I (wrongly!) wasn’t expecting too much on the food front from Cologne, and I hold my hands up I couldn’t have misjudged it more! I met up with an old study-abroad friend in Cologne as a catch-up point whilst she was on the same continent as me. Her colleague had lived in Cologne so we got some good recommendations from him and his (local) friends about where to eat in Cologne. So you’re in good hands!

• Where to eat breakfast in Cologne
• Where to eat the best local food in Cologne
• Where to eat International Food (and why you should)
• Best bars in Cologne

As you know, I do a lot of prep before trips and only recommend where I would go again. There were so many on my list so I didn’t make it around everywhere but the places I visited are marked with a *.

Where to eat breakfast in Cologne

Kaffeesaurus*

Location : Belgian Quarter

Website: https://kaffeesaurus.com/

Food: Brunch – good range from pastries to full meals (they even do a breakfast burger). They have a loose dinosaur theme (hence the name) although it’s subtle and you wouldn’t know from the Scandi decor (not that a Dino theme isn’t cool anyway).

This place was seriously popular with the locals! It has both an indoor and a large outdoor seating area and a chilled vibe.

The food was delicious and they offered a huge range of drinks including some of their own smoothie and herbal tea creations. The menu was in German but we got by the Google Translate camera function and the staff were friendly and helpful.

Where to eat local food in Cologne

I was surprised to find that locals mainly pointed us in the direction of breweries of Kolsh (local beer which we will come onto shortly) for the best food in Cologne. I wouldn’t usually associate a brewery with the best food but time and time again locals would point us in the direction of them for food and we had some great meals.

Brauhaus FRÜH am Dom*

Location: Old Town

This place is right by the Cathedral in Cologne. Typically when visiting European cities I go as far away from the Cathedral as possible when picking a place to eat. Usually, the tourist traps line up the streets and squares nearby, but in Cologne it’s different.

It’s not too touristy a city anyway, and locals (and a few tourists alike) would pack out these places in the old town. Again, the menu was only in German (which is a sure sign you’re in a good spot and not a tourist trap).

Website : https://www.frueh-gastronomie.com/history-brewhouse-and-gastronomy-cologne.html

There’s a timeline on their website that is worth a read to get the most out of your visit to appreciate the history of the brewery

Food: Traditional German classics. We tried the Hunters Schnitzel – Pork Schnitzel topped with mushrooms in a sauce (and of course a Kolsh)

We sat outside on the lively patio, but they also have a huge indoor seating area which would be cosy in the Winter months.

Peters Brauhaus*

Location: Old Town

Website: https://peters-brauhaus.de/

Food: Traditional German Food. I tried the pork leg with bacon potatoes and my friend had the Schnizel. Both came with a seriously good side salad – the dressing was incredible!

We loved our meal here – the decor and food screams traditional German food. We ate inside but later realised there was also outdoor seating further along in the square.

TIP: the Kolsh only stops flowing if you place your beer mat on top of your glass to tell the server you’re done

Bei Oma Kleinmann

Location: Latin Quarter

Website: https://www.beiomakleinmann.de/speisen

Food: Homemade Schnitzel with a variety of locally sourced meats and sauces (both traditional and unique concoctions). Gutted we didn’t make it here!

It’s best to reserve ahead but they do have some tables for walk-ins.

Rievkoochebud Reibekuchen*

Location: Old Town near the river

Food : This hole-in-the-wall solely serves a local snack called Reibekuchen. It’s a fried potato-based snack similar in some ways to a hash brown served with a choice of dips (our free walking tour guide recommended applesauce but the herb dip was great too).

We got a small portion each to try not knowing how they were served. I recommend getting one portion between two people and doubling up on dips so you get a taste of sweet (apple sauce) and savory (herb dip).

These are take away only so take them down to the nearby river to enjoy.

Another key local food to try is Himmel und Ääd (black pudding served with mashed potato and stewed apples). Disclaimer: I didn’t actually try it because I’m weird about black pudding but if you’re not make sure you try it. At least I’m honest!

