Deutsches Museum für Kochkunst und Tafelkultur
Small association-run museum on Frankfurt's Zeil covering the history of cooking, gastronomy, and table culture, known for its collection of menus.
About the museum
The museum builds on an earlier Frankfurt cookery museum that held culinary and gastronomic exhibitions on the Untermainkai until 1937 and whose holdings were lost in World War II. The association Deutsche Tafelkultur e. V., founded in 1988, worked for decades, mostly on a volunteer basis, toward reviving it; a dedicated foundation looks after the collections.
On November 25, 2015, the Deutsches Museum für Kochkunst und Tafelkultur opened in premises on the Zeil, with access from Holzgraben. The holdings include objects, literature, and archival material on food and drink culture, among them one of the largest collections of menus and place cards, which goes back to a Hamburg collector, as well as items from the short-lived Deutsches Gaststättenmuseum (German Restaurant Museum) of the 1940s.
In addition to the permanent exhibition opened in 2019, the museum has shown temporary exhibitions on topics such as the napkin, Bauhaus design in tea and coffee services, and Hessian food culture. Seminars and menu evenings are aimed at hospitality professionals as well as private hosts.
Highlights
- Extensive collection of historical menus and place cards
- Permanent exhibition on the history of cooking and table culture
- Objects relating to table decoration, tableware, and gastronomy
- Menu evenings and seminars on food culture
Permanent exhibitions
- Die Dauerausstellung – A cross-section of the history of cooking, gastronomy, and the set table, with objects and documents from the association's collection.
- Founded
- 2015
- Operated by
- Deutsche Tafelkultur e. V.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3.50School students, university students, apprentices, people with disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher), holders of the Frankfurt-Pass and Ehrenamts-Card |
| Children & teens | €3.50free up to age 5 · Children under 6 free; school students pay the reduced price. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3.50Reduced admission from a degree of disability (GdB) of 50. |
| Students & apprentices | €3.50 |
| Groups | €4 per personPrivate group visits (currently max. 12 people) €4 per person, reduced €2; one-hour guided tour an additional €70. |
| Public evening tour incl. admission | €6.50Reduced €4.50, no registration required. |
| Private guided tour (1 hr., flat fee plus admission) | €70Inquiries to museum@tafelkultur.com |
Supporting members free.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
S1–S6, S8 and U1–U3, U6–U8 to Hauptwache; S-Bahn, U4–U7, tram 12, 18, and bus 30, 36 to Konstablerwache.
By car
Parking available
No parking lot of its own; parking garages Konstabler (Töngesgasse 8), Hauptwache (Kornmarkt 10) and Karstadt (Brönnerstraße 6, only until 20:00).
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Private guided tours for up to 12 people on request (museum@tafelkultur.com). Online tour of the permanent exhibition on the website. |
