Gastronomy in Cologne

Some things don’t change. And that’s good news, especially with regard to Cologne’s brewery restaurant culture. When the Köbes comes by with his round tray of Kölsch beer and the Sauerbrauten is steaming on the table, you know the city’s traditions and history are alive and well. That’s when things get snug and cosy, and that’s how it ought to be. In a brewery restaurant, everyone’s encouraged to chat and clink glasses with everyone else — with a Kölsch beer, which is a little bit different depending on the brewery, but always brewed according to the German Purity Law passed in 1516. You can hear more about this history if you join a brewery restaurant tour, for example. After sampling the food and drink of the various restaurants, quite a few people discover their favourite brewery restaurant for many happy returns — whether it’s near the Cathedral, in Friesenstraße or in the Altstadt (Old Town).