One of the most authentic Old World restaurants lies outside the noisy downtown. Jump in a cab and head to the Speisekammer, a century-old gasthaus that specializes in regional Hessian cuisine. The menu changes with the season. It has just put dark and creamy Oktober bier, locally brewed, on the menu. In summer, go to the beer garden in the courtyard.
Locals drink wine made from apples by the pitcher.
This quaint tradition is concentrated across the river in the Sachsenhausen district. It is also a headquarters for literary societies. To flee the bankers and traders, take sanctuary in the cellar beneath the old Carmelite monastery in the Kunstlerkeller. Very central but hard to find and conspiratorial. The banks of the Main offer the best vistas and cleanest air for joggers.