We felt very blessed when we discovered this Vietnamese spot, and we can’t wait to share it with you. It’s the kind of place you might walk past a thousand times, but never quite notice it’s there. Tucked away in a quiet corner, this small yet elegantly decorated restaurant is located in a quiet passageway of a mall, with some of its seating spilling into the mall’s walkway. Despite its location, the foot traffic is light, giving you a calm environment to enjoy a peaceful meal without too many distractions. This cozy spot may look humble, but it serves some of the best pho in Frankfurt. In fact, my Vietnamese friends say this is the only place in the city they go to for a steaming bowl of pho. And after trying it, we can see exactly why.
Restaurant Profile
- Name of the Restaurant: An Frankfurt (incl. menu)
- Adress: Zeil 111, Holzgraben 16, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
- Style: Vietnamese Cuisine – pho, bun, sandwich, rice & noodle dishes, salad, summer & spring rolls
- Price: around 15 – 20 EUR per Person (incl. Drinks and Tips)
An extra perk of dining at An Frankfurt is that you can pair their delicious food with the exquisite Vietnamese drinks from the Egg Coffee spot just across the way. And you can order these drinks directly at An Frankfurt, together with your meal. If you haven’t tried them yet, you definitely should —they’re as chic as they are delicious. Here are our recommendations:
Pink Salt Cream Lotus Iced Tea is a very unique drink. The tea itself has a light-yellow hue, likely made from a blend of lotus tea and green tea, as it has a subtle floral note.
Topping the tea is a layer of salted cream—thick yet smooth— floating gracefully on the surface. You can either stir it to mix the cream into the tea or let it slowly blend on its own, creating a balanced taste. At the bottom, you’ll find lotus seeds, fresh and slightly sweet, adding a crunch and natural fragrance. The rich, savory cream mellows the tea’s light bitterness, forming a velvety smooth texture that coats the palate. This drink is rich and refreshing at the same time.
Matcha Latte Mango is a beautifully layered beverage of three distinct colors – green matcha on top, creamy milk in the middle, and a sunny yellow mango at the bottom. The matcha’s gentle earthiness pairs perfectly with the milk’s smoothness.
When you sip it from the bottom, you’ll taste mango’s natural tropical sweetness, while a higher sip blends the matcha with the milk for a creamy, slightly grassy flavor. By carefully balancing the densities of each ingredient, the three layers stay separate until you decide to mix them. It’s like having several drinks in one—whether you enjoy the mango on its own or mix it all together for a rich, balanced taste. This drink is as eye-catching as it’s deliciously diverse.
Lychee with Chia Seed Iced Tea is a light, golden-colored drink, likely made from green or jasmine tea, which gives it a subtle, fragrant base without being too sweet. Suspended in the tea are chia seeds that add a hint of nuttiness and a playful chewiness. Topping it off are two juicy lychees, bringing a floral, fruity sweetness. Light and crisp, this drink is a great cooling companion to a bowl of hot noodle soup.
Trà Sữa Oolong Thạch Phô Mai is a Vietnamese drink that combines the rich, slightly roasted flavor of oolong milk tea with the creamy, smooth texture of cheese jelly. The drink is topped with green and red agar jelly balls and mixed with dried berries.
The jelly balls are filled with fruits and flavored syrups, providing a fun, sweet treat when bitten into, while the dried berries add a tartness that balances the creamy, nutty oolong. The drink is not so sweet, but offers well-rounded flavors that’re both soothing and indulgent.
Now for the food! While this restaurant may not have an extensive menu, it does offer the most characteristic Vietnamese dishes, each one crafted with care and bursting with flavor!
41 Phở Tái Chín Bò Viên (Vietnamese noodle soup with sliced rare beef, beef brisket, and beef balls) is the start of the menu at An Frankfurt. Each bowl is garnished with bean sprouts, cilantro, fresh onions, and spring onions.
The beef in this bowl is so thinly sliced and so tender that it almost melts in your mouth. The fatty part – so rich and flavorful, likely because it absorbs all the savory goodness from the broth, creating a deep, beefy, umami-packed mouthfeel.
The beef balls are a slightly chewy and bouncy, giving a satisfying chew. What truly sets this dish apart is the broth. It’s not overly salty, with a clean, fresh flavor that speaks of long hours of slow simmering. You can really taste the love and dedication. Its rich and comforting taste, as the owner himself confirms, comes from cooking it low and slow, to extract the flavors purely from bones and spices, with no additives.
