Best Pubs in Frankfurt: Where Locals Actually Drink

When I first arrived in Frankfurt, I had no idea the city had such a deep drinking culture beyond the airport terminal and the bank district. The best pubs in Frankfurt are not the glossy hotel bars you find on the riverfront. They are the places where regulars know the owner by first name and the apple wine flows without asking. I have spent the last three years visiting nearly every local pub in this city, and I am writing this guide so you do not waste your first night wandering without a plan.

The Sachsenhausen Cider Quarter and Its Pubs

1. Apfelwein Wagner, Klappergasse 2, Sachsenhausen

I walked into Apfelwein Wagner on a gray Tuesday evening and immediately felt the shift from tourist Frankfurt to the real city. The wooden benches were already occupied by middle-aged men in jackets who did not bother with menus, they just pointed at the next round. I ordered the house cider in the traditional Bembel, a stoneware jug, and it arrived with a glass that had a slight chip on the rim, which told me this place had not been renovated for decades. The walls are covered in old photographs of Frankfurt street scenes, and the air smells of fermented apples and wood polish. This is one of the oldest cider houses in Sachsenhausen, and it has stayed deliberately unchanged because the regulars would notice if they polished the mahogany tables or replaced the bentwood chairs. Most tourists walk straight past Klappergasse because it is narrow and unassuming, but that is exactly why the cider here tastes like Frankfurt remembers itself. The house special is the Handkäse mit Musik, a sour milk cheese dressed in vinegar and onions, which pairs aggressively well with the tart cider. I go back whenever I need to remember what Frankfurt feels like without the skyscrapers.

Local Insider Tip: Ask for the "Süsses" cider, which is the sweeter version, and sit at the counter near the back wall where the owner pours from the same barrel every evening. Tourists always sit at the front windows and miss the real conversation.

This place is worth your time if you want to drink like a Frankfurt local for one evening.

2. Zur Einhardt, Große Friedberger Strasse 45, Altstadt

Zur Einhardt sits on a street that most visitors drive past on the way to the cathedral, but I always walk there from the river because the avenue opens up in a way that feels almost ceremonial. The pub has been operating since the 1860s, and the interior still has the dark wood and stained glass you would expect from a Victorian-era German tavern. On Fridays they serve a hand-pulled beer that comes from a small brewery outside the city, and the foam is so thick it leaves a ring on the glass that you have to drink through. The regular crowd is mixed between elderly Altstadt residents and students from the university campus two streets over. I once struck up a conversation with a man who had been coming here every Thursday since he retired from the fire department, and he told me the owner still uses the original brass taps from the 1950s. The potato soup is thick and咸, and I order it every time even though it is a cold-weather dish, because it grounds the entire meal. The fried fish platter with potato salad is the other staple, and the herring is cured in brine for three days before it hits the pan. This place connects directly to Frankfurt's identity as a city of trades and guilds, because the Friedberger Strasse was once the road merchants took into the old town.

Local Insider Tip: Arrive before 6 PM on a Friday if you want the hand-pulled beer, because the barrel runs out by 7:30 and the owner does not open a second one for latecomers.

Zur Einhardt is where Frankfurt history sits in a wooden chair and waits for you.

3. Zum Gemalten Haus, Großer Fischergasse 14, Altstadt

Zum Gemalten Haus means "The Painted House," and the name comes from the elaborate murals on the facade that date back to the 17th century. I visited last Thursday and the place was half empty at 8 PM, which felt strange for a pub on such a central street until I realized most tourists are still at the riverwalk taking sunset photos. The interior is dark wood and low ceilings, and the bar is a single long counter carved from one piece of oak. I ordered the Äppelwoi neat and a plate of Handkäs with vinaigrette, and the cheese was sharper than anywhere else I had tried in the Altstadt. The owner explained that they age their own cheese in a cellar beneath the bar, and you can smell it when you walk past the kitchen door. The Frankfurt skyline is invisible from inside, which is the point, because this pub exists in a time capsule. The murals on the walls depict scenes from the Fishermens Guild, which gives you a direct line back to when the Main river was the city's economic engine. The cider is poured from ceramic jugs that the staff brings to the table in a wooden tray, and the ritual of pouring from height into the small glass is something the locals do without thinking.

