Eat

How to eat here

For Frankfurt’s distinctive local meal, go south of the Main to Sachsenhausen for an Apfelwein tavern; it is the city’s clearest food tradition, best paired with sturdy Hessian dishes rather than treated as a quick drink stop. For broader eating, Nordend and Bornheim offer the more lived-in café-and-restaurant scene, while Bahnhofsviertel is the strongest bet for serious international food and late dining if you are comfortable with its rougher station-edge atmosphere. Avoid making Römerberg your main dining address: its convenience comes with more tourist-oriented, often pricier choices.

Apfelwein (Ebbelwei): tart, still Hessian apple wine, traditionally poured from a blue-grey stoneware Bembel into ribbed Geripptes glasses. · Grüne Soße (Frankfurter Grüne Soße): Frankfurt’s cold herb sauce, classically served with boiled eggs and potatoes; look for it in season and do not confuse it with a generic green sauce. · Handkäs mit Musik: pungent sour-milk cheese marinated with onions, vinegar and oil; the ‘music’ is the onion’s after-effect. A proper tavern order, not a delicate starter. · Frankfurter Würstchen: slim, lightly smoked pork sausages, traditionally eaten simply with bread, mustard and potato salad. · A tavern meal of schnitzel, sausages or pork with potatoes alongside Apfelwein: hearty, unshowy Hessian comfort food is the right frame for Sachsenhausen rather than fine dining. · Bethmännchen: small marzipan-and-almond pastries associated with Frankfurt, especially around Christmas.

• Book ahead for dinner in Sachsenhausen, especially at popular Apfelwein taverns on Friday and Saturday; the Old Sachsenhausen lanes can be loud and visitor-heavy, so Schweizer Straße and the wider district are a better choice for a more relaxed evening.
• Use Sachsenhausen for the traditional meal, but eat beyond it: Nordend is strongest for cafés and neighborhood restaurants, Bornheim’s Berger Straße for casual meals, bars and local street life, and Bockenheim for unpretentious student-oriented eating.
• Bahnhofsviertel rewards food-focused travelers with its international restaurants and late-night options, but choose your route home deliberately: the atmosphere changes sharply around the station and red-light streets after dark.
• Kleinmarkthalle is the central market stop for grazing and provisions; go earlier rather than counting on it as a late-day fallback, and expect it to be busier than a quiet neighborhood market.
• Dinner generally starts earlier than in southern Europe. Reservations are normal for a planned evening meal; for a tavern, be prepared to share the room’s convivial, practical rhythm rather than linger over a highly choreographed experience.
• At an Apfelwein tavern, order the cider by the glass or Bembel and embrace the local pairing of tart drink and salty, oniony food. If you dislike sour cider, ask for a small taste first rather than committing to a jug.