Germany · Skyline, Bahnhofsviertel, Robert Johnson
Frankfurt
Frankfurt has the only real skyline in the country and, beneath it, a station district where Germany's most exciting bars sit between kiosks and kebab shops.
Frankfurt looks like a banking city by day and is a bar city by night. The Bahnhofsviertel, long avoided, has become the best nightlife strip in town: Kinly Bar behind an inconspicuous door, The Parlour without a menu, Bar Shuka with Israeli food and Frankfurt bar service.
Above it all, the skyline. 22nd Lounge in the Eurotheum and the Roomers Bar are the addresses for the grand entrance, the Yachtklub on the Main the summer bar with a view of the towers. And then there is Robert Johnson in Offenbach: a small club where, since 1999, the music that Europe hears a year later is decided.
Frankfurt is expensive, compact and fast. Everything is within taxi range, the S-Bahn runs through the night at weekends, and Offenbach is closer than any Frankfurter admits.
The night profile
- Cocktail
- €15
- Beer
- €5
- Club entry
- €18
- Taxi at night
- €15
Smart. Frankfurt is the only German city where a suit at the bar is normal. At Robert Johnson it is not.
The night in Frankfurt
From the first hour to the last.
May to September for the Main riverbank and rooftops; the book fair in October and the Advent weeks fill the hotel bars.
- 18:00Main riverbank
Yachtklub on the Deutschherrnufer with a view of the skyline.
- 20:00Skyline
22nd Lounge on the 22nd floor of the Eurotheum, sunset included.
- 22:00Bahnhofsviertel
Kinly Bar (ring the bell), The Parlour (no menu, only wishes).
- 00:00Hotel bar
Roomers Bar for champagne and Frankfurt's smart set.
- 02:00Club
Gibson on the Zeil or the S-Bahn to Offenbach for Robert Johnson.
Bahnhofsviertel
Kinly Bar, The Parlour, Bar Shuka, Plank: the best bar strip in Germany.
City centre and Zeil
Gibson Club, 22nd Lounge in the Eurotheum, hotel bars.
Sachsenhausen
Cider taverns and the Yachtklub on the banks of the Main.
Gutleutviertel
Roomers Bar: design, champagne and a long cocktail list.
Offenbach
Robert Johnson: small, loud, legendary.
The addresses
8 bars in Frankfurt.
SpeakeasyFrankfurt · Bahnhofsviertel
Kinly Bar
Behind the door on Elbestraße
SpeakeasyFrankfurt · City centre
The Parlour
No menu, only questions
Wine and aperitivo barFrankfurt · Bahnhofsviertel
Bar Shuka
Tel Aviv in the station district
Rooftop barFrankfurt · City centre
22nd Lounge & Bar
22nd floor of the Eurotheum, right among the towers
Hotel barFrankfurt · Gutleutviertel
Roomers Bar
Champagne, velvet and long nights
ClubFrankfurt · Offenbach
Robert Johnson
Small, loud, pioneering
ClubFrankfurt · Zeil
Gibson Club
The big night on the Zeil
Beach clubFrankfurt · Sachsenhausen
Yachtklub
On the Main, the skyline opposite
Good to know
Tips for Frankfurt.
- Bahnhofsviertel: the bars lie between Elbestraße and Münchener Straße; take the rest as scenery.
- Kinly Bar has no walk-in capacity; book or ring early.
- Robert Johnson is 15 minutes by S-Bahn (Offenbach Ost), which runs through the night at weekends.
- Cider in Sachsenhausen first: Bembel, Handkäs, ribs. Every cocktail tastes better afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bahnhofsviertel safe for a night out?
Yes, with normal big-city sense. The bars are close together, the streets are busy and the taxis wait at the station.
Where is the best skyline view with a drink?
22nd Lounge & Bar in the Eurotheum sits on the 22nd floor right among the towers. In summer the Yachtklub on the Main is the relaxed alternative.
What is Robert Johnson?
A small club in Offenbach, since 1999 one of the most important addresses for house and techno in Europe.
