Music

Located in a basement near the high-end Goethestrasse street, Jazzkeller is as unpretentious as can be in stark contrast. This spot has a rustic ambience and though small, they even have a grand piano. 

This basement bar/pub has been all about the music since 1952 and has played its part in the history of jazz and will continue doing so in the future. There is a detailed history on the website and also handed out in English and German before the concert. There are live concerts on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Wednesdays witness new and old artists come together for a jam session. Friday nights are DJ nights and the pub is converted to a small club where people can raise the roof till 03:00. The concerts are given by bands visiting from all over the world.

Last weekend a band from New York played there and I watched its members greet some of the regular audience members as if they were old friends and mingle with the crowd over drinks during the break! It was like attending a house party with a private concert!

Word of advice: Only go there, if you want to enjoy a night of music with a couple of drinks, not if you want to catch up with a friend, the regulars will not appreciate that!

You have probably realised from my previous articles that I have a thing for spotting different events for specific days of the week. Chez Ima is always a good choice for coffee, lunch, dinner and particularly for their brunch on Sunday morning! But this particular article is a tribute to their live music dinner on Fridays!

Chez Ima came up with this beautiful concept of dinner under the sound of live jazz music. There is a different artist performing almost every Friday and I usually check their website in order to listen to the work of the artists and decide on which Friday to book. That said, booking in advance is essential as their events are very popular among Frankfurters. To your surprise, the restaurant is hidden in the lobby of the Levi’s hotel close to the central train station. The dining hall, facing the open kitchen, is small and cozy while the set up is industrial and pop.