If you are looking for an authentic place in Cologne to have a Kölsch and some traditional German food, you shouldn’t miss Haus Töller! Here you’ll hardly find bunches of tourists – instead it’s a spot where locals (from the 30-year-old hipster to the group of old men at the regulars’ table) come to drink, eat and talk. 

The food has a great reputation (it’s even mentioned in the Michelin Guide), but you should be a convinced meat-eater to appreciate the traditional “Hämchen” (leg of pork), the “Bratwurst bürgerlich” (plain sausage with mashed potatoes and carrots) and other meat-based dishes! As a vegetarian your choice is rather limited. There’s the typical “Halve Hahn” (rye roll with cheese and mustard) and “Romadur mit Garnitur” (a savoury and strong cheese baked in the oven with spices and black bread) or (my favorite!) the delicious “Rievkooche” (only on Fridays from 17:00 to 20:00). Enjoy the meals with a great Päffgen-Kölsch!

The actual Haus Töller is the successor of a series of former brewery taverns in the same place that date back to the 14th century. The beautiful building is also from this era. The interior is vintage with many old black and white photographs, hand-written notes and maps on the wall, and there’s still one of the so-called “confessionals” – a wooden cabin, from which the owner of the brewery house used to observe his “Köbeses” (waiters) and the hustle and bustle in the taproom.