Best Food in Cologne

Cologne’s food scene has so much to offer, from the famous Kölsch beer and simple but filling local German dishes, to varieties of international cuisines.

Below are the restaurants, cafes and the hall in the wall that I enjoy going when I’m in Cologne.

If you are looking for non-touristy attractions in Cologne, check out my 6 unique things to do in Cologne post 🙂

Cheap and very cheerful

Anya Imbiss (Formally Bistro Orient) | 13 Aachener Str.

Updated: December 2023

A little Middle-Eastern restaurant/take away near Rudolfplatz station. We normally go here for a falafel wrap which is only €3.50 and super fresh and tasty. Delicious falafels in every bite which are wrapped in a chewy flat bread with exactly the right amount of sauce and salad. Another thing we enjoy about this place is the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. It doesn’t matter if you are here only for a sandwich, you will still get a warm (and often peaceful) service all the same.

Rievkoochebud | Salzgasse 6 (Old Town)

Rievkoochbud is a little hole in the wall take away stand in the old town of Cologne, and they do one thing and one thing only – reibekuchen, and they do it VERY WELL. Reibekuchen are German potato fritters. If you have no idea what they are, think of a flat and round hash brown. However, as potatoes are cut in spaghetti like thinness, I would say reibekuchen are crispier on the outside and creamier on the inside compared to hash browns. They are often served with apple sauce.

This place is run by a chef-owner (= one person) and each order is made fresh. Simple, happy, heavenly utter perfection. If you think they are only potato fritters and they are all the same, you are wrong. You have not had reibekuchen until you had it at Rievkoochebud. We went THREE TIMES during our stay and tried all of their 5 sauces. 4 pieces = €3.50, 6 pieces = €4.50 and 9 pieces = €6.40.

Takezo | Mathiasstrasse 24-26

Takezo is an unassuming Japanese ramen noodle restaurant between Heumarkt station and the famous Chocolate museum. Takezo serves a good and hearty bowl of ramen at a reasonable price (from €10).

Their broth, which is the crucial element for good ramen, was so much better than many others we have had in Europe and London. The service is friendly and genuine. The restaurant’s décor is far from modern or fancy, which makes Takezo even cooler. It is like they don’t have to try hard to ‘look’ cool because they know they are good at what they are supposed to be good at – a tasty bowl of ramen that pretty much meets a general Japan standard.

Rossini | Eigelstein 143

Honest, comforting and tasty Italian food, big portions, convenient location – Rossini ticks all boxes. Located in Eberplatz area which is basically behind Dom central station. Super friendly and a bit rough around the edges service makes you think you might be in Italy! Most pasta and pizza dishes are around €10 and portions are pretty generous, so you won’t be leaving hungry.

Gelateria Porta Romana | Eigelstein 137

This ice cream shop is practically next to Rossini. We had many ice creams in Cologne during our stay, and we enjoyed their ice cream the best. We found them not too sweet, but still flavoursome as the taste of ingredients were more prominent. I think it was about €1.20 per scoop.

Mid Range

Masala Empire | Neptunplatz 6A

It is quite rare to find an Indian restaurant that serves both Northern and Southern Indian food. Although maybe a few steps shy from being called ‘being back in India’, there is no doubt Masala empire makes delicious Indian dishes. And I think they balance the need of both experienced spicy eaters and people with European pallet well. Service is excellent, and you must visit their Bollywood inspired toilet.

Located in quirky Ehrenfeld area just off the busy Venloer street.

Kaizen | Linden Str. 67

I have two words – ‘guilty pleasure‘. Why? Observe exhibit A:

That is right, FRIED SUSHI!

Well, actually, Kaizen is a pleasure without guilt. They are a fusion Japanese restaurant. Although they have some conventional Japanese favourites such as salmon sushi or gyoza, if you look at their menu, funky and uncharacteristically dazzling sushi rolls take centre stage. Their fried avocado roll is absolutely my favourite – sticky rice perfectly cooked, fragrance of nori seaweed, sweet sauce mixed with the fresh tanginess of pomegranate, all wrapped in the blissfuly crunchy tempura batter… I mean, why not?

