Cafes and other treats, during the Frankfurt Old Town voicemap audio tour

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Updated 04.08.2024

The suggestions below follow the same route as the tour, plus a few extra hints and tips. If you spot a change, perhaps a new cafe you tried and liked, please, do leave a comment.

Listings

Key to listings: D - dining, C - cafe/coffee, Vg - vegan, TG - to go, W - wine
Along the tour route:

C Einsteins - (Römerberg 32) A bit like Starbucks, but it’s German, and very conveniently placed on the old town square. It keeps longer hours than most cafes in the area from 8am - 9pm.

C Kaffeehaus Goldene Waage (Markt 5) This is in the beautiful renaissance house, just opposite the cathedral. Cake and coffee are good, service slow (not going to lie to you) but this is all about seeing the beautiful renovations within. The cafe is also attached to the Friedrich-Stoltze Museum, free entry, which you will find when visiting the bathrooms!

D C Vg Metropol Kaffeeaus am Dom (Weckmarkt 13-15) I have an affection for this place. Home cooked food, great cakes and a garden that’s an absolute sun-trap out back! (Vegetarian and vegan goods too)

D Wirthaus am Hühnermarkt (Markt 16- 18, Hühnermarkt) In the heart of the New Old Town, the Wirthaus has a menu of traditional Frankfurt food and the quality is high. The pricing is a little higher too, but the setting is lovely and worth it.

C Hoppenworth & Ploch Altstadt (Markt 22, on the Hühnermarkt) Local coffee roaster. For those who like a flat white, this is the place to head to in the Old Town. Of course they have other drinks too!

W Balthasar Ress (Markt 13a, Hühnermarkt) Were you paying attention on the tour? Balthasar’s Weinbar is in the baroque, Grüne Linden, house on the Chicken Market! Balthasar’s produces it’s own wine close to Frankfurt in the Rheingau region. VDP quality wines that are worth trying. For a quick crib sheet on German wine terms, check out this link!

TG Metzgerei Dey - (Markt 13, Hühnermarkt) want to snack like locals do, whilst on the go? Grab a sausage from Dey’s. A family run delicatessen, here in Frankfurt since 1930.

D Badias Shirn Cafe Bar (Schirn Kunsthalle, btw Coronation Way and Bendergasse) Situated above the Coronation Way, Badias has a great selection of freshly prepared salads and dishes with a Mediterranean flair. Although not strictly gluten-free, it is possible to work around the menu and avoid gluten ingredients.

W C Wineschirn (Römerberg 8, directly opposite the U-bahn escalators, exit Römer) ) Another one of my favourites, Weinschirn has a lovely selection of German wines and a few from other lands too. Noted also for the delicious Flammkuchen and small plates of ham and cheese if you’re feeling peckish!)

C ConduitCouture (Fahrtor 1, by Haus Wertheim) On the way to the Iron bridge, queue up here and grab a fine piece of cake or a home made ice-cream. This patisserie makes all the classics, including the famous Frankfurter Kranz, a vanilla sponge with butter cream, jam and a nutty croquant. You can also buy packs of Bethmannchen here - the traditional Frankfurt, baked marzipan treats.

Schirn Art Gallery (Römerberg) modern art gallery offering alternating exhibitions. Check the website for details)

Kaisersaal (entrance on Limpurgergasse. Daily 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm) The Kaisersaal contains 19th century portraits of all the Holy Roman Emperors. As you walked along Limpurgergasse, after seeing the eavedropping man and cat, you might have noticed a sign on the side wall of the town hall. It’s the entrance point to the Kaisersaal. Walk through the gates, turn right and walk up the the ornate stairwell to gain entrance.

Other recommendations

Not on the tour, but very close by
Braubachstrasse has quite a few cafes, and a couple of antique stores, and is worth exploring, a few highlights are below:
Key to listings: D - dining, C - cafe/coffee, Vg - vegan, TG - to go, W - wine

Handwerkkunst Frankfurt (Braubachstrasse 39 ) If you are looking for traditional German wooden decorations and souvenirs, this shop is close to the Römerberg.

C Iimori (Braubachstrasse 20) The best patisserie in Frankfurt for French bakery specialities and Japanese specialities too.

Fotographie Forum Frankfurt (Braubachstrasse 30-32) A small gallery for photography enthusiasts.

C D Margerete (Braubachstrasse 18) Good for lunch and afternoon coffee and cake. Sit out front and watch the world go by. IMO not so great for dinner.

C Zart & Bitter (Braubachstrasse 14) One for the chocolics! A shop selling all manner of chocolates!

MMK (Domstrasse 10) Museum of Modern Art. On the corner of Braubachstr. and Domstr. When they say modern art, they mean it. This is also the site of Mehl.wasser.salz an excellent bakery, selling light breakfasts and lunches too - with vegetarian options.