Local Insider Tip: Ask about the cellar cheese aging process, because the owner will sometimes let you taste a batch that has not been released to the public yet, but only if you ask politely and show interest.

Go here if you want to understand how Frankfurt's merchant past lives on in its drinking culture.

The Bahnhofsviertel and Alternative Bar Scene

4. Kressbronner, Moselstraße 39, Bahnhofsviertel

The Bahnhofsviertel is not a neighborhood most guidebooks recommend for a quiet evening, but Kressbronner is exactly why I keep coming back to this area. The street outside is lined with kebab shops and late-night bakeries, but step inside and you find a narrow room with exposed brick and a bar that stretches the entire left wall. I went on a Wednesday night and the crowd was a mix of Turkish-German regulars, students, and a few people who clearly worked the night shift at the train station nearby. They serve a craft beer list that changes every two weeks, and the current selection included a smoked lager from a brewery in the Rhineland that I had never heard of. The bar staff knew every beer by name and would describe the flavor profile without reading from a sheet. I ordered the currywurst as a bar snack, and it came with a house-made curry ketchup that had a faint sweetness I could not place. The Bahnhofsviertel has a complicated reputation in Frankfurt, but this pub treats everyone the same whether you are a finance worker or a night bus driver. The walls are covered in vinyl records, and the music is always something offbeat, usually jazz or experimental electronic. The owner told me he started the place in 2012 after spending a decade traveling through Southeast Asia, and the interior reflects that mix of Frankfurt grit and Asian minimalism.

Local Insider Tip: Ask for the beer that is only available on tap and not listed on the printed menu, because the bar keeps one secret brewhouse selection that changes without warning.

Kressbronner is where Frankfurt's immigrant energy meets its drinking traditions.

5. Bar Shinkai, Klappergasse 15, Sachsenhausen

Bar Shinkai occupies a basement space that most people walk past because the entrance is unmarked and the staircase is narrow. I found it by accident after leaving Apfelwein Wagner, which is on the same street but in the opposite direction, and I am glad I went down those stairs. The bar is Japanese-German fusion, which sounds like a gimmick but works because the owner trained in Tokyo and brought back techniques that pair surprisingly well with Frankfurt cider. The interior is all dark wood and low lighting, with a single counter that seats twelve and a few small tables in the back. I ordered a sake flight alongside the traditional cider, and the contrast between the rice wine and the apple wine was something I had never considered before. The bar snack list includes edamame and agedashi tofu, which sit oddly next to the Handkäse plates but work in context. The owner makes a cocktail called the "Sachsenhausen Sour" that uses local apple juice, whiskey, and a dash of yuzu, and it is the most balanced drink I have had in the city. The neighborhood connection here is ironic because Klappergasse is one of the oldest streets in Frankfurt, yet this bar looks like it belongs in Osaka. The clientele is mixed between Japanese expats living in the city center and Frankfurt locals who are curious about something different.

Local Insider Tip: The Sachsenhausen Sour is only made on weekends, and the owner limits it to six drinks per night because the yuzu juice runs out, so ask for it before 9 PM on Saturday.

This is one of the best top bars Frankfurt has for people who want something other than the standard cider house.

