New to Cologne and hungry? There are more breweries, noodle bars, and beer bars between the cathedral and the Rhine than you can visit in a weekend. Here are the favorite places of our teams.
These tips come from our Guest Managers at the Opera and in Mülheim. These are the addresses to which they send their guests themselves: 15 locations, sorted by occasion, from the first coffee to the last Kölsch. For breakfast we have our own guide: Breakfast in Cologne.
Kölsch or Ramen. Brewery or brasserie. Cathedral or Mülheim Freedom Square.
You decide. always with <3
Cologne is located on both sides of the Rhine. On the left is the city center with the cathedral, breweries, and the Belgian quarter; on the right is Mülheim with cafés and restaurants around Mülheimer Freiheit. No matter which of our two locations you start from: by train you are on the other side in a quarter of an hour.
Breakfast in Mülheim
The first coffee
Breakfast is the question that our team in Mülheim hears most often. The short answer is here, the long one in our guide Breakfast in Cologne.
Café Jakubowski
The breakfast tip from our team in Mülheim. The café on Mülheimer Freiheit serves breakfast, sandwiches, salads and burgers. Great for a quiet start before heading to the fair or into the city.
Brewery and evening entertainment
Kölsch, Köbes, Jazz
At the brewery, the Köbes, as the waiter here is called, will bring you the next Kölsch without asking. If you don’t want any more, you put the beer mug on the glass. Our after-work tips are all located in the city center.
Peters Brewery
Our team's after-work tip at the Opera. A classic Cologne brewery with Rheinish cuisine, right in the city center. Here you can sit with your Kölsch among Cologne residents and guests from all over.
- Address
- Mühlengasse 1, 50667 Cologne
- Web
- peters-brauhaus.de
Gaffel am Dom
Right on the station forecourt, with the cathedral in view. Our team at the opera sends guests here when things get later in the evening or when they need to leave quickly.
- Address
- Bahnhofsvorplatz 1, 50667 Cologne
- Web
- gaffelamdom.de
Papa Joe's Em Stretch Thong
Kölsch and jazz at the Buttermarkt. Our team at the Opera recommends the jazz venue for a drink after work.
- Address
- Buttermarkt 37, 50667 Cologne
Brauhaus Päffgen
Päffgen brews his own Kölsch and serves Kölsch cuisine. Our team at the opera calls it that when it gets late in the evening.
Quick and late
For long exhibition days
For late trains and long exhibition days. Gaffel am Dom and Päffgen can be found at the top of the brewery section.
Five Guys Cologne Dom
Burgers and fries near the cathedral. Our team's quick tip at the opera: no more brewery tours after this.
Dinner
Business dinner or table for one
Two addresses for the question of where a business dinner works and where you can have dinner alone in the evening without it being weird.
Augustin
Modern brasserie with German-French cuisine; in the morning it also serves breakfast and brunch. Both teams recommend Augustin as a hidden gem; the team at the opera also recommends it for business lunches and for dinner alone.
Restaurant Limbourg
Modern French cuisine with menus listed in the Michelin Guide. Our team in Mülheim recommends Limbourg for business meals. Plan your train journey; the restaurant is on the other side of the Rhine.
Insider tip
Belgian Court
Brasserie · Belgian Quarter · French-German
A brasserie with French-German cuisine on Brussels Street, right in the Belgian quarter. Our personal tip if you want to eat really well after the opera.
Our team at the opera
Address: Brüsseler Straße 54, 50674 Cologne
Web: belgischer-hof.de
Asian cuisine
Noodles, sushi, Thai
Cologne can be Asia. The favorite store of both teams looks nothing like it from the outside and is really good.
Bai Lu Noodles
Noodles in the Palm Street style of Chongqing. When asked which shop looks like nothing at all from the outside and is really good, both teams name Bai Lu.
- Address
- Palmstraße 41, 50672 Cologne
Kuchi Mami
Asian fusion with sushi and Thai dishes on Komödienstraße. Our team's dinner recommendation from the opera house.
- Address
- Komödienstraße 43, 50667 Cologne
Tomoki Restaurant
Vietnamese classics and sushi at Formesstraße in Mülheim. Our team there sends guests here for dinner.
- Address
- Formesstraße 2, 51063 Cologne
Bali Restaurant
Thai cuisine at Brüsseler Platz. A secret tip that both teams recommend.
- Address
- Brüsseler Platz 2, 50672 Cologne
Only in Cologne
What you get here only
„Mega Sandwiches.“
Our team at the opera to the question of what one can only get in Cologne
Fine lace & gold
These are the sandwiches from Feinripp & Gold on Ehrenstraße. A secret tip for both teams – perfect for a lunchtime treat in the city.
- Address
- Ehrenstraße 43c, 50672 Cologne
- Web
- feinrippundgold.de
Palm garden
Restaurant, beer garden and wine bar at the Stadthalle Mülheim, the first ostrich farm in Cologne according to their own statement. Our team in Mülheim recommends the Palmengarten for an evening out.
- Address
- Jan-Wellem-Straße 2, 51065 Cologne
- Web
- palmengarten.koeln
Distances to our locations
Your ipartment, your radius
Frequently asked questions
In Mülheim, our team recommends the Café Jakubowski on Mülheimer Freiheit. You can find more addresses for both locations in our guide. Breakfast in Cologne.
The Köbes brings you a new glass as soon as yours is empty. If you no longer want anything, you place the beer lid on top of the glass.
You get an entire apartment instead of a room, with its own kitchen and living area. Like in a hotel, you check in around the clock and can reach us at any time personally. There is no breakfast buffet, bar, or room service. In exchange, you have more space and more peace and quiet.
