Dining in Cologne

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Cologne is not a beautiful city in the classic sense, wide streets and outstanding architecture are scare, except of course, in the case of the cathedral. What makes Cologne interesting and attractive is its denseness. It is not very hard to explore the different areas of the city in one morning. At the same time Cologne is also a young city and its charm is partly due to diversity of the ethnic groups sharing the city. This is also reflected in the variety of restaurants - culinarily speaking almost every country of the world is represented here. The influence of a young clinetele and students have, however, had the most pronounced effect in forming the gastro-landscape of the city. Therefore, the dominant form of entertainment is a place that is not only restaurant but also bar and coffee shop.

Even though the nightlife areas are situated close together, each has its own atmosphere and clientele. The focal point of Colognes nightly entertainment used to be the South of the city. In the last couple of years, it has gradually shifted to the center and now the North, around the Ebertplatz, has gained the upper hand in nightly entertainment. The majority of new restaurants and bars in this area have no cause for complaint as far as volume of custom goes. However, this development does not mean the veteran areas have now fallen by the wayside, quite the contrary - everything is just that little bit quieter nowadays.

The Südstadt, around the Chlodwigplatz, still has a certain appeal - although not necessarily for wild nightlife. However, a lot of good restaurants are located in this area. The well-established La Patata on Alteburgerstraße is as popular now as it ever was. The Galestro, star of Colognes pasta universe, can still hold its own against Chins the most beautiful cocktail bar in town, which is located close by.

Student life rules area around Zülpicherplatz, the names of bars and subsequent owners change frequently, probably according to some secret plan that we are blissfully unaware of. Along Zülpicherstraße the glittering array of bars is only interrupted by a few snack-bars, some of them such, as the Ferkulum, have achieved cult status. Just a side street away from this backbone of student nightlife, is a downtown oasis of culinary delights; with Hotelux, Amabile and Zimmes around Rathenauplatz representing fine dining. The link between fine dining and liquid refreshment is bridged by the best cocktail bar in town, the "Rosebud", where one comes to see and be seen.

After dusk the Belgische Viertel, between Rudolfplatz und Friesenplatz, becomes the playing field of media folks, artists and those who are on their way to becoming one or the other. By day a rather peaceful neighborhood with coffee shops and galleries, by night it becomes a vertitable Eldorado for restaurant enthusiasts and clubber. Even though the interesting part of Friesenstraße is only 200 meters long, you'll find everything you need for a night well spent: Sushi, Tappas, Kölsch and beautiful people, the latter can be frequently encountered at places such as Arkadia. The Stadtgarten is the place for small but high quality concerts and boasts the most popular downtown beer garden.

Ebertplatz marks the northern point of the semi-circle that forms downtown Cologne. In the last couple of months, lots of bars and restaurants, some of them with unusual themes, have opened in this area. Among these, the Livree certainly stands out, especially in terms of atmosphere. A well kept secret is the Il Rugantino, located in a small side street off Ebertplatz. If you are looking for proof of this areas trendiness then pay Elektra a visit. The Bosporus on Weidengasse is synonymous with excellent Turkish cuisine, however this area offers plenty of other opportunities to get a great Turkish meal in any one of the many Turkish snack-bars.

Ehrenfeld which is otherwise not really blessed with good restaurants, is home to both Anders and Zeit der Kirschen.

Nippes, another blue-collar neighborhood, accomodates the Zum Kornbrenner - a great place to get to know the locals and a genuine traditional Kneipen. In addition to the aforementioned Turkish restauarnt at Weidengasse, the Merhaba also offers perfectly executed modern Turkish cuisine.

What Cologne lacks in terms of grandeur, it makes up for in its charm and zest for living. The Cologne way of life, not to take things too seriously and to enjoy life, can be best experienced in summer, when the beer gardens are open and life takes place on the streets.

Entertainment in Cologne

Cinema
The large cinema complexes are all found on or near to the Ring. Notable are the Cinedom, where premiers of international films are sometimes held, and the UFA Palast Kino Center between Rudolfplatz and Friesenplatz. There are plenty of smaller cinemas throughout Cologne. The Filmhaus, Lupe 2 and Broadway, on the Ehrenstrasse, usually show the most interesting films. English language original versions are mainly shown in the excellent Metropolis, as well as at the Cinemathek.

Comedy
Comedy is big in Cologne. Many German comedians make their debut here on the stages of the citys many theaters, such as the Comedia Colonia, the Senftöpfchen Theater ' and the famous Kaiserhof Theater on the Hohenzollernring. Many other theaters feature comedy, for example, the Theater am Sachsenring in the Südstadt or the Ateliertheater on Roonstrasse.

Museums
When you arrive at Köln Hauptbahnhof, you practically land in two of Colognes most important museum complexes. The Museum Ludwig is the citys main art museum. Right next door is the Römisch-Germanisches Museum, where you can marvel at ancient artifacts and excavations. At Neumarkt, you'll find the Josef-Haubrich Kunsthalle, where large traveling exhibitions are held. There is also an abundance of smaller museums and galleries. Still more art is to be seen on the walls of many cafés and bars, such as the ArtCafé and the Die Zeit der Kirschen. The unique Popdom is also worth a mention - an unusual museum of 60s and 70s design and pop music.

Classical Music
Classical Music is mainly presented in the Kölner Philharmonie, artists from around the world perform here. Concerts are held nearly every day, and every three years is the MusikTriennale Köln 2000, which this year has atttracted a lot of big names. The WDR television and radio brodcasting company holds classical concerts in their auditorium studio at Wallrafplatz performed by the Kölner Rundfunkorchester. The many free chamber music concerts by students of the Hochschule für Musik Köln also have a good reputation.

Rock/Pop/Jazz
There are many concert venues in Cologne. The huge Köln Arena in Deutz deserves a mention, as well as the large E-Werk and Palladium in Mülheim, the Live Music Hall in Ehrenfeld and the Prime Club near Barbarossaplatz. Good gigs for less money are held mainly in the MTC on Zülpicher Strasse and the Underground in Ehrenfeld. There is a big electronic music scene in Cologne, which is regularly featured at the Gebäude 9 in Deutz and the ARTheater. Jazz fans can find good live music in the Metronom and Em Streckstrump in the Altstadt, which has held more than 10,000 concerts!

Nightclubs
On the weekend, the many clubs along the Ring, between Zülpicherplatz and Christophstrasse, hold big events for a mainly younger crowd, sometimes featuring well known DJs. During the week, its a bit more relaxed. Most of the clubs have different themes, depending on the night. The price of admission varies considerably, but many don't charge any entry, for example the Underground.

Opera
The program at the Opernhaus Köln is very diverse, with emphasis on the old masters Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Wagner. It is found in the center of town, along with the Scahuspielhaus. Its also nice that smaller opera fans are taken into consideration; the tent-like construction of the Kinderoper in der Yakult-Halle, or childrens opera, enjoys great popularity.

Theater
Day in day out the theaters of Cologne offer an impressive program of events, from classics to modern theater of the 20th century. The main stages are the Schauspielhaus, the Schlosserei and the West-End-Theater. There are also many dedicated independent theaters. Good cabaret can be found at the Die Machtwächter and in the Senftöpfchen. The tickets for independent productions are relatively inexpensive, and the Schauspielhaus offers a last-minute box office and discounts for students.

Dining in Europe > Cologne
Hotels in Europe > Hotels in Germany > Cologne Hotels