The Westend and Bockenheim Watering Holes

6. Weinhaus Linn, Große Bockenheimer Strasse 29, Westend

Weinhaus Linn sits on a street that is part of Frankfurt's theater district, and the contrast between the champagne bars and this place is immediate. The exterior is a classic wine hall with a striped awning, and inside the ceiling is high enough that you do not feel trapped even when the place is full. I visited on a Sunday afternoon and the room was filled with older Westend residents reading newspapers and drinking Riesling from the Rheingau region. The wine list is enormous, with bottles from vineyards I could not pronounce, and the staff will pour you a tasting sample before you commit to a full glass. I tried a Spätlese Riesling that had notes of peach and slate, and it paired perfectly with the cheese plate I ordered. The Frankfurter Rippchen were on the lunch menu, and they came with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes in the way my grandmother used to make them. This place has been serving wine since the 1920s, and the current owner is the third generation to run it. The Westend neighborhood was once a wealthy residential area, and Weinhaus Linn reflects that heritage through its unhurried pace and refusal to chase trends. The wine glasses are heavy crystal, and the room smells of old wood and oak barrels from the basement storage.

Local Insider Tip: Bring a bottle from the list that costs between 15 and 25 euros, because the owner will open it for you at no corkage fee, which is an unadvertised policy that regulars know about.

Weinhaus Linn is where Frankfurt's wealthy Westend history meets its wine culture.

7. Bockenheimer Hof, Bockenheimer Landstraße 12, Bockenheim

Bockenheimer Hof is a pub that has survived three neighborhood transformations, and you can taste that resilience in the atmosphere. The building dates back to the 1800s, and the interior has been updated but never fully renovated, which means there is a mix of old wooden booths and newer bar stools that somehow works. I went on a Monday night and the place was nearly empty, which surprised me until I realized most Bockenheim residents go to the new craft beer bars instead. The owner is a former nurse who took over the pub five years ago and has slowly rebuilt the clientele by remembering everyone's name and drink order. I ordered a local wheat beer and the Schweinshaxe, which was crispy on the outside and tender inside, with a side of potato salad that had more mustard than I expected. The pub connects to Frankfurt's university history because Bockenheim was once a separate town with its own identity before being absorbed into the city. The walls have photographs of the old Bockenheim market square, and the bar top has initials carved into it from decades of regulars. The beer taps are all German brands except for one local craft option, which the owner rotates every month based on what he finds interesting.

Local Insider Tip: The Schweinshaxe is only available on certain days because the owner orders the pork knuckles from a specific butcher in Höchst, and the delivery schedule is not flexible, so call ahead if you want it.

Bockenheimer Hof is where old Bockenheim survives in a city that keeps changing around it.

The Hafenpark and Waterfront Drinking

8. Hafenkrone, Hafenpark Area, Sachsenhausen

Hafenkrone sits near the Hafenpark development, which is a relatively new addition to Frankfurt's waterfront, but the pub itself feels older than the surrounding buildings. The terrace overlooks the Main river, and on a clear evening you can see the skyline of Bankenviertel reflected in the water. I went there on a Saturday afternoon and the sun was low enough that the river turned gold, which is the view that draws people to this spot. The drink selection is focused on german beers and local ciders, and I tried an apple wine spritzer that was refreshing and not too sweet. The food menu includes grilled sausages and a fish plate that comes from the Main river, which is ironic because the water is not clean enough for fishing anymore but the tradition remains. The clientele is younger than the Sachsenhausen cider houses, mostly people in their twenties and thirties who work in the nearby offices. The outdoor seating gets uncomfortably warm in peak summer, which is my one real critique of this place, because the terrace has little shade and the metal chairs heat up fast. The interior is spacious with high ceilings, and the bar runs the length of one wall with an open kitchen behind it. This pub represents Frankfurt's transition from an industrial river port to a modern urban space, and the name Hafenkrone means "harbor crown," which refers to the old customs house that once stood nearby.

Local Insider Tip: The fish plate is only available on Thursdays because that is when the supplier delivers fresh catch from the Main region, and it sells out by 8 PM.

Hafenkrone is where Frankfurt's industrial past meets its riverside present.

When to Go / What to Know

Frankfurt pubs are busiest on Thursday through Saturday nights, especially