The harmonious blend of fragrant herbs, a touch of sweetness from the spices, and a beefy depth wraps around your senses like a warm hug on a chilly day. It’s light yet full-bodied. The optional lime and chili add extra brightness. This is a phở at its best—simple, honest, and utterly delicious.
28 Bún Gà – Xo Xía, Heo Quoy is a tantalizing Vietnamese dish that combines a variety of meats with rice noodles. It includes succulent chicken, grilled pork neck, and crispy roast pork, all arranged atop a bed of soft noodles.
This dish is served cold, but the noodles are slightly warm. The noodle base—bún (rice vermicelli)—is a Vietnamese staple, often used in salads and soups. Made from rice flour, it’s naturally gluten-free, making it a light and healthy choice. Its colorful add-ins also include strips of pickled carrots and radish, as well as cucumber, crushed peanuts and fresh cilantro.
The roasted pork is so tasty. With a good mix of lean and fatty meat, each piece delivers juicy bites with an irresistibly crunchy edge. The savory crispy pork skin is not just for the texture, it truly elevates the whole experience. Meanwhile, the chicken is simply seasoned, so you can taste its natural mild sweetness. It acts as gentle counterpoint to the richer pork flavors.
Finished off with tangy nước chấm, a classic Vietnamese sauce made from fish sauce, lime juice or vinegar, sugar, garlic, chili, and water, this dish is all about balance. It’s light yet full of flavor, with a refreshing, savory crunch in every bite.
If you’re looking to indulge a bit more, you can choose the heartier variations featuring fried spring rolls, specifically the 21 Bún Chả Giò Thịt (with pork) or 21.1 Bún Chả Giò Gà (with chicken). Both dishes have similar dressings and toppings, but the crispy spring rolls give them a more wholesome feel.
We really love their pork, so we went for the 21 Bún Chả Giò Thịt. The crispy pork skin is, again, absolutely perfect — crunchy with an intense savoriness that matches wonderfully with the light flavors of the rice noodles and fresh vegetables. Each bite of the spring roll is a burst of umami crunch – golden and crisp on the outside, with a soft, flavorsome glass noodle filling on the inside.
Don’t forget to dip them into the nước chấm that gathers at the bottom of the bowl. It brings all the flavors together – sweet, sour and salty – into one tasty, satisfying chew.
If you’re craving something even more substantial, 36 Cơm Gà Xá Xíu, Heo Quay might be just what you’re looking for. Instead of rice noodles, this dish uses fragrant rice as the base.
It comes with the same delicious meat options as the bún, including tender chicken, grilled pork neck, and crispy roast pork, all served warm. The combination of meats, along with fresh cilantro, vibrant veggies, roasted onions and sesame, adds layers of flavor and savoriness. This dish is perfect, if you want to enjoy rich, more filling Vietnamese cuisine with the added comfort of a warm rice base.
43A Bún Bò Huế is a popular Vietnamese beef noodle soup from the ancient capital of Huế. This dish is a real flavor powerhouse, with its bold, aromatic broth infused with the rich essence of beef and fragrant lemongrass. The broth is intense and hearty, with an unmistakably, deep beefy flavor.
This dish comes with slightly thicker, chewier rice noodles, tender pork and beef slices, and fish tofu.
The fatty, juicy skin of the pork practically melts in your mouth, adding a touch of indulgence, while the fish tofu’s umami blends beautifully with the spiciness of the chili oil.
Fresh garnishes like lime, Thai basil, bean sprouts, and cilantro bring a refreshing contrast, lending brightness, crunch, and herbal notes that lift the richness of the broth. A dollop of extra chili sauce, for spice lovers, turns up the heat. The combination of spicy, savory, sour, and aromatic elements makes for a hearty, warming experience that’s both bold and balanced.
All the noodle and rice dishes can be paired with a variety of meats or tofu for vegetarians. Beyond what we introduced, An Frankfurt also offer summer rolls, papaya salad, and the ever-popular Bánh Mì (sandwich)—Vietnam’s fusion of East and West, where French baguettes meet Vietnamese grilled meats and fragrant herbs. Bánh Mì shows you Vietnam’s ingenuity in merging cultures to create something unique and tasty of its own.
This hidden gem really captures the soul of authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Each dish, with its varied flavors, textures, and aromas, brilliantly balances simplicity and sophistication. Approach each meal with an open heart and a curious palate, and you’ll discover not just a taste of Vietnam, but also its deep-seated love for its culture, its community, and the rich gifts of its land and sea.
