Where to eat in Cologne: The Ultimate Guide
Kölsch beer and comfort food? That’s just for starters, in a city that excels at everything from vegan eats to fine dining.
Discover the food scene in Cologne
If you’re taking a city break in Cologne, you’re going to eat – and drink – well. It’s best-known, of course, for its beer halls, where crisp, locally-brewed Kölsch accompanies the heartiest of dishes: pork knuckle with dumplings, say, or sausages and sauerkraut. That’s just part of the story, though, as visitors soon find out. This is a city with a flair for global flavours and a taste for fine dining, a thriving vegan scene and a deep-rooted love of kebabs. Keen to start exploring? You can either take a direct Eurostar train from Brussels to Cologne or go from London to Cologne with a quick change in Brussels.
Daytime eats and family-friendly spots
By day, Cologne’s food scene is appealingly laidback – though popular brunch spots are worth booking ahead, especially at the weekend. If you’re keen to avoid a more boisterous crowd, brewhouses are quieter at lunchtime; just keep an eye on the beer refills, with an afternoon’s sightseeing ahead.
The ultimate breakfasts and brunches
Whatever your breakfast preferences, Cologne has an address to suit. A note-perfect pastry and coffee? Goodchild Café is the place: a café-slash-pâtisserie with seasonal specials, like rhubarb-topped Danishes in spring. For precision-brewed coffees and homemade granola, join the cool crowd at Coffee Gang, or – for more substantial plates – head to Kaffeesaurus. For brunch, St Louis Breakfast is the hot table, with its all-day menu, copious mimosas and as-seen-on-Instagram decor. In the Belgian Quarter, Café Buur is another cult spot, thanks to bold brunch hybrids like its hollandaise-laced crispy chicken croissant.
Where to head for lunch
This city’s full of easygoing spots for lunch. If you’re close to the Cathedral, Funkhaus is one to know, with views of the spires from its terrace and stellar apple strudel for dessert. On the edge of the Old Town, Wilma Wunder is equally relaxed, with a menu that runs from homemade soups and stews to creamy, comforting spaetzle, with cheese and ham. Alternatively, tap into Ehrenfeld’s café scene, dotted with low-key but lovely spots like Lumos and Café Rotkehlchen. Cult bakery Die Mehlwerkstatt is also here, with seriously good sandwiches to go, while vegans can feast on tofu pho at local favourite Vegan 365.
Family-friendly eateries
Travelling with children? You’ve come to the right place: Cologne doesn’t stand on ceremony, and kids are made welcome here. Share a vegan pizza at Virtuous Pie, slurp noodles at Coco Ramen, or scoff upscale burgers at Die Fette Kuh, with a side of fries and truffle mayo. Nearby green spaces are always a plus: think elevenses at Café GoldjungeMediapark, five minutes’ walk from a playground, or lunch in the courtyard at the park-set Potpourri Köln. Come summer, cool down at Il Gelato di Ferigo (off the tourist trail, but worth a detour). Cookies and white chocolate ice-cream will probably get kids’ votes, but specials like kulfi or Turkish fig are geared towards the grown-ups.
Cheap food in Cologne
Local cuisine for less
You’ll find all the city’s signatures at no-frills brauhäusen like Max Stark, served at refectory tables and washed down with cask Kölsch. Roll up on a Friday for roasted pork knuckle or try the Himmel un Ääd, a persuasive combination of black pudding, mash, fried onions and apple sauce. For a pork chop of epic proportions, head to Gaststätte Lommerzheim, or snack on Halver Hahn: a slab of gouda on rye with mustard and sliced onions. A quick currywurst is, of course, another budget option. At lunchtime locals favour Curry Rico, a food truck with outdoor tables, while My Curry Wurst caters to late-night cravings.
International eats and street food
With so many inexpensive and authentic global eats, the problem is narrowing it down: how to choose between the mezze at Habibi or Khun Mae’s fragrant tom yum soup? Bai Lu is a standout for Chongqing noodles, laced with homemade chili oil, while Chum Chay serves plant-based Vietnamese food in a tiny, tucked-away courtyard. When it comes to kebabs, every local has their favourite counter: if in doubt, join the queue at Kebapland and say yes to all the sauces. For street food of every stripe, meanwhile, head to Thursday evening’s Meet & Eat market, or snack your way around September’s Street Food Festival.
Fine dining in Cologne
Whether you’re in search of candlelit romance or a perch at the chef’s counter, there are plenty of upscale dining options. Look out for seasonal appearances from impeccable local produce, including spears of white asparagus in spring and earthy, autumnal wild mushrooms.
