Frankfurt

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"Bankfurt": city of finance, a stiff German metropolis of steel towers, gray skies, and euro signs. While its all-business rep is partly true—it's home to the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world and more than 300 banking institutions—in the last few years Frankfurt has started to shake off its dull image and become, believe it or not, almost cool. Some of that banking money is being invested in some über-fashionable hotels and restaurants, and areas next to the Main River are transforming into parks, urban beaches, and trendy neighborhoods.

Where to Sleep
The recently opened Villa Kennedy is not your typical business property; its 163 bedrooms are located in a 1904 mansion in a leafy neighborhood a ten-minute drive from the city center. Companies such as Lexus, looking to impress, rent out the beautiful inner courtyard for special events and presentations; it's also the latest hotel of choice for visiting celebs, from the Rolling Stones to Beyoncé. Another newcomer, the Radisson SAS, more of a standard business hotel, scores points for its innovative modern design; locals call the blue disclike 19-story edifice the Spalt Building, after a brand of German aspirin. Older executives and politicians such as German chancellor Angela Merkel stick to the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, a legendary grand hotel in the city center. Its Autorenbar, or Author's Bar, is packed with writers and editors until the early hours during the Book Fair. Advertising types prefer The Bristol, a design hotel near the train station, with a late-night bar scene and an open-air dining area. Business visitors here for the longer haul—such as the Brazilian soccer team during 2006's World Cup and Porsche execs at the recent three-week launch of next-year's hot model—head outside Frankfurt to the Kempinski Falkenstein, a former sanitorium in the resort town of Königstein. Today, it's a five-star property with guest quarters that include 45 furnished apartments, as well as an Ayurvedic spa, an outdoor pool, and views of the surrounding Taunus Mountains.

Where to Eat
The just-opened Gerbermuehle hotel occupies a building that dates from the fifteenth century and was variously used as a tannery and a flour mill, and became the villa where Goethe met his beloved Marianne. During warm weather, the summer garden is the in place for a casual business lunch. Another chic insider lunch spot is Holbein's, a modern-style bistro at the Städel Museum, whose menu changes weekly and offers a mix of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. For dinner, the Opera Restaurant still reigns with a hushed air, gilded decor, and such high-end classics as monkfish with lobster ravioli and veal fillet medallions with pea purée and foie gras sauce. The Michelin-starred Tigerpalast impresses with chef Martin Göschel's dramatically plated dishes, such as caramelized John Dory with glass-noodles and hot coconut sauce. After dessert, head to the connected theater for an amusing evening of cabaret and circus acts. The historic Sachsenhausen district is home to Frankfurt's traditional apple wine pubs and the applied arts museum, MAK, where the minimalist Emma Metzler draws in diners with chef Burkhard Lindlar's Germany-meets-Italy cuisine and an extremely well-edited wine list.

Where to See and Be Seen
In Frankfurt's developing East End, a fashionable crowd piles onto enormous beds at the restaurant Silk to check out their neighbors and the innovative ten-course menus from Mario Lohninger, a protégé of New York City chef David Bouley. Meanwhile, at the restaurant-lounge Micro, champagne-sipping locals sit at tables behind curtains of silvery threads and nibble on sushi and satay. Both places occupy parts of the enormous, futuristic Cocoon Club, so you can work off your meal on the expansive dance floor to top DJs' modern techno beats. A historic villa near the Opera has just been transformed into the King Kamehameha Suite. A single dining and nightlife venue, it has a dramatic staircase leading to a series of sleek, modern spaces: the trendy Onyx Bar, the swank Baron Philippe de Rothschild Lounge, and the businesslike Atrium Restaurant, where American chef Alan Ogden showcases international cuisine (such as dorade royal and roasted black pudding on mashed potatoes). In summer months, head to the Long Island Summer Lounge, the new open-air sandpit cum watering hole atop the Frankfurt Stock Exchange's parking garage, with two small pools, lounge chairs, and sun umbrellas.

Where to Close a Deal
Frankfurt's brightest have their assistants book a celebratory dinner at the impressive Villa Leonhardi, on a nineteenth-century estate outside the old city walls, where chef and co-owner Luigi Fabbri turns out dishes from Emilia-Romagna; insiders know to arrange their visits to coincide with the popular once-a-month 15-course amuse-bouche menu.

Local Codes
Germany is the world's third most productive economy and plays a central role in the success of the European Union. There is a reason for that: German businesspeople tend to be focused and organized, and while they each take six weeks of vacation a year, they get everything done in half the time many of their counterparts in other countries do. (There isn't much gossiping around the water cooler here.) Germans can be formal and to the point: They typically use first names only with friends, family, and close colleagues, and don't get too personal during meetings or even casual business dinners. Use facts, figures, and specific examples in conversation rather than spontaneous, inconclusive opinion. Although at times German business folk may seem confrontational, openly expressed criticism is normal in business discussions and you should not take it personally.

Airport Intelligence
Frankfurt Airport—second only to London-Heathrow among European airports in terms of number of passengers—is one of the world's most organized and civilized travel hubs, even during its current expansion. With a decent selection of international luxury-brand shops and cafés, it's not hard to wile away a few hours here, but when you want to get away, you can do so quickly: A taxi to Frankfurt's center takes about 20 minutes and costs around $27. Alternatively, a train from the airport to the central Frankfurt station takes about 10 minutes and will put you back around $9.

The Three-Hour Tour
Frankfurt spends more money on the arts than any other European city, and a quick run through some of the city's excellent museums is a good way for a visitor to benefit from the cultural expenditure. From the city center, cross the historic Eiserner Steg bridge to the Museum Embankment. Here you'll find the Städelsches Kunstinstitut and its impressive collection of European art, which includes works by Van Eyck, Rubens, and Vermeer. Continue on to the MAK, the applied arts museum, in a Richard Meier-designed building. Then hop into a taxi to the MMK, Frankfurt's modern art museum, where you'll find important works from postwar artists such as Warhol and Lichtenstein.

-Gisela Williams