Plank
Plank sits on Elbestraße in the middle of Bahnhofsviertel's transformation zone, surrounded by legal brothels, Michelin-starred restaurants, and older corner shops. The bar runs on simplicity: cheap Apfelwein poured from a ceramic Bembel, a rotating selection of local beers on tap, and shelves of spirits that don't try to impress anyone. Walls change quarterly with work from Frankfurt-based artists and photographers, giving the place a low-key gallery function without charging gallery prices. The crowd skews mixed: Bahnhofsviertel residents who remember when the street was rougher, younger drinkers from Sachsenhausen and Bornheim who come for the authenticity, and the occasional curious tourist who wandered in for a cheap drink. Service is direct and unfussy. There's no cocktail menu, no reservation system, and no pretension. What you get is honest pours, conversation-friendly music volume, and a neighborhood bar atmosphere that's increasingly rare in gentrifying Frankfurt. The wooden bar top shows years of use. Regulars nod at each other. Conversations happen across tables.
Where to stay near Plank
Hotels and rentals within walking distance.
What to Expect
A small, warmly lit room with wooden tables, a long bar, and art on every wall. Moderate volume, real conversations, a mix of ages. The bartender knows the regulars by name. Smoke-free inside, as required by Hessian law.
Unpretentious, community-oriented, and honest. The antithesis of a concept bar.
Indie rock, classic German pop, jazz, and folk at conversation-friendly volume
Casual. Whatever you wore to dinner works. No one's checking.
Drinkers who want conversation over spectacle and a genuine Frankfurt neighborhood experience
Cash preferred, cards accepted for tabs over 20 EUR
Price Range
Apfelwein 3-4 EUR, beer 4 EUR, spirits 5-7 EUR, basic longdrinks 7-9 EUR
Apfelwein ~$3.50-4.50 USD, beer ~$4.50 USD, spirits ~$5.50-8 USD
Hours
Daily from around 18:00 until 02:00, later on Fri-Sat
Insider Tip
Order the Apfelwein if you haven't tried Frankfurt's local specialty; it's tart, low-alcohol, and cheap. Cash tips are standard and appreciated. The back tables near the art wall are the quietest spots for conversation.
Full Review
Plank is the kind of bar that makes gentrification feel less inevitable. The space is simple: a long wooden bar, a couple of dozen tables, lighting warm enough to flatter without hiding anything. Walls get fresh art every few months from Frankfurt and Rhein-Main photographers and painters, which gives regulars something new to look at without turning the place into a hipster statement.
The draw is the drinks program's lack of ambition. No molecular anything, no smoked ice, no Instagram garnishes. Apfelwein from the Bembel gets poured into the traditional ribbed Gerippte glass. Beer selection covers Binding, Henninger, and a couple of rotating taps from smaller Hessian breweries. Spirits go into a glass with ice if you want ice. This restraint is the point.
Elbestraße's character has shifted substantially since the mid-2010s, with cocktail bars, boutique hotels, and third-wave coffee shops moving in next door to the remaining brothels and Späti kiosks. Plank sits in this intersection without pretending either side doesn't exist. The regulars include older Bahnhofsviertel residents, artists from the Atelierfrankfurt collective nearby, and younger drinkers priced out of the Nordend.
Compared to the cocktail-focused venues on Moselstraße two blocks over, Plank is the cheaper, rougher alternative. Compared to the older Eckkneipen fading out around Hauptbahnhof, it's visibly newer but with a similar spirit. If you want a quiet bar where the person next to you might actually talk to you, start here. Budget 15-25 EUR for a solid evening.
The Neighborhood
Elbestraße runs north-south through Bahnhofsviertel, one of the district's legal brothel streets but also increasingly lined with restaurants and bars. The street changes character quickly; within one block you can pass a licensed brothel, a natural wine bar, and a Turkish bakery.
Getting There
S-Bahn or U-Bahn to Hauptbahnhof, then a five-minute walk east into Bahnhofsviertel. Elbestraße is three blocks from the station. Trams 11, 14, and 21 stop nearby at Münchener Straße.
Address
Elbestraße 15, 60329 Frankfurt
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Ipanema Bar
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The Legacy Bar & Grill
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Tanzhaus West
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