Where to eat international food in Cologne (and why)

Normally if I’m in a place for a short time, I only want to eat the local food (and have even been known to turn my nose up if someone suggests otherwise). However, in Cologne, the population is hugely diverse.

Immigration to the area boomed after the war due to many fleeing during the war. The architecture in the city is inconsistent as unlike other German cities not a great deal of funding was available to rebuild after the war. People from all over the world moved here and helped rebuild, and as a result there are huge populations of Italian and Turkish people (amongst many others) in the city today. Therefore, there are loads of international cuisine in Cologne that are on the ‘must-eat at’ list.

Bisù*

Location : Sulz or Nippes – pick whichever neighbourhood that fits in with your travel plans. We tried the one in Sulz.

Website: https://bisu-koeln.de/

Food: Italian Tapas style dishes

Reservation : Yes but they also have some tables available for walk-ins (we walked in and were lucky! Later on, people had to stand and wait)

Ok so this restaurant wasn’t a result of the above mass immigration but a result of a trip to Italy by 3 friends from Cologne. After their trip, they had a dream to bring Italian dishes to their hometown beyond the typical pizza and pasta that people often think of when they think of Italian food.

This place came highly recommended, and as we met studying abroad and love to travel the story struck a cord and we had to visit.

The food was gorgeous and we also enjoyed a locally distilled gin. The atmosphere is cosy and laid back, and despite it being busy you don’t feel rushed to give up your table.

We tried the arancini, octopus and potato salad, fresh pesto pasta, and fried gnocchi with truffles. You also get fresh baked focaccia with your food served with oil and balsamic vinegar.

Kebapland

Location: Ehrenfeld

Website : https://www.instagram.com/kebaplandehrenfeld/

I have it on good authority that this is the best Kebab in Cologne. We unfortunately didn’t get around to it, but if you’re near by make sure you go.

We opted for a Haus de Doners after a few Kolsh’s which tasted like a pretty good contender (but please can someone from Koln correct me if I’m wrong! as we later realised it’s a chain).

Bars to visit (and Kolsh to drink) whilst in Cologne

Even if you’re not usually a beer drinker, you must try Kolsh whilst in Cologne. It is the only place in the world that can brew it because legally you have to be able to see the two towers of the Kölner Dom (Cathedral) to brew it.

However, we learnt of a place in Scotland that found a loophole to this by having a live 24/7 stream of the towers just to brew the stuff over there!

There are loads of breweries therefore right in the old town with surprisingly well-priced Kolsh. They serve it in a unique 0.2l glass (typically costing around €2.20 per glass). The servers keep it flowing, so if you’re finished you need to place your beermat on the top of your glass to let them know.

Locals all have their favourite brew. We were told by one that the red labels (Fruh, Peters etc) are superior to the blue labels (Sion, Gaffel etc). I guess I must personally subscribe to this view too as my favorite was Peters. Try a few and let us know your verdict.

Want to fit in with the locals? Cheers = Prost. Prost like a local by clinking the bottom of the glass not the top (the top of a Kolsh glass is more fragile than the bottom)

There’s also another way to try a variety of Kolshs – at the Kiosks! In England we have bar crawls, in Cologne they have Kiosk crawls.

There are loads of Kiosks in Cologne all selling beer (it is legal to drink on the street). The aim of these crawls apparently is to finish your Kolsh before the next Kiosk. We saw one street with about 3 Kiosks in eyesight of each other – good luck students of Koln!

Flottes*

Location: Latin Quarter

Serving mainly Kolsh (although other drinks are on offer too).

This bar was so much fun. It had German music on until around 2am and then cheesy English hits came on.

We read some reviews about people being unwelcoming to foreigners, so we were a bit on guard at the start clearly being the only none local people in there. Later, we felt much more comfortable (was it the Kolsh or the fact we were trying our best to work out the German words to songs..who knows).

Tip: If you’re having Kolsh, don’t order at the bar. It comes around with servers on Kolsh trays. This place is cash only

Rosebud Bar

Location: Latin Quarter

Tired of Kolsh and want a cocktail? Try here. Apparently it’s a good (and described as classy) cocktail lounge in the Latin Quarter.

Enjoy eating and drinking your way through Cologne!