‘Where to find the best coffee!?’ This is a question I need answered without delay anywhere I go! And whether I’m visiting for the weekend or living in a city for the foreseeable future I need a caffeine oasis! And pronto!
And so for those of you like me, where coffee and caffeine sustains you through life here’s the low down. Also I’ve divided it by neighbourhood to make it easier.
Best coffee shops in and around Frankfurt by area
Nordend
‘WE SPEAK GOOD COFFEE’ and they certainly do!
Previously found on Eckenheimer Landstraße you will now find them solely on Bornwiesenweg. However wherever they choose to hang their ‘hat’ you are always guaranteed great coffee! Oh and in addition to good coffee they also have amazing cakes, hearty breakfasts and delicious lunches. Vegan options available too!
Where to find them: Bornwiesenweg 4 and Eckenheimer Landstraße 70
We Recommend: Breakfast (we have thing for smashed avocado on toast topped with an egg)
Good to know: You can order takeaway online (so clever and convenient!)
Located on a beautiful tree-lined street, this cafe is a favourite with the locals, on weekdays it could double ‘as mummy central’. Café No. 48 is not only welcoming but also perfect for a quick morning coffee or an outing with the family.
So whilst the coffee shop remains closed and can only offer takeaway, walk your coffee down the drag to 2nd Home. 2nd Home has beautiful home wear and all sorts of other irresistible things! With all the time we spending at home makes sense to brighten it up and add an accessory or two.
Where to find them: Rotlintstraße 48
We Recommend: Avocado and feta smash on brown bread topped with poached eggs, just thinking about it makes me hungry!
Lucille Kaffeehaus is a serene cafe with a beautiful interior and an excellent menu. It is ideal for breakfast and lunch. And, with an old-school record store right next door, what’s not to love?
Where to find them: Friedberger Landstraße 100
Good to know: Thursday and Friday are Tapa’s Day with cocktails from the bar.
Suppose we were to describe it in one word – Whimsical! And in the best sense of the word! A Coffee Shop That Will Almost Certainly Take You Down the Rabbit Hole. From the wonderfully obtuse opening time of four minutes before nine and the elaborate dried flower arrangements dotted around the coffee shop to the ice cream squeezed out an ‘espresso machine’! It’s safe to say that Ngoc Nguyen and Quynh Anh Nguyen, the owners, have created a little bit of magic on the streets of Nordend.
Good to know:
- Look out for a large white rabbit with a giant pocket watch mumbling to himself
- Cash only
- Viervorneun Location
Altstadt/Innerstadt
A young coffee roasting company who have made themselves a big name! They roast all their own coffee at their premises in Sachsenhausen as well as supply many local cafes.
They tend to favour light roasts, as it allows them to experience the full complexity of the different origins. Having said that they do have a selection of darker roasts in their Specialty Coffee range for fans of more classic and tart coffee beans.
Where to find them: Markt 22 (Neue Altstadt) and Friedberger Landstraße 86
Good to know: The Cafe am Campus is open again at the University
As well as holding a special place in our hearts The Holy Cross Brewing Company serves phenomenal coffee! They source interesting coffees so pick up a bag to take home with you!
Where to find them: Fahrgasse 7
A newcomer to the Frankfurt coffee scene with a big emphasis on coffee origins and interesting blends.
Where to find them: Fahrgasse 23
Good to know: The freshly baked cinnamon rolls, AMAZING!! Freshly baked on a Friday get there early, they sell out quickly. Also remember you walked there right? So you totally deserve one!
From the streets of the old Aldstadt take a step inside a world of perfect French Japanese fusion and be delighted. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, enormous mirrors hang from the walls and antique tables and chairs invite you to sit (though of course you can’t at present). Opulence and grandeur ooze from the walls and pastries and cakes descend from the bakery!
Where to find them: Braubachstraße 24
We Recommend: The Matcha Latte
Sachsenhausen
Retablo Speciality Coffee is a newcomer to the speciality coffee scene! And a newcomer to a quiet corner in Sachsenhausen. Without a doubt though it is a must visit! Till is not only delightful to chat too but knows his flat white from his cappuccino 😜
Where to find them: Schifferstraße 12, 60594 Frankfurt am Main
Cafe Under Pressure owner Sven Wörth has an extensive history in coffee and as a barista! Undoubtedly 4th place in the German Barista Championship in Berlin is a mammoth achievement!
Every aspect of his coffee haven is made with love. The entire interior was built by Sven himself (he left no detail to chance) and let us just say in our opinion it looks awesome!
If you’re up for a wonderful piece of homemade banana bread, an excellent flat white and a good chat with Sven himself, head on over. You won’t be disappointed.
Where to find them: Große Rittergasse 20, 60594 Frankfurt am Main
We recommend: definitely try the banana bread
Bornheim and Ostend
It might be easy to dismiss Cafe Maingold as it sits right at the beginning of Zeil. However, it’s right next to the park and has a lovely area for outside seating when the weather is warm. Walk inside and you’re time warped back to the 1940’s with vintage wallpaper, mixed matched vintage tables and gold framed doors.
Where to find them: Zeil 1
When your chai latte arrives with a strainer you know you’ve hit the jackpot!!! None of that teabag nonsense 😜
Where to find them: Hanauer Landstraße 82
We recommend: the chai latte
Good to know: they have a fairly extensive ‘to go menu’
On the slightly less ‘crazy’ side of Zeil close to Bornheim you’ll find Try Frankfurt! The girls there are so super friendly and they have very yummy sandwiches all made fresh right there!
Where to find them: Zeil 5
If you happen to be one of the guardians of the Euro (thankless job we imagine)or visiting them, then caffeine is necessary! And Copper Bay is not only the perfect spot for a caffeine shot but also good nutritious food!
Where to find them: Sonnemannstraße 53, 60314 Frankfurt am Main
Europaviertel/Bockenheim
Frida’s is the quintessential coffee shop on the streets of Bockenheim!
Their mission was to create a great place for body, soul and encounters. Bockenheim is so diverse and so are Frida’s patrons. The district is permeated by different cultures and social classes and they want to create the same diversity in their café.
Their beans are currently roasted in Nürnberg. Their standards are for the coffee beans to be specialty coffee. Ideally lighter roasts but lately there have been some roasters roasting a little darker than average specialty coffees without the coffee losing its complex flavour. The scene is always developing and experimenting. And with it so does the coffee they serve at Frida’s
Where to find them: Leipziger Str. 108, 60487 Frankfurt am Main
Good to know: their house speciality is diversity
Cafe Croquant is a stones throw away from where I live and often I have to resist the urge to head over and buy all their croissants! Still, I’ll buy four for the family and ‘accidentally’ eat them all!
Now for the more discerning breakfast eater, their menu is phenomenal! Along with the bakery they have avocado, smoked salmon, Parma ham, Camembert, goats cheese! The platters that are so beautifully constructed that you almost don’t want to eat what on them!
Where to find them: Europa-Allee 77, 60486 Frankfurt am Main
Good to know: their breakfast is phenomenal! During the week their is no need to pre-order, however, weekends please do so the night before!
A truly wonderful new addition to the streets of Europaviertel! As many might say, Europaviertel may lack a little character and warmth, but Paul and Tim‘s does not! The owner, Tim Pauland, is all about community and warmth, so if you are in the vicinity (or not), definitely pop in for a chat and a coffee! Amidst bustling streets and modern architecture, a delightful new coffee shop has emerged.
