7 Best Restaurants in Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt

With sepia-toned murals of merrymaking above the dark-wood wainscotting, this classic Apfelwein restaurant succeeds in being simultaneously touristy and traditional, and a genuine favorite of local residents. The kitchen produces the same hearty German dishes as other nearby taverns, only better. Apfelwein (hard cider) is served in large quantities in the noisy, crowded dining room with many large, communal tables. Reservations are recommended on weekends. Warning: there's no beer here, but there's enough Apfelwein and regional wines to keep everybody happy. The family also operates a hotel upstairs.

There aren't many classic Apfelwein locales left, but this is one of them. It's just as it has been since the end of the 19th century: walls covered with giant paintings darkened with age, giant stoneware pitchers called Bembels, glasses that are ribbed to give greasy hands traction, long tables that can seat 12 people, schmaltzy music, hearty food with daily specials, and, as is traditional, no beer. Try this one if you want to truly capture the spirit of Old Sachsenhausen.

The walls of this historic restaurant (founded in 1879) are adorned with vintage drawings of apples and Brembel pottery pitchers for the Apfelwein served here in abundance, along with traditional German specialties such as crispy pork knuckle with sauerkraut and local favorites such as eggs and potatoes with Grüne Sôs (cold herbed sauce). The menu is on chalkboards, and the tables are communal.

The restaurant on the ground floor of the Städel art museum changes from a casual bistro at lunch to an elegant restaurant open until midnight. Lunch features pastas and panini, or a three-course prix-fixe business lunch. The dinner menu changes every two months to take advantage of seasonal items such as chanterelles, but always includes German favorites such as schnitzel and a few international favorites. The café is open between lunch and dinner for coffee and pastries.  The same company operates café locations at the Frankfurt airport.

This friendly Apfelwein restaurant offers typical decor, with traditional wood paneling and coat hooks on the wall. It's popular with locals, who come for regional favorites, including dishes with the ubiquitous Frankfurter green sauce, but also a rarity: beer. Save room for appelkranzen, battered and fried apple rings dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with ice cream.

The menu is typical of Old Sachsenhausen—apple wine and sauerkraut are served—but the interior is bright and modern and the Frankfurt specialties are a cut above the rest. As proprietor Kay Exenberger puts it, \"We're nearly as fast as a fast-food restaurant, but as gemütlich (quaint) as an apple wine locale must be.\" It's so popular that reservations are recommended, even at lunch, and everything can be wrapped up to go. Many rave about the chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce.

This small restaurant and wine bistro is a favorite of both locals and visitors. The menu, dramatically different from those of its neighbors, focuses mostly on seafood, including lobster. The fish and shellfish are prepared in a variety of styles, but the strongest influence is French, as is also the case with the lamb Provençale, one of the nonseafood specialties. For dessert, try the vanilla ice cream with warm raspberry sauce. There's an extensive choice of regional wines by the glass. Reservations are strongly recommended on weekends.