Mainz
Mainz is a charming small city, the birthplace of Gutenberg, a stunning 1000 year old cathedral and 17th century citadel. It’s also the capital for the Rheinhessen wine region. If you're visiting, download the audio tour from Voicemap for highly informative guided walk through the old town, learning about its history including the Romans, French occupations, Gutenberg and the famous Marc Chagall windows.
This blog page compliments the Voicemap tour offering a few extra places to visit during the tour and more recommendations for places to eat drink and be merry!
Getting to Mainz from Frankfurt
The S8 runs regularly every 30 minutes to Mainz. Alight at Mainz Bahnhof, or a stop earlier at Mainz Römisches Theater. Both are less than a 10 minute walk to the old town but from Römische Theatre the walk is more pleasant, especially if following the route via Augustinerstraße.
When to visit
The best time to visit is from Spring through to Autumn, when most of the festivals take place. Friday and Saturday are the best days due to the farmers market at “Markt” in the heart of the old town. Tuesday is also a market day but on a smaller scale.
Market days
On Friday and Saturday the market bustles with locals buying groceries for the week. For visitors though the highlight are the market stand offering a bite to eat and a drink. There is the usual sausage vendor but there are places to grab a freshly filled bread roll and even a plate of cubed cheese to nibble on to compliment a glass of wine.
Saturday in Mainz is particularly good if you like wine as the market celebrates by offering Weinfrühstuck from 9am until 3pm. It’s the ideal opportunity to try one of Rheinhessens dry white riesling, pinot gris or pinot blanc. Usually hosted at Liebfrauenplatz, Weinfrühstück it is temporarily being hosted at three alternative places due to construction work, as follows:
Weinfrühstück Leichhof
Leichhof is on the tour, is very centrally placed with a lovely view of the cathedral. From 15th March until 8th November 2025 every Saturday. This link lists which wine producers are hosting each week: Termine Leichhof 2025 Nearest public bathrooms: Badergasse/Augustinerstraße.
Weinfrühstück Tritonplatz
Hidden behind the State Theater, follow the passage between the theater and cafe “Zum grünen Kakadu”. From 15th March until 8th November 2025 every Saturday with one or two exceptions - see the linked list Termine Tritonplatz 2025 Nearest bathrooms: Kleinen Haus des Staatstheaters or public bathrooms close to Schuhaus Buttler/Höfchen Mainz.
Weinfrühstück Fischtorplatz
A chance to enjoy a glass of wine along the River Rhein. It’s a very short walk down to the river banks from the old town and well worth the effort. From 15th March until 4th October every Saturday, but check the linked list in case of exceptions: Termine Fischtorplatz Nearest public bathrooms: Adenauer-Ufer/Rheinpromenade
Cafes and restaurants…
…and in addition are ice cream parlours and wine houses too. Wine houses are a speciality of Mainz, during the tour you pass a couple and I’ve listed a couple of extra ones here too.
Old Town
Dom Cafe (Markt 12-16) In the heart of the old town on the market place and by the cathedral. The perfect spot for a classic Kaffee and Kuchen. Closed Sunday.
Mainzer Kaffee Haus (Schöfferstraße 8) A coffee and pastry place with its own roasted coffee. Opens at early - closed Sunday.
Willems im Altstadtcafé (Schönbornstraße 9a) Tucked around the back of Kirschgarten. Great home-made soups and fresh lunches. Open from 9.30am.
Zum grünen Kakadu - Staatstheater Mainz (Gutenbergpl. 3-5) Open every day. Great for lunch.
Maldaner Brüh- & Espressobar (Augustinerstraße 19) A favourite with locals for specialty coffee.
Haus zum Spiegel (Leichhof 1) Closed Sunday and Monday
Weinhaus Michel (Jakobsbergstrasse 8) Friendly, with simple but good menu. Closed Sunday & Monday.
Weinstube Hottum (Grebenstraße 3) Lots of good wine by the glass and traditional menu.
Aller guten Dinge (Mainz Graben 3) Good coffee and light lunch snacks.
Eis Rialto (Leichhofstrasse 2) Open from 10am-10pm, in the heart of the Altstadt. A popular ice-cream parlour with locals and tourists alike.
Eis Cafe Florenz (Hopfengarten 6) If you wish to stop, have an ice-cream and enjoy a little people watching this is a great place.
Towards St. Stefans and the Chagall windows
Wilma Wunder (Ballplatz 2) Open all day, every day. Great for lunch, afternoon coffee etc, and has outdoor seating in a quiet square.
Amore Vino (Stefansplatz 1) Lovely platters of hmas and cheese, plus good wine too. Open from 5pm.
DELICIOUS & more (Gaustraße 57) Gluten-free and vegan options! Check opening hours, though!
Restaurant Citadel (Am 87er Denkmal) Only open during the week around lunchtime to serve the people working up at the Citadel, but they will offer visitors a coffee or a drink, if you’re gasping! Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Towards the riverside
N'Eis (Dagobertstraße 24) Natural, locally produced ice-cream, possibly the best in Mainz!
Am Holztor (Holzstraße 40) Very traditional wine house…popular with the locals!
Weinhaus Schreiner (Rheinstraße 38) Another traditional wine house with an outdoor garten area in the summer.
Audio tour Frankfurt - Cafes, shops and other treats
Tips and hints on great places to eat, drink and be merry during the Frankfurt Old Town audio tour.
Updated 04.08.2024
The suggestions below follow the same route as the Voicemap audio tour for Frankfurt, 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 is slow but coming here is all about seeing the beautiful renovations within. The cafe is also attached to the Friedrich-Stoltze Museum, free entry, which you will discover when visiting the cafe 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. (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! Next door is an excellent bakery.
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!
C Mehl.wasser.salz (Domstrasse 10) is an excellent bakery with lots of seating, 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 small 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.
