Guide To Frankfurt’s Lively Nightlife Scene
Discovering the leisure and nightlife in Frankfurt
Night life
The traditional Kneipen (bars) are concentrated in the district Alt Sachsenhausen (between Brückenstrasse and Dreiechstrasse), where there are increasingly more modern bars with an international atmosphere. Many of Frankfurt’s major hotels have excellent bars that attract both guests and street people and are popular with executives visiting the city on business. Beneath its serious image, Frankfurt has local ambiences for partying. Favourite places for disco-lovers and gay people are in Zeil and Bleichstrasse, while the most sordid side of the nightlife is in the vicinity of the Kaiserstrasse artery.
Many of the bars in Frankfurt offer live music, especially jazz. The best rooms are in the surroundings of Kleine Bockenheimer Strasse, also known as Jazzgasse (jazz alley).
The bars are open until 01.00 during the week and close much later during weekends. The minimum age to consume alcohol is 18 years and in trendy venues or in nightclubs a can of beer is around 3-4 € and liquors 3-5 €. The dress code is formal, that is, it is not necessary to wear a tie, but in many places it is not allowed to enter with jeans or sneakers. The clubs usually charge an entrance fee of € 8-10.
Pubs
To experience the best of the traditional Äppelwoi taverns, which are on the verge of extinction, you should go to the area of Alt Sachsenhausen, in the surroundings of Affentorplatz. If you prefer places with the latest fashion, you can visit the modern Soho, Fritschengässchen 5, or the Coconut Groove.
In the center, the places to see and be seen are Lounge, Weissadlergasse 15, a cozy bar (open until 03.00 every day); Keepers Bar, Berliner Strasse 175, which offers an excellent mix of cocktails and DJs, as well as the modern Studio Bar, Katharinenpforte 6, with tables in the attic. Luna Bar, Stiftstrasse 6, is an elegant and simple venue, considered one of the best “designer bars” in Germany. It has a great atmosphere and they serve cocktails. Once a month they organize the “Fiesta de los Locos”, with live music.
The Main Tower Bar is located on the 53rd floor of the only skyscraper in Frankfurt. It offers drinks and incredible panoramic views. If you fancy a German beer go to Elfer Music Club, Maybachstrasse 24 (the mother of all modern pubs in Frankfurt). In the expensive Jimmy’s Bar, Located in the Hotel Frankfurt Hessischer Hof, Friedrich Ebert Anlage 40, the most affluent clientele can enjoy a cosmopolitan atmosphere in this gentleman’s club. Those who prefer to enjoy an English pint can visit the English pub King’s Arms, Mainkai 10.
Casinos
Bad Homburg Casino is the closest casino to the city. It is located in the spa town of Bad Homburg, north of Frankfurt, in Im Kurpark. You can play at the betting tables from 3 pm to 3 am. The card for the day costs € 2.50 and the minimum age to enter is 18 years. An identification document such as a driver’s license or a passport is also required. The dress code is elegant; jeans, sportswear, sandals or sneakers are not accepted. Gentlemen must wear a jacket and tie.
Clubs
Nachtleben, Kurt-Schumacher-Strasse 45, has two parts. On the top floor there is a modern bar and on the ground floor there is a disco with house music on Thursdays and drum ‘n’ bass on Saturdays. Galerie, Düsseldorfer Strasse 1-7 is the place where young and modern audiences enjoy live music, theater performances and extravagant art exhibitions. In the gay club Blue Angel, Brönnerstrasse 17, house music and trance predominate. Das 2, Jahrhundert, Oeder Weg 21, offers performances by DJs from all corners of the world on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The chic disco Odeon is located in a palatial house in Bethmann Park, Seilerstrasse 34. A more alternative location, almost bordering on kitsch, is Schaubar , Saalburgstrasse 61.
Music
The most fascinating room in the city is Die Brotfabrik, Bachmannstrasse 2-4, which offers concerts by foreign groups. It also has a cafe and a restaurant. Batschkapp, Maybachstrasse 24 offers rock concerts, pop concerts and DJ sessions. Some of the bands that have passed through its stage are the German punk group Die Toten Hosen and famous names like Tracy Chapman or the English Napalm Death. Cabaret and live music performances take place at Sinkkasten, Brönnerstrasse 5-9, and at Neues Theater Höchst, Emmerich-Josef-Strasse 46. Many tourists who deal with delay on Frankfurt airport flights enjoy their delayed time in these places. The most famous and acclimated room in the Jazzgasse area is Der Jazzkeller, Kleine Bockenheimer Strasse 18a, which opens from Wednesday to Sunday. The place to enjoy NuJazz is the famous King Kamehameha, Hanauer Landstrasse 192.
Variety shows: Palast, Heiligkreuzgasse 16-20, is an old reconstructed church where a variety of magic and circus shows are held. The oldest cabaret in the city is Die Käs, Waldschmidtstrasse 19, where a German humour is guaranteed, while at Neues Theater Höchst , Emmerich-Josef-Strasse 46a, good shows are usually scheduled.
Opera
The elegant Alte Oper (Old Opera), Opernplatz (tel: (069) 13400), rebuilt to its original form in 1981, is the favourite venue for concerts. The Frankfurt Museum Orchestra and touring companies perform here. The opera works of the Oper Frankfurt are staged at the Städtische Bühnen municipal theatre, Untermainanlage 11.
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