Bornheimer Ratskeller
Bornheimer Ratskeller occupies the ground floor of the old Bornheim Rathaus building, a position that gives it a vaulted stone ceiling and a sense of physical history that most Berger Strasse bars don't have. The space seats around 80 people across the main bar area and a secondary room toward the back. It serves a standard German beer and food menu: Pils, Weizen, Apfelwein, and pub-standard food ranging from Schnitzel to Bratwurst to Flammkuchen. The crowd is predominantly local across all age ranges, with a lunchtime component that transitions into an evening bar as the day progresses. Bornheimer Ratskeller is not trying to be anything other than a reliable neighborhood pub in a building that happens to be architecturally interesting.
Where to stay near Bornheimer Ratskeller
Hotels close to Bornheim, Frankfurt.
What to Expect
A solid neighborhood pub in an architecturally distinctive building. The vaulted ceiling and stone floor are the first things you notice. After that it's just a good honest bar.
Historic setting, unhurried service, and a crowd that includes everyone from retirees to 25-year-olds with equal naturalness.
No music, or very quiet background. The stone acoustics would make loud music unpleasant.
Casual. Lunch crowd includes office workers; evening crowd is neighborhood regulars.
Anyone who wants a reliable lunch, a post-market beer on Saturday, or an unpretentious evening drink in a building with genuine character.
Cash and card accepted.
Price Range
Draft beer 0.4L Pils 4 EUR, Weizen 0.5L 4.50 EUR, Apfelwein 2.20 EUR per 0.3L, Schnitzel 12 EUR, Flammkuchen 9-11 EUR, Bratwurst 7 EUR
Beer ~$4.35/~3.40 GBP, Apfelwein ~$2.40/~1.87 GBP, Schnitzel ~$13.10/~10.20 GBP
Hours
Mon-Fri 11:00-24:00, Sat 11:00-01:00, Sun 11:00-23:00
Insider Tip
The lunch service is the most relaxed time to visit; you get the building to yourself and the kitchen is at full speed. Flammkuchen, the Alsatian flatbread with crème fraîche and toppings, is the best food item on the menu. Ask for the current beer specials; they rotate through regional German breweries.
Full Review
The Bornheimer Ratskeller exists in a category that Frankfurt doesn't have many examples of: a pub that's genuinely old without being a museum. The Rathaus building dates to the 19th century and the vaulted room that houses the bar has been through several incarnations before settling into its current function. The stone ceiling and flagged floor are original, which gives the space a weight that you don't get in converted retail units.
The beer selection is unremarkable by craft standards but well-maintained. Pils arrives cold and properly drawn. Weizen is poured in the Bavarian style with the glass tilted and the yeast swirled in at the end. Apfelwein is available for anyone transitioning from the Sachsenhausen cider taverns. A rotating guest beer from a German regional brewery usually appears on the chalkboard.
Food is pub-standard with a few things done particularly well. Flammkuchen, the thin-crust Alsatian flatbread with crème fraîche, bacon, and onion, is the dish that regulars order without consulting the menu. Schnitzel is honestly sized. Bratwurst is from a decent Frankfurt supplier. Nothing here is trying to be a restaurant; everything is trying to be a good pub meal.
Saturday morning is worth knowing about. The Bornheim weekly market runs on Berger Strasse, and the Ratskeller fills with market-goers wanting coffee, beer, or a lunch stop. The crowd at 11:00 on a Saturday morning is a cross-section of the neighborhood that you don't see anywhere else.
The Neighborhood
On Berger Strasse at the Konstablerwache end, in the former Rathaus building. The Bornheim weekly market runs on the street outside on Saturdays. Plank Bornheim is further north up the strip.
Getting There
U-Bahn U4 or U7 to Bornheim Mitte and walk south, or take U-Bahn to Konstablerwache and walk 5 minutes northeast up Berger Strasse. The Rathaus building is visible from the street.
Address
Berger Str. 20, 60316 Frankfurt
Other Venues in Bornheim
Yok Yok
Cocktail bar on Berger Strasse with an inventive seasonal menu and a warm, low-lit interior. One of the more polished bars on the strip, drawing an after-dinner crowd most evenings.
Eulenburg
Long-running Berger Strasse bar with a bohemian character, mismatched furniture, and a crowd that tends toward the artistic end of Frankfurt's social spectrum. Late license on weekends.
Bauernschänke
Traditional Frankfurt pub with a strong local following. Serves Apfelwein alongside conventional beers and straightforward pub food. Less touristy than the Sachsenhausen taverns.
Süden Bar
Relaxed neighborhood bar at the southern end of the Bornheim strip, with a mix of craft beers, natural wines, and a regular clientele that treats the place like a second living room.
Plank Bornheim
The Bornheim outpost of the Plank bar group, serving draft beers, Apfelwein, and straightforward drinks in a setting that skews younger and less polished than some of its neighbors.
Nachtleben
Mid-size club at the Konstablerwache end of the Bornheim axis with two floors and a program that rotates between hip-hop, electronic, and live band nights. One of the more enduring clubs in this part of Frankfurt.