An Insider's Guide to Frankfurt

A. “Frankfurt has it all - world-class galleries, an excellent opera house, a highly reputable ballet ensemble, a lively jazz and club scene, a unique English theater along with restaurants offering excellent cuisine. Local designers are also gaining world repute and all leading labels can be found in a couple of streets around the Alte Oper. All this in a quiet, green, small city which can be crossed by bicycle in 40 minutes.”

A. “The local food scene is as diverse as the city itself, which is the most cosmopolitan in Germany. With around 70 different national cuisines represented, restaurants have a quality and authenticity which is not found frequently. Restaurants in the financial district between the Opernplatz, along the Fressgasse and in the vicinity of the Goethe-Haus are the favorite lunch spots for the local business crowd. Places like Moriki, Medici and Walden are just a handful of the trendy lunch places.”

A. “A city of bankers, finance and legal professionals inevitably has a lively bar scene, and after-work get togethers are very popular. In business circles, alcohol during lunch is not seen so often. A couple of trendy bars are Julian Smith’s Chinaski, and the Plank Cafe Bar.”

A. “In nice weather, I would start with a late morning walk around the Westend, walking around the university campus with its iconic Pölzig building, and, time permitting, spend an hour or so in the Palmengarten botanical gardens. From the Westend over to the Opernplatz and financial district, stop for a coffee and watch the world go by somewhere on the Fressgasse. Maybe walk by the elegant boutiques and stores on Goethe Street and stroll past the Hauptwache towards the historical center Römer, stopping for a nice late lunch at Simon Horn’s Margarete. Simon is one of those jovial creative chefs who works wonders reinterpreting old German recipes. After a good espresso, cross over the Main river, walk westwards and enjoy the crowds. Stroll awhile around Sachsenhausen – the areas around Schweizer and Brücken Strassen are a lot more interesting than the traditionally touristic Old Sachsenhausen, which of late has become rather run down. Dinner should definitely be in a typical Frankfurt cider tavern with local and regional specialties. There are a couple of recommendable places in Sachsenhausen, but I prefer (since it’s also less touristic) the centuries-old ones in the Bornheim area – places like Zur Sonne or Solzer.”