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Restaurant- & Gasthausguide Deutschland 2024: The Best Restaurants in Cologne

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The vibrant city on the Rhine is known for its diverse cuisine. We present the best restaurants in the cathedral city.

Daniel Gottschlich's carefully devised taste journeys invite the senses to dance. The kitchen team constantly plays with textures, temperatures, ideas, presentation and expectations.

Mittleres Kranhaus, Im Zollhafen 18, 50678 Cologne, Germany

Marlon Rademacher's gourmet cuisine often relies on luxury products, which he weaves into catchy moments of pleasure with great dedication. It's easy to accept the remote location on the right bank of the Rhine.

Dellbrücker Hauptstraße 176, 51069 Cologne, Germany

Cologne's once plushest Michelin-starred restaurant has repositioned itself in recent years. Leon Hofmockel in particular is responsible for this with his extremely creative, exciting crossover gourmet cuisine.

Kyffhäuserstraße 53, 50674 Cologne, Germany

Gourmet restaurant with attitude and a clear focus on craftsmanship and products. The lack of a star has not detracted from the informal creations of the kitchen team led by Jan Maier and Tobias Becker.

Am Frankenturm 5, 50667 Cologne, Germany

With the highest standards of aesthetics and composition, Julia Komp brings the flavors of the wide world to the plate in a seamlessly conceived top cuisine. Every course looks like a painting.

Kämmergasse 18, 50676 Cologne, Germany

For Maximilian Lorenz, local flavors are an essential part of his culinary DNA. In two top menus - one of which is vegetarian - he conveys a new German food culture.

Johannisstraße 64, 50668 Cologne, Germany

The basement of the venerable grand hotel has been serving creative, top-quality East Asian cuisine for many years. Mirko Gaul's straightforward, modern style is also reflected in the ambience.

Domplatz/Trankgasse 1–5, 50667 Cologne, Germany

Roberto Carturan's artful interpretation of cucina italiana is less about show effects and more about impeccable product quality and classic simplicity. Purezza to perfection!

Tunisstraße 3, 50667 Cologne, Germany

Trendy restaurant with a great wine list. True to the motto "shared plates are double the pleasure", you can customize your program. There are a handful of hot and cold dishes to choose from.

Pfeilstraße 31–35, 50672 Cologne, Germany

In the five-course omakase menu, Kengo Nishimi skillfully breaks up traditional Japanese cuisine with international flavors, such as the ray with leek barigoule, tomato dashi and vadouvan.

Antwerpener Straße 15, 50672 Cologne, Germany

Following the move, the duo Sonja Baumann and Erik Scheffler now cook with significantly more space. What has remained is the focus on genuine, natural cuisine and the mix of breakfast and casual fine dining.

Pantaleonswall 27, 50676 Cologne, Germany

The best place is at the bar. There you can watch Enrico Sablotny and his team at work. The surprise menu - always creative, always aesthetically pleasing - is also available as a vegetarian option.

Darmstädter Straße 9, 50678 Cologne, Germany

Austrian delicacies in an elegant restaurant with a pretty terrace. The menu is divided into classic-traditional and refined-modern - à la carte at lunchtime and a three-course menu in the evening.

Clever Straße 32, 50668 Cologne, Germany

Even under new gastronomic management, the traditional "Gute Stube" in the time-honored Grand Hotel remains true to its guiding principles. Lars Wolf's French-Rhenish cuisine looks very familiar.

Trankgasse 1–5, 50667 Cologne, Germany

Located between the cathedral and the Rhine, this chic wine bar by Michelin-starred chef Maximilian Lorenz pays tribute to his grandfathers. German-Mediterranean bistro cuisine with a twist is served here.

Johannisstraße 64, 50668 Cologne, Germany

A piece of France in Cologne, and has been for over twenty years! The fresh, unpretentious brasserie cuisine - coq au vin, scallops, beurre blanc - goes well with the detailed, authentic ambience.

Alteburgerstraße 31, 50678 Cologne, Germany

Charming Italian bistro in the Agnes district with home-made pasta and a "compulsory" menu concept, whereby you are free to decide how many of the three or four courses are antipasti, primi or dolci.

Kasparstraße 19, 50670 Cologne, Germany

Somewhat hidden in a former chapel, this gourmet restaurant has a cozy terrace, but not much seating comfort. The cooking is old-school, more classic than creative and with an eye for detail.

Brüsseler Straße 26, 50674 Cologne, Germany

Probably Cologne's most stylish bistro concept delights fans with its unagitated product cuisine, such as free-range chicken with Albufera sauce or Faroe Islands salmon with green papaya and curry-lime foam.

Gereonskloster 8, 50670 Cologne, Germany

Established gourmet restaurant in a somewhat hidden city center location. Stars and starlets like to eat here just as much as fish lovers without celebrity status. At lunchtime, a slightly cheaper lunch is available.

Wolfsstraße 6–14, 50667 Cologne, Germany

Julia Komp likes to invite guests on culinary journeys of discovery. In her Mezze Bar - adjacent to the top restaurant - oriental culinary delights are celebrated in all their diversity.

Kämmergasse 18, 50676 Cologne, Germany

Long-established Japanese and sushi restaurant at a new address with a much more stylish interior. The cuisine offers a good mix of consistency and change, sashimi and crispy rolls.

Bachemer Straße 233, 50935 Cologne, Germany

Simply designed restaurant with traditional Japanese cuisine. In the evening, a five-course menu with a choice of very authentic starters and main courses is served. The lunch menu is also good.

Balduinstraße 10, 50676 Cologne, Germany

Food and drink keep body and soul together, even in this Cologne institution. The dining room and service outfit have not changed for decades, and the menu is also wonderfully retro.

Venloer Straße 236, 50823 Cologne, Germany

This corner restaurant in the south of Cologne has been spruced up with turquoise-painted columns and freshly upholstered chairs. The chef himself cooks here: visually artistic and tasty.

Wilhelmstraße 35a, 50996 Cologne, Germany