Coffee, Kaffee - the best Espresso bars in Frankfurt!
/In the morning it has to be a cappuccino, no wait, perhaps you’re a flat white drinker, or maybe you like your coffee simply black, hot and strong? Frankfurt has quite the variety of espresso bars to indulge whatever coffee you prefer, so here’s the insider knowledge of where to quaff your coffee!
Wackers (Kornmarkt 9) - my go-to coffee fix. A traditional rosterei, selling bags of whole beans as well as fresh cups of the stimulant. My take on their freshly prepared coffee is that it’s strong and slightly bitter, a style long associated with Germany. Cappuccinos pack a punch without an extra shot and are served cup sized (125ml). Pots of kaffee milch (a little like evaporated milk that one gets in the UK) are distributed amongst the tables for those who like a splash of milk in their Americano. There’s no fresh brewed filter or hand pour coffee here, instead it’s all about the traditional values of a coffee house. It’s possible to pick up a ham or cheese roll, or pastry in the morning and some good cakes in the afternoon, but that’s about it!
The Espresso Bar (Schäfergasse 42-44) - to me, this is the best of the Italian espresso bars in Frankfurt. Barely more than a hole in the wall with place enough to stand and drink, serving seriously good espressos and cappuccinos. Proper cup sized portions, none of this over-sized, laden with milk, nonsense from these people! Good, strong, with a very slight bitterness. You know you’re getting a coffee hit when you drink here. Italian pastries are also available.
Hoppenworth & Ploch Altstadt (Markt 22) - a decent espresso bar in the middle of the old town. It’s more “new school” in it’s style of coffee; mellow, has flavour but lacks that hint of bitterness that I personally like. It’s a popular place and rightly so with seating indoors and outdoors in the pretty market square. H&P have other cafés around Frankfurt where they indulge with pour over and other coffee options which promote their own roasted beans. Meanwhile, this cafe in the Altstadt focusses on the espresso bar concept, and has a few cakes and pastries to snack upon too. (There is also a pop-up H&P by the Old Opera House, Opernplatz 2)
Espresso Espresso (Braubrachstr. 28) - a good espresso with a very slight bitterness that gives the coffee some depth and works well as a cappuccino. It’s a small espresso bar along a street which oozes continental style. Not much space indoors but on warmer days there is space outside to watch the locals pass by (and the trams too). A small selection of pastries and cake is available to stave off the hunger pangs.
The Holy Cross Brewing Society (Fahrgasse 7) - more than just an espresso bar, the HCBS does a full range of coffees and is the place to go if you like pour-over and filter styles. It’s popular, although it’s my least favourite for espresso style coffees. Again, very “new school” in terms of no bitterness at all in the coffee and the mellowness borders on being too subtle if you like milk in your coffee. Small plates of food are available for breakfast & lunch and locals come here for the variety of top branded roasted beans on sale.
Café Under Pressure (Sachsenhausen - Große Rittergasse 20) Another great espresso bar, beloved by the locals. Admittedly I tried the pour over coffee and found it too weak, but the espressos are tasty and spot on. Cappuccinos are correctly proportioned, and smooth (meaning without bitterness which for me is a negative, but for many a positive!) Ample seating and a few tasty snacks too. If you are in Alt Sachsenhausen, hop across the street to Under Pressure, it’s the best espresso bar in the area.
O’Heim (Oppenheimer Landstr. 48) the cappuccinos here follow the “new school” of mellowness and are as good as any of the others mentioned on this page. The additional draw however, is the cakes and snacks, home-made and super delicious! Perhaps it’s those wonderlicious cakes that also draw in the mum & pram set - you have been warned!
Hoppenworth & Ploch (Nordend - Friedberger Landstr. 86) I’ve mention H&P above in the City Centre section. This is their flagship store and coffee is taken very seriously here and includes the pour-over (read: takes forever to make) style and filter coffees featuring their own roasted brands. Smooth, palate gentle espressos entice the young hip crowd in but don’t let that put you off. There is plenty of seating inside and good snacks to compliment which ever coffee style you prefer.
