COOl FRANKFURT

FRANKFURT

Frankfurt is finally getting the attention it deserves, as a centre for arts, clubbing or just dining out in style, says Paul Sullivan

WITH its celebrated skyline, cosmopolitan community and copious attractions, Frankfurt has become one of Germany’s most “in” destinations. Too long regarded as simply a transit hub and financial centre, today’s Frankfurt is vibrant and varied. Not only are almost 30% of its residents international, but a further two million visitors flock to the metropolis each year to absorb the über-cool nightlife, gourmet food, high-end shopping and cutting-edge culture. Read on to uncover the hottest of the city’s hot spots.

BED DOWN

sink a few in retro bar MolokoHip-hotel aficionados will be happy to hear that the global designer boom has been expanding exponentially in Frankfurt, with an abundance
of new places springing up all over the city. One of the newest establishments is The Pure (www.the-pure.de), featuring minimal, white-washed interiors by local architect Oana Rosen, as well as a timber-decked courtyard and a cocktail bar. Slightly more central, and also achingly hip, is art-media hangout the Bristol Hotel (www.bristol-hotel.de), renowned for its 24-hour bar and modern, savvy interiors.
Fans of quirky interiors will also adore Goldman 25 Hours (www.25hours-frankfurt.de), opened in December, which pulls off a playful mix of hip and vintage design. All of the 49 guest rooms, spread over seven floors, are themed, so guests can pick anything from a princess room to
a Paris room, or a casino room. Another hotel for the little black book is the award-winning Rocco Forte Villa Kennedy (www.villakennedy.com),
which opened last year. While not as obviously hip as the other choices, the hotel offers five-star service, excellent business travel facilities and a
fabulous restaurant, Gusto, which extends into the inner courtyard in the summer months.

GOURMET TREATS

Walden’s trendy interior
lights the wayAs with sleeping, so with dining. While you might not associate Frankfurt with fine food and hip restaurants, the city will soon change your mind.
Try out local speciality cheeses like handkäse or schneegestöber, at hotspots such as Wagner (www.apfelwein-wagner.com). For a more modern
take on city cuisine, head to lounge-restaurant Silk (www.cocoonclub.net), which comes with white leather beds, virtual aquariums and a Michelinstarred fixed-price menu. Slightly more down-to-earth, but still popular with movers and shakers, is Walden (www.waldenfrankfurt.com), whose fresh blends of east and west cooking will leave you wickedly sated. A treat for fans of Indian cuisine is the recently opened Ivory Club (www.ivory-club.de), serving Indian fusion food, such as black pudding samosas and tandoori octopus.

LATE NIGHTS

Tina Linne helps you kill
time in FrankfurtIf your appetite for nightlife is as big as your appetite for food, fear not – Frankfurt is home to some of the most cutting-edge clubs and bars in
Europe. Head to the Sachsenhausen and Hanauer Landstrasse districts and stop off at spots like funky new club Apartment (www.apt-apartment.
de) or retro Moloko (www.moloko-am-meer.de), popular for its fantastic champagne cocktails. If you’re after even later-night hedonism, try
out the world-renowned Cocoon Club (www.cocoonclub.net), run by local techno legend Sven Väth. Or catch live bands and diverse DJs at
“King K” (www.king-kamehameha.de), which opens its rooftop pool in the summer months. Dedicated clubbers could also head slightly out of town to Robert Johnson (www.robert-johnson.de) in Offenbach, hosting some of the best house and techno parties in the country – though don’t bank on being home much before dawn.

CULTURE CLUB

wipe your f eet before
entering The PureFrankfurt, the birthplace of Goethe, is no slouch in the culture department either. Check out the museum landscape down by the river, where almost 40 museums and exhibition spaces sit side by side, dramatically underlining the city’s impressive commitment to the arts.

Film aficionados will love the German Film Museum (www..deutsches-filmmuseum.de), the biggest of its kind in the country. Modern-art lovers will revel in the works on display at the Museum of Modern Art (www.mmk-frankfurt.de). If you don’t find time to go in, be sure to admire it from the outside. The building, designed by Viennese architect Hans Hollein, is a work of art in itself, nicknamed the “slice of cake”, thanks to its unusual triangular shape. Schirn Kunsthalle (www.schirn-kunsthalle.de) has an excellent reputation worldwide, hosting some of the best temporary exhibitions in the city, and is featuring work by French surrealist Odilon

Redon until 29 April, 2007. Finally, the Museum of Applied Arts (www.museumfuerangewandtekunst.frankfurt. de), contains more than 6,000 years of art history, presented within three blocks, designed by US architect Richard Meier.

RETAIL THERAPY

stylish eatery Silk Zeil, without a doubt Germany’s busiest shopping district, contains Frankfurt’s most popular department stores, Galeria Kaufhof and Karstadt, at either end. Dedicated fashionistas should seek out the 400m-long Goethestrasse, the most exclusive shopping street in the city. Here you can break the bank at a multitude of wonderful designer stores. Start at August Pfüller (www.august-pfueller. de), which stocks three floors of high-end brands, including Versace, Hugo Boss and Prada, then carry on to Tiffany & Co or Cartier for some dreamy window-shopping.

have a surreal day at Schirn
Kunsthalle Smaller streets such as Berger Strasse and Kaiserhofstrasse are ideal for boutique browsers – make a visit to We Got Soul (www.wegotsoul. de), a store combining streetwear, design and music. And don’t miss the wonderful Blumör (www.blumoer. com), featuring an eclectic range of designer labels, such as John Galliano and Stella McCartney.

ALL THINGS FOOD

Foodies in need of a chocolate break should head to Bitter & Zart (www.bitterundzart. de), your one-stop shop for all things chocolate. Another one for gourmets is Schillerstrasse, which hosts a huge farmers’ market on Fridays and is also a great place to find swanky interiors shops.

film museum – get the picture? Start the weekend with breakfast at the Walden (www.waldenfrankfurt.com), the perfect place for some indulgent people-spotting.
Have lunch at the IMA Bar (www.ima-multibar.com), hidden in a tiny street right next to the Chanel store on Goethestrasse. By day, try a soya
smoothie. At night, it transforms into a cocktail bar. For a room with a fantastic view, have dinner at organic food restaurant, Frankfurter Botschaft (www.frankfurterbotschaft.de). Start off your Saturday night with drinks at the 22nd Bar (www.innside.de). On the 22nd floor of a city skyscraper, it boasts stunning views over the city. Head to Bar S in Sachsenhausen, tel: +49 (0)1762 054 4411, and you can stay until 5am. Ask bar owner
Alexander for more insider tips while you’re there.