Some bars you visit for the drinks, others for the quiet. In Stuttgart, the two often share a roof. I've made a habit of reading cities through their hotel bars. How a house handles discretion shows by the second drink.
I begin in Stuttgart Mitte, at the Hotel am Schlossgarten. It sits right opposite the park, minutes from the main station, and inside you hear nothing of the city. The light is low, the armchairs are deep, and the staff know how to notice a guest without looking at them. A few steps further, at Le Méridien on Willy-Brandt-Straße, the Bar Lillet feels more modern and a little livelier, but never loud.
If you prefer something more playful, head to the Bohnenviertel and the Zauberlehrling. A boutique hotel that treats its rooms like small stage sets. I like houses that dare to be different.
For evenings without a hotel lobby, I'd suggest Jigger & Spoon, not far from Königstraße. The entrance is unassuming, the stairs lead down, and those who can't get a seat wait patiently. Inside: exposed brick, leather chairs and bartenders who take their craft seriously. The Wolfram Bar & Terrace rewards you with a wide view across the city, which is sometimes all the conversation you need.
If you want to leave the basin for an evening, drive up to Degerloch and the Waldhotel Stuttgart. It sits in the middle of the woods, the main station only a quarter of an hour away, yet it feels like another time zone.
What makes a bar discreet? For me it's small things. Nooks where a conversation stays at the table. A waiter who refills a glass without interrupting a sentence. Lighting that exhibits no one. You can't claim these things, you feel them the moment you walk in.
I keep getting asked where one can have a drink in Stuttgart without being noticed. The answer is rarely a secret address. Usually it's a good house at the right hour, on a weekday, when the light softens early.
If you'd rather not experience Stuttgart alone, you'll find everything else on the Stuttgart. How an evening with me begins is described in the Booking Information. And if you'd like the evening to end outside the city, Esslingen and Böblingen are close by. Why PURE returned after a pause, I described in my First Entry.
*Discreetly yours,* **Lena**