Cologne Restaurants

Those who enjoy eating and drinking in a comfortable atmosphere will find themselves at home in Cologne. In almost no other German city are there so many restaurants and cafes, breweries and bars, fast food and bistros as in Cologne. It’s also home to some of the best restaurants in the country. Moreover, in almost every one, you can sit outside when the weather allows.

Local cuisine

Hearty and rich food has its home here in Cologne. Menus with fries (Fritten) are on every corner. Among the domestic dishes you will find Flönz (blood sausages) or Hämchen (a bone serving of pork with sauerkraut) and mashed potatoes. Cologne is also world-renowned for its appetising local dishes such as chicken fricassee with baby vegetables, roast goose with onion, apple and celery stuffing, braised rump of veal in white wine, salmon and sour cream omelette, and dorade baked in a salt crust.

One of the many original things in Cologne is the Kölsch beer, a light, top fermented fine-herb beer that must be brewed in the Cologne metropolitan area. Kölsch usually tastes best in a brew house where it’s served by the Köbes, Cologne’s special waiters in its brew houses. However, be sure not to underestimate its alcohol content.

Where to eat

Cologne has a wide variety of restaurants, both German and otherwise, but it’s perhaps best to have a brew and a bite to eat in the Altstadt. One can eat pretty well in most traditional-style Kölsch restaurants. The Brewer-pubs are particularly noteworthy. If you’re looking for a change of palate, head for one of the Turkish, Arabic or Asian eateries.
 
Apart from the traditional taverns of the Altstadt, the Belgian quarter has stretches of restaurants, bars and clubs along Brüsseler Strasse through to Aachener Strasse. Here, you can grab anything from a midnight brunch to getting a bite to eat at a cheap and cheerful ethnic restaurant. In addition to the inland eateries, a collection of restaurants is lined up along the Rhine.