The 6 best restaurants in Cologne

Looking for a restaurant after a day of sightseeing in Cologne? Here are the top 6 restaurants to get a great taste of Cologne, from great food to delicious traditional German cuisine.

And wherever you go, you will find something on every Cologne menu: the local beer known as Kölsch. Made exclusively in the Cologne region. This pale, light-bodied beer is served in thin, cylindrical glasses and it’s a tradition that bartenders bring you one Kölsch after another. To end the beer festival, leave your beer glass half full or cover it with your beer mat to let them know that you are done (or just need a break).

Now in the food …

01
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Lommerzheim

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+49 221 814392

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Casual dining

4.4

For a true taste of Cologne, visit the beloved restaurant “Lommi”. It was opened in 1959 by Hans and Annemie Lommerzheim and, although the restaurant was renovated in 2008, the original charm of the building survived. This restaurant maintains the atmosphere of a brewery and is considered by many to be the quintessential restaurant in Cologne.

Long wooden tables are meant to be shared amid this bustling and realistic atmosphere. It also features affordable prices and a regional menu is at its best. Don’t leave without trying Lommi’s Koteletten , huge pork chops with fried onions.

02
of 06

The Harvester

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+49 221 729479

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This Michelin-starred French restaurant has been an institution on Cologne’s food scene for almost 30 years. It offers three creative gourmet cuisine and a wine list to match.

The menu changes with the season, and you can order à la carte or opt for a multi-course menu to fully experience the carefully crafted cuisine of Chef Eric Menchon. Some of their signature dishes include Foie Gras Maison, Coquilles Saint-Jacques, and Pigeonneau rôti. Save space for the great cheese plates.

Recommended reservations.

03
of 06

Brewery to the Malzmühle

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+49 221 92160613

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Fit for modern royalty (or just global politicians), when former US President Bill Clinton visited the city, he came to Brauhaus Malzmühle. Located in the heart of the old town, this 150-year-old family-owned brewery and its adjacent restaurant are famous for their hearty regional fare and classic German fare.

Try the poetic-sounding dish called “Heaven and Earth,” which comes with blood sausage, fried onion, mashed potatoes, and stewed apples; Or opt for the “Brauhaus platter,” filled with tenderloin, pork and turkey fillet, greens, French fries and Hollandaise sauce. Wash everything down with a fresh Mühlen Kölsch, which is brewed here in the Malzmühle brewery.

04
of 06

Hanse room

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+49 221 2703402

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Hanse Stube, located in the Excelsior Hotel Ernst next to Cologne Cathedral, serves haute cuisine at high prices. Chef de cuisine Bernhard Stütze prepares innovative French dishes combined with regional flavors.

The menu ranges from afternoon tea to piano brunch and runs through Silvester (New Years Eve). Look out for their marinated asparagus, sautéed scallops with a wild herb salad and pine nut vinaigrette, and strawberry basil chartreuse over balsamic buttermilk ice cream.

In a hurry? Order the daily changing business lunch menu, which will take less than 59 minutes from sitting down to espresso.

Continue to 5 of 6 below.
05
of 06

Early at the cathedral

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+49 221 2613215

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Back in the city center, below the imposing Cologne Cathedral, you’ll find Früh am Dom. This traditional restaurant is housed in a former brewery and serves good old-fashioned German food on three different levels.

In addition to the main Brauhaus restaurant, you can dine in the brewery’s cozy vaulted cellar, or in the modern and airy Hof 18 restaurant on the second floor overlooking the cathedral. And like any good German restaurant, it comes complete with a beer garden in the warmer months.

Try the Cologne Caviar, a black pudding ( blutwurst ) served with onion rings and a rye and butter roll, or go for the Rheuer Sauerbraten , marinated beef with meatballs and stewed applesauce.

06
of 06

At Grandma Kleinmann’s

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Telephone

+49 221 232346

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Casual dining

4.4

You wish your grandmother was so cool. The namesake oma (grandmother), Paula Kleinmann, ran the kitchen into her 90s and the family restaurant still offers bargain prices and giant schnitzels with homemade sides.

Make a reservation as this local favorite is usually packed, especially during Karneval when the regulars dress up in costume.