Ice-cream
There are lots of ice-cream vendors around the old town but one stands out as better quality than the rest:

C Condit Couture (Fahrtor 1) A lovely konditorei that also sells ice-cream in the summer months.

Kleinmarkthalle

Kleinmarkthalle (Hasengasse 5 -7) The indoor market has take out, wine, coffee and lots more. It’s a Frankfurt institution and locals hang out at Rollanderhof Wein on the 1st floor. It ‘s a very short walk from the old town. There is a second entrance from Ziegelgasse.

What to do on a winter's day in Frankfurt

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Winters can be cold in Frankfurt and, although bright and crisp outside, it's only a matter of time before you hanker for somewhere indoors to keep yourself warm. Here are some ideas for the winter months.

Frankfurt cinemas screening films in English

Some cinemas in Frankfurt screen films in the original language, e.g. a British film in english or a French film in french, with German subtitles. Here are some recommendations for watching films in English.

Metropolis, close to the Eschenheimer Tor. Check their webpage for the up to date programme and look for films with the UK/USA flag and "screening in English" written next to it.

E-Kinos,  at Hauptwache (near the Sparkasse). Original language screenings are usually on a Sunday or Monday. Scroll down the program and look for the screening times. If there is an "Original Version" screening then it will be shown at the bottom of the time list .

Mal Seh'n Kino, in Nordend on Adlerflychtstraße. Check the program; for English language films look directly under the title of the film for"englische OmU" or "amerikanische OmU" .

Harmonie cinema, in Sachsenhausen screens films in the original language on Mondays and, occasionally, on additional days. That means French films are screened in French, American films in English etc. Look out for UK/USA films and the words "Engl. OmU" which means "English with (German) subtitles."

Orfeos on Hamburgerallee occasionally screens films in the original language. An added bonus is the lovely restaurant which serves very good pre-screening dinners. To see which films are in English, check the programme for "engl. mit dt. Ut" meaning "English with German subtitles." 

The English Theatre in Frankfurt

The English Theatre hosts some excellent productions. The theatre bar offers snacks and drinks and pre-ordering for interval drinks too. For post-theatre dining, Fundus on Willy-Brandt Platz stays open until midnight. This January and February 2017 the theatre is showing Spamalot. Check this link for dates, times and tickets. 

Inside the Kaisersaal with it's 52 portraits of the Holy Roman Emperors

Inside the Kaisersaal with it's 52 portraits of the Holy Roman Emperors

Frankfurt museums

Frankfurt's museums have regular visiting exhibits so there is always something new to see. This link offers more in-depth information on the entrance fees, a link to the official museums page and regular museum opening times (e.g. many museums are shut on a Monday). A few of the of the visiting exhibits are listed on my "Monthly events in Frankfurt" page, 

City centre cultural excursions

Paulskirche on Paulsplatz is otherwise known as the "Cradle of German Democracy" it was in this building that the first Parliament was hosted in 1848. Today the church is open and free to the public and hosts a permanent exhibit. At the ground floor level text is offered in English, as well as German, and a mural by Johannes Grützke depicts, "The Path of the Representatives to St. Paul's Church." Upstairs hang the flags of the 16 states of Germany.

Attend an organ recital at the Kaiserdom (cathedral). The organ was installed in 1957 and is a spectacular instrument. Details of up and coming recitals are listed on the WALK-FRANKFURT, "Monthly events in Frankfurt" page.

Visit the Kaisersaal - The Imperial Hall displays 52 portraits of the Holy Roman Emperors from Charlemagne (Karl der Große) to Franz II. The entrance can been found on the southside of the Römer building, on Limpurgergasse. Enter through the iron gates and in the courtyard there is a machine where you pay your 2€ entrance fee. Walk up the spiral steps to enter the building. Once inside go up the next set of stairs into the Imperial Hall.  Open between 10:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 17:00. Occasionally the Kaisersaal is closed due to private events.

Visit the Cloister (free entry) within the Institute for the History of Frankfurt, and hire an audio guide (2€) detailing the medieval frescos of Jörg Ratgeb. The institute also hosts free exhibits about Frankfurt upstairs. At present the exhibit details the development and maintenance of the Frankfurt Greenbelt.

Jörg Ratgeb frescos at the Carmelite Cloister, Institute for the History of Frankfurt

Jörg Ratgeb frescos at the Carmelite Cloister, Institute for the History of Frankfurt

Go to the Zoo - even during the winter the Zoo is open everyday and has indoor houses as well as outdoor enclosures. Check the webpage for opening and closing times. Right now the Zoo is collecting old mobile phones to raise money for the mountain gorillas in the Congo - have a quick clear out and take your old mobile phone along!

Cafes

If you're in town then check out some of these cafes, listed in another blog post, in which to rest your weary legs and warm up with a coffee, tea or better still a hot chocolate.
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