Places to eat in Cologne

[MinnieMountain]

Can anyone who's been to Cologne recommend particular places to eat?

I'm going for a long weekend in February.

Recommendations for cafes/bakeries would be particularly appreciated.

There's a lot of nice places around the cathedral area and also I remember there was a pedestrianised street going north where there was a few places that led to a viaduct and square with a few casual restaurants (I've just looked on google maps and can't see where it was).

Anyway, I tend to just go by what I can see nearby when I'm there rather than trekking all over the place to somewhere particular. There was also a row of street food cabins along the river near the concert hall (but this was in summer so I don't know if it's year round).

But the other thing you need to be aware of is that many places don't take cards, or want cash for smaller purchases at least, so something to be prepared for.

That's reassuring @Bjorkdidit . I love German food so I wanted to make sure I don't miss anything.

I have found a highly rated bakery near the train station as in my experience bakeries at train stations are disappointing.

Funkhaus Cafe Bar Restaurant, which in turn is opposite Merzenich bakery that sells fabulous almond crusted pretzels to takeaway (reviews on TripAdvisor of the Merzenich cafe are dreadful!) and Cafe Reichard which has a fabulous shop with a chocolate counter and sells biscuits, etc. We had dinner in a traditional restaurant with carved light oak panelling - cannot find the name of it for love nor money, but it was on a corner in the old town. It might have been Peters, but the photos online don't look right.

Sounds like Peter's Brauhaus, Mulengasse 1. We enjoyed a couple of really nice meals there.

The touristic places are along the Rhein, but actually a couple are quite good. There’s an Italian one - but you need to walk a bit along from the Alte Stadt area.

In the Marktplatz/ alte Stadt area (very picturesque) there are a couple of pubs which do traditional Kölscher food. At Christmas their Pfannkuchen are excellent.

And there are some great Biergartens out near the university- but not so comfortable in February! Lots of funky places around and on the way to the university actually.

I liked Peter's Brauhaus

We went to a fab seafood restaurant over the river from the zoo called scampino

https://maps.app.goo.gl/52NT6XCb7vwsedxk7

Fab Japanese called Kaizen

https://maps.app.goo.gl/StDLTEV2PEC3Fruj7

Really lovely tapas place also good for brunch called Tapeo & Co is by a park the kids loved and there is a beer garden

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ddPcXnKqRrMGjCcH9

Think this was the Mexican we went to called Casita Mexicana. There's one in the Belgian quarter too
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1N9YEC2TBwWFUrLb9

We also had a lunch or brunch at funkhaus

We liked eating in the bakery in the station that has a window out onto the cathedral plaza. Very good view for cheap food

I hope you're going up the cathedral

Can also highly recommend a trip by tram and bus to phantasialand. So much fun

I love cologne

Yeah Köln is much more laid back than most big German cities.

As well as going up the Dom, do go to the Ludwigsmusee. One of the best 20th century art collections in Europe.

https://gaffelamdom.de/
We ate here on our first night- right besides the cathedral and surprisingly nice/ less touristy than expected. Also loved Cologne!

For a proper old school cafe, Cafe Wahlen on Hohenstaufenring. You don't work on your laptop or drink flat whites there. It's been there since 1911 and is a bit chintzy and where you go for coffee and gateau in the afternoon and to gossip about Aunt Bertha running off with the postman.

I love the sound of Cafe Wahlen.

I'll definitely go to the cathedral. My other plans are finding the ancient Roman bits and going to the Claudiustherme.

The Haxenhaus by the river is very good for traditional local food. Quite meaty though. Funkhaus as already mentioned. Dd's favourite was the Eiscafe Rafaello on the way to the Altermarkt.