Haus Töller

Do you know what a "Thekenschaaf" is? It's Kölsch for "bar cabinet." In old, traditional Cologne breweries, it has always been the conventional seating and workspace for the innkeeper. Here, he oversees and manages the activities. The mostly semi-open wooden cubicle is his small office, from which he looks out onto the brewery life. Although the "Thekenschaaf" is rarely used for this original purpose anymore, the "bar," sometimes also called the confessional, still exists in some Cologne breweries.

The Haus Töller, with its classic rustic interior, coffered ceilings, and an original floor plan, is one of the few breweries where the Thekenschaaf is still in use. If you want to experience the old charm of a 19th-century Cologne inn: visit the Haus Töller.

How it can't be more authentic

Inside, the traditional layout of Cologne house breweries remains tangible: you don't immediately enter the guest room, but rather stand in the hallway, the taproom with the passage to the guest room. Here is also the Thekenschaaf and the barrel bench, where Päffgen Kölsch is freshly tapped after the barrel is hoisted up from the cellar through a floor opening with a chain hoist.

In earlier times, during the imperial city era, guests who were not allowed to enter the guest room, such as executioners and their assistants, tanners, or city soldiers, were allowed to drink beer in this "Schwemme."

The original guest room has 87 seats, with the hall added at the back accommodating 199 guests. Traditionally, the Köbes (waiter in a traditional brewery) comes by – and if you don't want any more Kölsch, place the lid on the beer glass. Just like everywhere in Cologne breweries.

Menu: hearty brewery cuisine

The menu is small, classic, and hearty: here you'll find classic Rhenish Sauerbraten or Halve Hahn (roll with a thick slice of cheese), as well as ham hock, roast beef, or pork schnitzel, tartare, and bratwurst. Many dishes are homemade, fresh, and of high quality, which also comes at a price. Those who want to avoid animal products will, also quite classically, find nothing here.

Since 2007, the house Kölsch has been the Päffgen Kölsch from the small Päffgen brewery. A special feature: the Päffgen is tapped from the barrel here. The rather limited beverage selection includes, in addition to juice and lemonade as well as other spirits, the in-house Töllerbrand.

History: Brewery since 1871

The traditional "Haus Töller" on Cologne's Weyerstraße looks back on a centuries-old history and is one of the oldest buildings in Cologne. Already built in the 14th to 15th century, it is located near the historic Weyertor and was once part of the important western exit road connecting Cologne with Trier and Luxembourg. The brewery got its name in 1871 from Theodor Töller, a legendary innkeeper known for his exceptional cleanliness. Despite wars, it remained almost undamaged, always attracting prominent guests, and today serves the rare Päffgen-Kölsch – a specialty that makes the house an authentic Cologne original.