Frankfurt City Guide - Nightlife

Traditional kneipen (bars) cluster around the Alt Sachsenhausen district (between Brückenstrasse and Dreiechstrasse), but are increasingly being crowded out by more modern establishments with an international ambience. Many of Frankfurt's top hotels have excellent bars that attract outsiders as well as guests and are particularly popular with visiting businesspeople. Belying its rather staid image, Frankfurt also has a lively club scene. Discos and gay haunts are to be found around Zeil and Bleichstrasse, while the seedier side of nightlife can be found down the Kaiserstrasse artery and the surrounds.

Many bars in Frankfurt also offer live music, particularly jazz. The best venues are around Kleine Bockenheimer Strasse, otherwise known as Jazzgasse (Jazz Alley).

Bars stay open until 0100 during the week and remain open significantly later at the weekend. The minimum drinking age is 18 years. Dress code is smart to casual - a tie is not necessary but many places will not allow trainers or jeans. Clubs and discos often charge admission.

The first phase of the proposed Urban Entertainment Centre, a 210m (689ft) tower block (UEC 1), has been completed and is situated on Hemmerichweg, between the fair district and the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station). When complete, the complex will offer shopping and entertainment centre, as well as offices, a hotel, apartments, multiplex cinema and other attractions.

Prinz (website: www.prinz.de) is the magazine (in German) to pick up for the latest bars, club and nightlife information. The free magazines Strandgut (website: www.strandgut.de), and Kultur News (website: www.kulturnews.de) all have information on culture and nightlife in Frankfurt in German and are available at the tourist information centre. Excellent sources of information and listings are available from the online service for Frankfurter Neue Presse and Journal Frankfurt (website: www.rhein-main.net), and Toytown Germany, an English-language website for expats (website: www.toytowngermany.com/frankfurt).

Bars: To experience the best of a dying breed of ebbelwei (apple wine) taverns, trawl the streets of Alt Sachsenhausen around Affentorplatz. However, if an up-to-the-minute scene is more your style, try the super-trendy Soho, Fritschengässchen 5 (website: www.soho-frankfurt.de), or Coconut Groove, Kaiserstrasse 53, a stylish restaurant-bar with live music and tables spilling onto the pavement in summer.

A popular spot is the very large O'Reilly's ‘Irish' bar, am hauptbahnhof 4 (website: www.oreillys.com), opposite the main railway station, which offers live music and a wide variety of large-screen sports coverage. A place with understated style is Luna Bar, Stiftstrasse 6 (website: www.luna-bar.de). Expats and tourists alike enjoy the friendly atmosphere and cosy surroundings of Anglo-Irish, Kleine Rittergasse 1, Sachsenhausen (website: www.angloirish.de), while the Fox and Hound, in the heart of the banking district at Niedenau Strasse 2 (website: www.foxpub.de), has an extensive outdoor seating area for the warmer weather.

The Main Tower Bar, on the 53rd floor of the only public skyscraper in Frankfurt at Neue Mainzer Strasse 52-58 (website: www.maintower-restaurant.de), offers breathtaking drinks as well as views from 1830 onwards. Prices are quite steep at Jimmy's Bar in the Frankfurt Hessischer Hof Hotel, Friedrich Ebert Anlage 40, but anyone on an expense account will enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere and the American-style gentleman's club surroundings.

Clubs: Nachtleben, Kurt-Schumacher Strasse 45 (website: www.konstabler.com), is two places in one - upstairs a trendy bar and downstairs a dance club playing house on Thursday and drum'n'bass on Saturday. Galerie, Düsseldorfer Strasse 1-7 (website: www.galerie-frankfurt.de), is where the young and trendy enjoy live sets, dance music, theatre performances and unusual art exhibitions.House and trance features prominently at the gay club, Blue Angel, Brönnerstrasse 17. Das 21. Jahrhundert, Oeder Weg 21 (website: www.das-21-jahrhundert.de), hosts DJs from around the world every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A palatial villa in Bethmann Park is the chic setting of the Odeon disco, Seilerstrasse 34 (website: www.theodeon.de). A variety of music themes is offered in the central station area by Velvet, Weissfrauenstrasse 12-16 (website: www.velvet-ffm.de).

Live Music: Elfer Music Club, Maybachstrasse 24 (website: www.11-er.de), offers regular performances by local and smaller international acts. The most exciting venue in the city is Die Brotfabrik, Bachmannstrasse 2-4 (website: www.brotfabrik.de), which features live international music. There is also a cafe and restaurant on site. Batschkapp, Maybachstrasse 24 (website: www.batschkapp.de), hosts rock, pop and DJ acts.Cabaret and live concerts get an airing at Sinkkasten, Brönnerstrasse 5-9 (website: www.sinkkasten-frankfurt.de) and Neues Theater Höchst, Emmerich-Josef-Strasse 46a (website: www.neues-theater.de). The most famous and atmospheric venue on Jazzgasse is Der Jazzkeller, Kleine Bockenheimer Strasse 18a (website: www.jazzkeller.com), which is open Wednesday to Sunday. NuJazz is featured at the popular live music venue, King Kamehameha, Hanauer Landstrasse 192 (website: www.king-kamehameha.de).

International pop and rock stars pack out the Festhalle, Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1 (website: www.messefrankfurt.com/corporate/de/festhalle.html) and Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt, Pfaffenwiese Frankfurt-Höchst (website: www.jahrhunderthalle.de).

Variety: Tiger Palast, Heiligkreuzgasse 16-20 (website: www.tigerpalast.com), a converted chapel, hosts celebrated variety shows featuring magicians and circus performers, with a restaurant, bar and bistro on site. The first and oldest cabaret in town is Die Käs, Waldschmidtstrasse 19 (website: www.die-kaes.com), which guarantees German humour at its best.