Frankfurt’s top spots for business dining

1. Knoblauch, Westend 
2. Oosten, Ostend 
3. Moriki, Westend
4. The Ivory Club, Westend
5. Erno’s Bistro, Westend
6. La Scuderia, Westend
7. Brot und Butter, Westend

When Germany’s two biggest banks discussed merging earlier this year, Commerzbank boss Martin Zielke planned to celebrate with a peculiar tipple. Eventually the mooted deal with Deutsche Bank faltered and Zielke had to keep his Apfelsecco, a non-alcoholic wine made from apples, on ice. 

Still the tale illustrates that when it comes to finding a spectacular spot for a celebratory dinner or a power lunch, Germany’s financial centre struggles to compete with its European rivals. While there are just nine restaurants in Frankfurt with one or more Michelin stars, the equivalent figure for London is 69. For Paris, it is 120. 

In part that reflects a culture that tends to value shorter working hours and more time spent outside the office, over long, boozy business lunches. However, the city on the River Main is not starved of choice for food and drink — it’s full of stylish places to grab a good cup of coffee or a tasty meal with a colleague or client.

1. Knoblauch

Staufenstraße 39, Frankfurt 60323

Website | Directions

• Good for: excellent food and good, quick service — perfect for the lunch crowd
• Not so good for: decor — it’s a little dated
• FYI: order one of the seasonal specialities

Knoblauch, located in the Westend, a short walk north of the main business district, is a favourite with bankers and lawyers looking for a quiet place to have lunch. The decor is simple and heavy on the wood panelling — a little like going back in time to the 1970s — but the food, especially the fish, is highly rated. 

The set menu is excellent and changes daily. The rest of the menu is changed once a month to cater for seasonal variations, such as the famed Spargelzeit (white asparagus), when Germans go crazy for it in the spring.

2. Oosten

Mayfarthstraße 4, Frankfurt 60314

Website | Directions

• Good for: the view over the river and Frankfurt’s skyline
• Not so good for: the food is good, but not spectacular
• FYI: go for an evening cocktail to watch the sun come down

Go for the view. The food is decent and reasonably priced, but the location — right on the River Main under the European Central Bank’s gleaming headquarters — is what really stands out. During the summer, watch the sunset from the terrace overlooking the river and the skyscrapers that make up “Mainhattan”, the central business district in Frankfurt. 

Thomas Klüber, the owner of Oosten, said: “For us it was important to establish a place right on the River Main, where all kinds of people can meet up. At Oosten you can see families, skaters, bankers . . . it’s a mixed audience.” Oosten is also popular for brunch, when the menu is more extensive, and can be booked out three or four weeks in advance.

3. Moriki

Taunusanlage 12, Frankfurt 60325

Website | Directions

• Good for: quick lunches
• Not so good for: it can get a lot more expensive in the evenings
• FYI: order a bento box at lunch

Moriki, a Japanese restaurant located at the bottom of the two skyscrapers that make up Deutsche Bank’s headquarters, is a very popular location at lunch times. Try one of the tasty and reasonably-priced bento boxes. The restaurant is also open in the evening, but menu options tend to be more expensive and the vibe in the area tends to die down after work, as bankers travel out of the city and back into the Taunus mountains and other surrounding suburbs.

4. The Ivory Club

Taunusanlage 15, Frankfurt 60325

Website | Directions

• Good for: celebrating deals with those who won’t be put off by the Empire-era deco
• Not so good for: vegans
• FYI: the steaks come highly recommended

Äs a result of its proximity to Frankfurt’s many banks and law firms, big deals were celebrated here during the boom years in the run-up to the global financial crisis. While the years of excess have since passed, the place is still popular for its meat dishes, serving a variety of steaks as well as Indian-inspired cuisine. In keeping with the name, the decor evokes colonial-era hunting lodge — so much so that one patron eating there after the 2015 killing of Cecil the Lion, quipped that he “felt a little like being an American dentist”. 

5. Erno’s Bistro and 6. La Scuderia

Erno’s Bistro, Liebigstraße 15, Frankfurt 60323

Website | Directions

La Scuderia, Feuerbachstraße 23, Frankfurt 60325

Website | Directions

• Good for: excellent food in a pleasant setting
• Not so good for: those on a tight budget
• FYI: at Erno’s, the Miéral poultry, turbot and lobster are all excellent. At La Scuderia, the antipasti, seafood spaghetti and lamb win plaudits

For a lavish lunch, Erno’s Bistro is first rate and features an excellent wine menu, while at the same time being cosy and unpretentious. Nearby Italian restaurant La Scuderia offers similarly high quality fare in a pleasant environment, with friendly and attentive service. 

An Italian banker contact recommends the two restaurants as his go-to places when he is in town. Both venues are small and are located in hidden corners of residential parts of the Westend.

7. Brot und Butter

Bockenheimer Anlage 49-50, Frankfurt 60322

Website | Directions

• Good for: a power breakfast
• Not so good for: the place is not so private
• FYI: take home a loaf of sourdough bread if you can

Brot und Butter, located across the road from the reconstructed Alte Oper, is a hotspot for power breakfasts, despite its relaxed atmosphere and low-key style. As is the case across the city, the standard of the baking is excellent — and it also has a delicatessen with a well-stocked cheese counter and other high quality foodstuffs. Try the sourdough bread in the morning and a coffee and cheesecake in the afternoon.

Have we missed a spot? Let us know your favourite Frankfurt bolt-holes for business dining in the comments

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