiches and Wurst platters
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Westend |
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.
Siesmayerstr. 59, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60323, Germany
Known For
- Splendid garden views
- Cheese and Wurst platters
- Daily lunch specials
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$$$ | Sachsenhausen |
The restaurant on the ground floor of the Städel art museum changes from a casual bistro at lunch to an elegant restaurant open until midnight. Lunch features pastas and panini, or a three-course prix-fixe business lunch. The dinner menu changes every two months to take advantage of seasonal items such as chanterelles, but always includes German favorites such as schnitzel and a few international favorites. The café is open between lunch and dinner for coffee and pastries. The same company operates café locations at the Frankfurt airport.
Holbeinstr. 1, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60596, Germany
Known For
- Elegant setting
- Irish prime beefsteaks
- Surprisingly good sushi
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. in July, Reservations essential
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$$ | Sachsenhausen |
This is a traditional-looking restaurant that has been reinvented with a modern vibe; it also claims to have the largest Apfelwein and cider selection in Germany, some of which is used to marinate meats. More than 200 labels are represented, including those from other countries, and cellar tours are offered to diners who request one. It's on the eastern edge of Sachsenhausen, on the border with the Bruckeviertel (Bridge Quarter) neighborhood. Reservations essential on weekends.
Great Ritterg. 49, Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
Known For
- Apple wine and cider
- Soups and salads
- Wurst platters
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$$ | City Center |
This modern restaurant, bar, and lounge near many of the city's largest banks makes it a natural for business lunches, but it also attracts many young professionals for after-work socializing and dinner. The moderately priced menu of contemporary dishes includes nearly two dozen varieties of pizza.
Zimmerweg 1, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60325, Germany
Known For
- Some two dozen pizza options
- Pastas
- Happy-hour specials
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends
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$ | Sachsenhausen |
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 a good idea, even at lunch, and everything can be wrapped up to go. Many rave about the chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce.
Bruchstr. 14, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60594, Germany
Known For
- Lentil soup with Frankfurters
- Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth) Wurst platter
- Chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | City Center |
Frankfurt's Westhafen (West Harbor), once busy and commercial, has been transformed into an upscale neighborhood of apartments, a yacht club, and waterfront restaurants. One of the most chic is Frankfurter Botschaft, with a glass facade and a big terrace overlooking the Main River. The city's elite descend here for business lunches or a cocktail on the terrace at sunset.
Westhafenpl. 6–8, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60327, Germany
Known For
- International, primarily organic, menu
- Sandy beach area with folding chairs and umbrellas
- Beautifully designed place settings
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat., Reservations essential, Jacket required
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$$ | City Center |
The atmosphere is right out of One Thousand and One Nights at this restaurant near the train station, with belly dancers performing every Saturday night and urging patrons to join in. The Middle Eastern menu is largely vegetarian and heavy on garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Save room for dessert, either baklava, flaky pastry layered with honey and nuts, or amar eilden, apricot pudding dotted with raisins. Those who are so inclined can retire to the lounge and smoke flavored tobacco from a water pipe.
Weserstr. 17, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60329, Germany
Known For
- Meze, including delicious falafel
- Lamb dishes, including the homemade lamb sausage and marinated chops grilled over charcoal
- Party atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$ | Altstadt |
This eclectic vegetarian and vegan spot, a rarity in Frankfurt, serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks made only with organic ingredients. Centrally located a few blocks from the Dom, the café has low lighting and rough-hewn wood tables; the rock 'n' roll and Motown tunes are played here at a volume low enough not to discourage quiet conversation.
Fahrg. 3, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60311, Germany
Known For
- Organic wine and beer
- Desserts made with honey instead of refined sugar
- Homemade lemonade
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$$$$ | City Center |
On the 53rd floor of the skyscraper that houses the Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen, this popular cocktail bar and high-end restaurant captures unbeatable views through 25-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, from where you can take in all of "Mainhattan". The cuisine is part global and part regional and is served at dinner as a chef's-choice prix-fixe menu ranging from four to seven courses (wine extra). Lunch is an open menu with no minimum, as is the lounge for drinks and bar snacks, which opens at 9 pm. Both the restaurant and the Tower Lounge are open until midnight.
Neue Mainzerstr. 52–58, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60311, Germany
Known For
- Impeccable service
- Extensive wine list
- €4.50 per person elevator fee
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues. and Sat., Reservations essential, Jacket required
View Tours and Activities
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$$$ | Altstadt |
This modern restaurant with an open-kitchen design is named for the Viennese architect Margarete Scütte-Lihotzky, who created the style in the 1920s. There are three-course prix-fixe menus both for lunch and dinner, or order à la carte from an eclectic and creative menu including homemade soups, risotto, and meats with the ubiquitous Frankfurter green herb sauce.
Braubachstr. 18–22, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60311, Germany
Known For
- Extensive bar bites menu
- Regional specialties including lentil dishes
- Desserts including chocolate tart with bitter orange marmalade and berry sorbet
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$ | Altstadt |
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. This is a cash-only restaurant.
Weckmarkt 13–15, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60311, Germany
Known For
- Cakes and pastries
- Pastas and traditional German dishes
- No credit cards accepted
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | Altstadt |
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.
Known For
- Traditional, meat-centric German menu
- Old-fashioned ambience
- Kitchen open late
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Westend |
This staple among businesspeople and steak connoisseurs (and with a menu similar to M Steakhouse, which has the same owners) is in a residential area near the Grüneburgpark. The restaurant feels intimate and warm, with dark leather, wood paneling, and small tables scattered throughout the main dining room. The beef is imported from Nebraska, and each cut of meat is presented to guests before taking their orders. The waitstaff are knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly, making this as great a place for a romantic dinner for two as for a casual business lunch.
Grüneburgweg 95, Frankfurt, Hesse, 60323, Germany
Known For
- U.S.-style steaks and burgers
- Beef carpaccio with truffles
- Yellowfin tuna tartae
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat., Reservations essential
