"Hier das Cafe mag ich nicht" - Adverb as attribute in front of noun correct?

Question

Can an adverb as an attribute be positioned in front of the noun it modifies?
Duden Nr. 1224 gives a table of orderings and so on but does not note the adverb - or any - being able to switch from front to back of the noun depending on stylistic choice or emphasis (at least I have not found where they say it is possible yet). Prepositional phrases that are adverbial-like are also clearly positioned behind the noun. "In Mannheim das Cafe mag ich nicht", as another example of what I want to say.

I would like to know if it is possible (meaning "correct" in standard German).

Answer 1

You can't write it that way. It must be:

Das Cafe in Mannheim mag ich nicht.

Putting the adverbial in front can only happen in the heat of the moment.

Answer 2

In colloquial speech, you are liable to hear a sentence like „In Mannheim das Café mag ich nicht“ quite frequently, and yes, it emphasizes the location and contrasts it with cafés in other places.

For example, the following makes sense:

Laß uns wieder mal einen Kaffee zusammen trinken, aber diesmal bitte in Ludwigshafen. In Mannheim das Café mag ich nicht.

Why the speaker will not consider another café in Mannheim remains his secret; the assumption is that the disliked café is one option, and a different option, preferred by the speaker, is in a different town. The example would be less contrived if he was speaking about a place that has only one café, e.g. a small train station.

The following does not make sense:

Wenn ich das nächste Mal in Mannheim bin, können wir wieder einen Kaffee zusammen trinken, aber diesmal bitte in der Mensa – in Mannheim das Café mag ich nicht.

Here you would have to say „das Café in Mannheim“.

In most written communication (outside of instant messengers and the like), this would be overly informal. The usual way would be to use standard word order and just forego this kind of emphasis.

Answer 3

Can an adverb as an attribute be positioned in front of the noun it modifies?

In short: no, but .... German not only has a very flexible sentence structure but also puts regularly emphasis on certain parts of a sentence by moving them up front, e.g.:

Ich finde die Frage interessant.
_{neutral order, I find the question interesting.}

Die Frage finde ich interessant.
_{emphasis, It is the question which I find interesting.}

This is where the - incorrect - usage of the device comes from in informal language. You have three options to correct the sentence (as an aside, "Café" is written like that, diacriticals matter):

1. Word Order
As has already been said, "das Café hier" would be correct, as well as "das Café in Mannheim". If you say "in Mannheim [mag ich ] das Café [nicht]" it sounds a little like you dislike "the Café" when you are in Mannheim, otherwise not - and your liking or disliking the Café is perhaps not depending on where you are.

2. Relative Sentence
You can separate the "hier" from the main sentence (which, by that would acquire standard phrasing) by inserting a comma. This changes the Adverb to a sort-of replacement for a Demonstrativpronomen:

Hier, das Café mag ich nicht.

This is demonstrative like pointing your finger somewhere and in spoken language usually accompanied by such a gesture. This also puts emphasis on the "hier" and by extension to where you point at. You don't simply state the fact but point out that you disliking it is the outstanding quality of the Café.

3. Change to an Adjektiv
This last possibility is a bit forced for your purposes, but nevertheless correct: "hier" is an Adverb, but there is a corresponding Adjektiv: "hiesig". It means "[the one]located here" in opposition to "dortig" - "[the one] located there". Adjektive stand in front of the Nomen:

Das hiesige Café mag ich nicht.

You can use such a construction to make sweeping statements:

Die hiesigen Cafés mag ich nicht.

You don't like all the surrounding Cafés - maybe only the ones nearby, maybe all in this district, maybe every one in the whole city or state. This will be a matter of context.