Everything we ate was cooked with care and tasty, and made sense. Kaizen is living proof why restaurants and diners do not always have to be so obsessed with the idea of ‘authenticity’.

Not far from Rudolfplatz. Friendly service. The menu is more suited for sharing (Japanese izakaya style!)

Coffee (GOOD coffee)

Van Dyck Rosterei | Koerner Str. 43

A specialty cafe in trendy Ehrenfeld area. They have various coffee beans. The staff are friendly and brew coffee with such care. A single espresso is €1.50, but the portion is so tiny (probably about 2/3 of ‘normal’ single espresso?) I really do not see the point of it. Nonetheless, they do make really good coffee. I just recommend going for a double espresso which was around €2.50 so you can actually taste, appreciate and enjoy your coffee.

Heilandt | Bismarck Str. 41

Also a specialty cafe. Friendly and efficient service. Coffee is very good, but also tiny portion and the €1.80 single espresso will disappear the moment you put your lips to your cup. Ordering €2.40 double espresso is highly recommended.

Gallery 4 | Linden Str. 73

We learnt our lesson and ordered a double espresso at this specialty cafe (€2.50). They are a new kid in Cologne’s coffee scene and super passionate. They also may change their name at some point (so they said), so watch that space. Focusing only on coffee from Columbia. They have coffee with unique flavour profiles, so give them a go. Pretty much next to Kaizen (fried sushi!) restaurant.

Ralph Tonger | Various

The smallest mobile roastry in Cologne! This mobile cafe seems to appear in a couple of different markets, but I’m not too certain (here is their website). We went when they were in a food market behind St. Aposteln church near Neumarkt. A good solid espresso that’s brewed right and with confidence and conviction. €1.80 and normal sized portion (finally!)

Espresso Perfetto | Kolumba Str. 8

Another place to have a good solid espresso. Nothing too complex, but a reliable tasty cup of ‘normal’ sized espresso (€2.10) in a central and convenient location near Kolumba museum.

Ehrenfeld Cafe | Venloer Str. 176

If you like Turkish coffee (‘Türkischer Mokka’ in German), you must go here.

Yes, it is €3.50, but it’s worth it. They actually make Turkish coffee in the traditional way, meaning, on heated sand, slow cooked, constantly stirred and turned… This ritual was performed with such care and precision, yet peacefully and gracefully, signalling us to slow down and appreciate that moment. What’s remarkable about Ehrenfeld cafe is not only the elegant, fragrant and high quality Turkish coffee that they brew, but the warmth and serenity that the brewing process creates. Yes, this kind of communality is what the Turkish coffee ritual is supposed to be, but how often can you experience that in this part of the world? In the fast paced Western society, coffee is often all about ‘quick, grab, go!’

At the moment you can only sit outside on one of their two small benches. This is a tiny cafe with wonderfully artistic style and I’m looking forward to be able to sit inside sometime soon.

Wo ist Tom? (Where is Tom?) | Zülpicher Str. 309

This is a special mention as we did not have coffee here. Wo ist Tom? Is located in a lovely Sülz neighbourhood. They train and offer jobs to people with special needs. In fact, they have a ‘self tick’ ordering style where the customers tick their orders on the menu card and give it to a member of staff, a bit like a Chinese dim sum place. They don’t shout and scream about the ‘good cause’, they just do it which is wonderful, and it just is a lovely venue regardless with high ceiling, bright and open space and relaxed atmosphere. I hear really good things about their cakes and food items too, so I would like to have something to eat when I visit next time.

---

So there you have it, 7 restaurants and 7 cafes in Cologne Germany. But where is the German food you say? Well, the famous breweries such as Früh, Peters and Sion all do traditional German/Cologne food and they’re so ridiculously centrally located you simply can’t miss them. So I thought I would introduce some of my personal favourites and hidden gems – Guten appetit! 🙂

You may also like…

6 unique things to do in Cologne!