TRAVEL GUIDE | CABANA TRAVEL | WORLD OF CABANA
Frankfurt-based designers and gallerists Johanna and Friedrich Gräfling share a personal insider's guide to their home city – from an immersive, experiential restaurant and a food hall with more than 100 stalls to their favorite places to party and enjoy a weekend stroll.
BY JOHANNA & FRIEDRICH GRÄFLING | CABANA TRAVEL | 26 NOVEMBER 2025

Favorite Place to Stay: The Florentin
We would stay at The Florentin, once a grand family residence, now reimagined as an urban retreat. It sits in the quiet district of Sachsenhausen, close to the museum quarter and just down the road from our studio and exhibition space, Salon Kennedy, making it the perfect base to experience Frankfurt’s creative heartbeat.
Favorite Coffee Shop: Plank
In the Bahnhofsviertel district, Plank is a hub for local creatives. With its minimalist black interior, strong coffee, and natural wines, it effortlessly shifts into bar mode by evening.
Favorite Place to Party: Robert Johnson
Just over the river in Offenbach, Robert Johnson is a legendary underground club and home of the 'original Frankfurt sound.’ It's been a blueprint for famous clubs like Berghain in Berlin. In the earlier years, after our openings at Salon Kennedy, we would often end up here, dancing with artists and friends until daylight.

Our Favorite Restaurant: Freitagsküche
Founded by artists Michael Riedel and Thomas Friemel, Freitagsküche hosts a different creative each Friday to take over the kitchen for one night. Each guest brings a new menu and a new atmosphere, making it a dining experience that’s less about the food and more about the conversation. One surreal night spent here was hosted by a creative director based in LA. He curated the entire evening remotely via video call, directing the lighting, music, and even instructing us how to eat. What began as dinner slowly turned into a kind of performance- playful, slightly absurd, and entirely unforgettable!
Our Favorite Market: Kleinmarkthalle
Each Frankfurt neighbourhood still has its own weekly market which creates a strong local spirit. At the heart of it all is the Kleinmarkthalle, an indoor food hall filled with over 100 stalls. We love coming here for lunch and a glass of wine in the upstairs gallery. Our favourite spot is the small Japanese stall at the back, you can eat fresh sushi while having your kitchen knives sharpened!

Favorite Museums and Galleries
Schirn Kunsthalle: We have always loved visiting Schirn for its focus on strong solo exhibitions by emerging contemporary artists. One of the first shows we saw here was by Michael Sailstorfer at the very start of his career, since then, our paths have intertwined through many collaborations and exhibitions.
Städelschule: A world-renowned art academy that has shaped generations of leading contemporary artists, known for its radical openness, international faculty, and free-spirited approach. Over the years, we’ve collected works by many Städelschule graduates, including Simon Fujiwara, whom we first met as a student and who now plays an important role in our own collection.
Salon Kennedy: Our exhibition space is dedicated to contemporary art, design, and architecture. As a salon, it’s not just a platform for art, it’s a place to connect, inspire discourse, and bring together both established and emerging artists and collectors.

Favorite Place of Architectural Interest: Museum für Moderne Kunst
For us, Frankfurt’s architectural beauty lies in its contrasts. Medieval alleys and half-timbered houses are met with sleek glass towers by architects like Bjarke Ingels, Norman Foster, and Daniel Libeskind. Hans Holbein’s sculptural Museum für Moderne Kunst captures this dialogue between history and innovation perfectly.
Our Favorite Garden or Green Space: The Liebieghaus
On weekends we bring the children to visit the sculpture garden and cafe here – a ritual of culture, cake, cocoa, and garden walks.