Where to head for Michelin stars
Take your pick from 17 Michelin-starred addresses – not bad for a city of this size. For food as theatre, you can’t top the two-starred Ox & Klee, whose set menus might bring a sous-vide sunflower, or drifts of sheep’s milk snow with dessert. For more down-to-earth dining, book a table at NeoBiota – which also doubles up as a daytime breakfast spot. Come the evening, its Michelin-starred set menus are dotted with local ingredients, from foraged herbs to trout caviar, though the vibe’s still enjoyably relaxed. For a good-value lunch, meanwhile, consider Le Moissonnier, whose weekday menu includes an upscale plat du jour.
The city’s most romantic restaurants
When it comes to romance, Belgischer Hof is a classic spot, with its clematis-twined courtyard, low-lit dining rooms and delicious flammkuchen. Caruso is another favourite: an elegant Italian restaurant where dish delivers, from ricotta-stuffed courgette flowers to pasta with rabbit ragout. If you’re seriously out to impress, a Michelin star should do the trick. Claim a velvet banquette at La Societé – just as lovely (and cheaper) at lunch, or let Sahila whisk you around the world in seven flawless courses, with a menu that might hop from Argentinian steaks to Thai-style sticky rice.
Where to drink
Kölsch is king in this city, and there’s no shortage of atmospheric beer halls and breweries in which to sip a glass or two. Craving a change of scene? Make for a candlelit wine bar or polished late-night cocktail spot.
The best brewhouses and beer gardens
You’ll soon get better acquainted with Kölsch, Cologne’s crisp signature beer. It’s served at the city’s brewhouses in small, endlessly-refilled glasses – the trick being to put your beer mat on top when you want to stop. Central spots include the cathedral-facing Früh am Dom, and the tiny, historic Brauhaus Sünner im Walfisch. Brauerei zur Malzmühle – a little to the south – is known for its complex, malty Kölsch, though for more elbow room try a neighbourhood spot like Em Golde Kappes in Nippes. On sunny days, meanwhile, the city’s beer gardens call: sit under the Stadtgarten’s chestnut trees, or linger in leafy Rathenauplatz.
Cologne’s best bars
There’s a bar for every occasion in this city. Sunset drinks? Order up a gin and tonic at the eighth-floor Monkey Bar. Wine and candlelit conversation? Café Storch is the one. If creative cocktails are more your scene, head for spots like Woods: a tiny, low-lit bar with a curving oak ceiling, whose take on an Old Fashioned is laced with tequila and earl grey. In hip Agnesviertal, Toddy Tapper is famed for its arrack-fuelled cocktails, while nearby Sudermanbar mixes a mean sazerac, with terrific Tuesday-night tacos. Over in the Latin Quarter, Rosebud is another gem, serving palomas, picklebacks and more on its leafy, graffiti-scrawled terrace.
Terraces and outdoor dining
After a stroll in the botanic gardens, retreat to Gruber’s awning-shaded terrace – a charming spot for a glass of Riesling and Austrian-leaning lunch. South of the citycentre, Haus Müller is another upscale option, with tables set below the chestnut trees on a pretty, cobbled square, and summery small plates (sea-bass ceviche, say, or burrata with grilled melon). Near the Museum Ludwig, Dom in Stapelhaus has front-row views of the Rhine – though if its steaks, burgers and schnitzels don’t appeal, Los Carnales is another option, serving salsa-laced tacos on a sunny riverfront terrace. For a loftier perspective snag a rooftop spot at Neni, backdropped by the cathedral’s spires.
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FAQs
You can either take a direct Eurostar train from Brussels to Cologne in just 1 hour 52 minutes or go from London to Cologne with a quick change in Brussels.
For sturdy beer hall staples, head to Peters Brauhaus, famed for its pork knuckle with mash. If something lighter appeals, try Funkhaus, opposite the cathedral, or queue at RievkoochebudReibekuchen’s takeaway window for perfect potato pancakes.
For polished mezze and skyline views, book a terrace table at Neni, or watch the Rhine flowing by from the patio at Dom in Stapelhaus. On a budget? Los Carnales serves up authentic tacos right on the riverfront.
Of course it’s always worth checking, but most addresses open on Sundays. Many places take Mondays off instead, though you’ll still find somewhere to eat; hip hangouts like The Coffee Gang and Café Buur are often open seven days a week.
The choice is yours. Head to a beer hall or garden for Kölsch, or sample the city’s cocktail scene at bars like Woods or Toddy Tapper. If sunset vistas appeal, take the lift up to Monkey Bar.
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