-
Apfelweinwirtschaft Adolf Wagner
When in Frankfurt a visit to an traditional tavern is a must. These timbered drinking holes serve jugs of Ebellwoi , that's Frankfurter for Apfelwein, Germany's alcoholic apple cider. Among the most popular is Adolf Wagner's, family-run since 1931. It is a friendly place, which is just as well as the local snack eaten with Ebellwoi is Handkäse mit Musik , or Hand Cheese with music, a stinky treat that will soon have you farting like a German Band.
-
Balalaika
A former New York resident, Balalaika's owner, Anita, was singing long before many of her customers were born, as one of the pace-setters in the jazz and blues scene in the swinging 60s. These days she sings a more mellow song in her tiny, candlelit pub that has the usual cheer of the local taverns but with a more intimate vibe.
-
Batschkapp
In its 30-plus years of staging live bands, the 'Batsch' has seen 'em come, go, burn out, gloriously self-destruct or simply rust to dust. There are also club nights.
-
Berger Kinos
Berger Kinos is a good arthouse venue in the dining precinct of Bornheim. It holds regular festivals and special screenings of German and some English language films.
-
Blue Angel
For the committed rather than the curious, Blue Angel is a popular, strictly gay club (men only) with outrageous events for the party-minded.
-
Bockenheimer Weinkontor
A mixed crowd of the young, middle-aged and business-suited all come here to quaff various European wines. Sometimes they also come here to pick each other up. The building, a 19th-century workshop, has a lovely summer courtyard, but the long window ledge and the bar are the places to hang your buttocks and start talking.
-
Cocoon Club
This post-modern, pulsating membrane-like miracle is the home of techno legend Sven Väth; it throbs with music from the man himself or his guests Fridays and Saturdays. Lit up by a 100m (330ft) wide, 360º screen, the main dance floor will transform even the most jaded techno moths. During the week you can relax at the more intimate 'micro', a mini version of the larger club, which also houses a restaurant.
-
English Theatre
The quality of the favourites rolled out at this Bahnhofsviertel repertory theatre for English-language plays and musicals is surprisingly high.
-
Freies Schauspiel Ensemble Philanthropin
Freies Schauspiel Ensemble Philanthropin is the kind of offbeat and alternative venue where an ego could explode spontaneously on-stage and find its way into the script for the next performance.
-
Harvey's
This odd-shaped, high-ceilinged corner bar looks like Dame Edna's living room. Always on the ball, it will no doubt adjust the style dial to suit Frankfurt's fickle club clientele. It's the perfect setting for flouncing around, and boy, do they flounce. It's a long established location on the gay map but attracts a mixed crowd.
-
Advertisement
-
Jazzkeller
Look hard to find this place - a great jazz venue with mood - hidden in an alley parallel to Goethestrasse. This is where Frankfurt's jazz scene began, when legends like Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie popped by to play for beers and applause. Their legacy is kept alive by a new generation of musicians holding forth in the smoke-filled vaulted cellar packed with aficionados with a serious jazz ear.
-
King Kamehameha
A strapping Leonardo DiCaprio-type guy might dash out and unexpectedly plough the length of the ornamental pool (clothed, take note) - it's been known to happen here. And much more too, for 'KingKa' is legendary, with its own live club band Thursdays, dance beats on weekends, private rooms and that tempting watercourse in one bar. But while you're here, explore the yard and neighbouring buildings. In summer, the magic words will be 'Sansibar Roofgarden'.
-
Kino Mal Seh'n
This tiny Nordend repertory cinema shows all kinds of offbeat movies; its wine bar and living room are as stimulating and engaging as its viewing room.
-
La Gata
Established in 1971, this bar-cum-discotheque is Frankfurt's first, and still only, lesbian venue catering exclusively to women.
-
Living XXL
If the euro goes into freefall, it'll land here - Frankfurt's large, bustling and highly popular club has three bars and a gallery dining room at the foot of the European Central Bank.
-
Mampf
This place used to be a nosh house where apprentice butchers took their tipple. Today you'll hear great jazz sounds in this jazz club-cum-pub that has a lot of surprises up its sleeve, especially during sessions.
-
Mousonturm
There is plenty to explore in this rambling converted soap factory. It features dance, politically-oriented cabaret and a bistro that serves food until midnight.
-
O'Dwyers Pub
There are lots of Irish pubs in Frankfurt. This one features on the drinking topography because it's livelier than many others - even hellish sometimes - and near the youth hostel.
-
Pulse
The only thing this isn't is a hotel - it's a restaurant, a bar and a nightclub all rolled into one. It's mainly a guys' place, but many lesbians also come here. The compendium of cocktails is killer. Check out the wonderful conservatory/patio out the back.
-
Robert Johnson
It may not be in the main drag but don't let that fool you, this big club attracts some of the best names in German electronic music, including regular nights from the thriving Frankfurt-based Playhouse label.
-
Advertisement
-
Sandbar
If the other bars get too cramped or their glam starts wearing thin, dive into the Sandbar as a chic alternative. The minimalist interior and soft bar stools invite a long evening or a short repose between clubs.
-
Sinkkasten
Smack bang in the city centre just off the Zeil, this is one of Frankfurt's oldest concert and dance venues, and you can't help but fall into it at some stage. Its low ceilings and cinema seats set the atmosphere for the jazz, funk and rock bands that play here. Friday and Saturday night discos attract 80s and Weather Girls freaks.
-
Stereo Bar
While only about the size of a 70s Hi-Fi the Stereo Bar has been a Frankfurt favourite for almost a decade. It is an eclectic little joint: depending on the night you can find yourself getting down to funk, soul or garage classics or busting out your best hip-hop moves. It's pleasantly off-beat and the drink prices are a tad lower than the usual Frankfurt Nachtklub.
-
Studio Bar
You might wonder, 'Whatever happened to the revolution?' on entering this joint. The decor is very in-your-face 1960s, with decorative shots of glam pop and enough mirrors and plush sofas to make a hedonist scream uncontrollably with delight. Great drinks are served over two levels plus an outdoor terrace that becomes wall-to-wall in summer.
-
TAT
No one does avant-garde like the Germans, and this former tram depot is a major centre for performance art and theatrical events. The Frankfurt Ballet performs here regularly, while multimedia shows, coproductions with international artists and dance festivals are just a taste of what's on offer. Children usually have a rollicking time in the ample space.
