Cologne's Ehrenfeld: Best Places To Eat

Ehrenfeld, Cologne's trendy quarter, is known for its street art, nightlife, and cultural diversity, and its culinary scene is just as vibrant. From French and Portuguese tapas to Buddha bowls and Schnitzel, Ehrenfeld offers a variety of dining options to satisfy any craving. Whether you're looking for cosy cafes, vegan restaurants, or international cuisine, Ehrenfeld has something for everyone. The area is also home to a variety of ethnic restaurants, including Greek, Italian, and African cuisine. So, if you're wondering where to eat in Ehrenfeld, Cologne, here are some options to consider.

Vegan and vegetarian options

Ehrenfeld in Cologne is known for its diverse culinary scene, with plenty of vegan and vegetarian options to choose from. Here are some top spots to check out:

Bunte Burger

This vegan burger joint has won over Ehrenfeld's omnivores and vegetarians with its creative and delicious vegan burgers. Expect unexpected ingredients like polenta patties and pulled jackfruit. Bunte Burger is a great choice for those seeking a vegan burger fix.

Oskar Jäger Deli

Oskar Jäger Deli offers a weekly changing menu featuring salads, soups, quiches, and a vegetarian option. Their Speisesalon catering service opened this deli due to high demand, and it's a perfect spot for a quick, healthy lunch.

Café Rotkehlchen

This café, with its vintage furniture and beautiful tiled floor, serves vegan treats like lachsbrötchen (salmon sandwiches), cakes, tarts, cupcakes, and more. They also offer breakfast and lunch options like salads, soups, and quiches. Café Rotkehlchen is a charming spot for vegans with a sweet tooth.

Virtuous Pie

Virtuous Pie serves vegan comfort food, including pizza, mac and cheese, and ice cream. With nine different pizza varieties, gluten-free options, and creative flavours like "Pesto CBR" and "Stranger Wings", it's a must-visit for pizza lovers.

Vegan 365

Vegan 365 offers a wide range of options beyond just curry and rice noodles. Try their Nam Kho To, a Vietnamese-style aromatic stew with mushrooms, soy chunks, and pepper sauce, or their Magic Rolls—grilled tofu and soy strips wrapped in aromatic Betel leaves.

Goldmund Literatur Cafe

Goldmund Literatur Cafe serves food throughout the day, from breakfast to dinner. While it caters to omnivores, vegetarians can enjoy quiche, salads, and Thai curries. It's also a great spot to just sip on a coffee and browse their bookshelves.

Maifeld

Maifeld is a corner café and restaurant serving food all day. While not exclusively vegetarian, they offer a range of veggie-friendly options like soups, salads, burgers, and Buddha bowls.

Bagatelle Ehrenfeld

This quaint and cosy restaurant serves French tapas with small portions of quiche, boeuf bourguignon, and beetroot carpaccio. It's a lovely spot for a romantic evening or a catch-up with friends.

Spaccanapoli

Spaccanapoli serves perfect Neapolitan-style pizza, with 13 veggie and five vegan options, as well as calzones. For dessert, indulge in their pistachio tiramisu, which is not too sweet, and pair it with a glass of wine from their selection.

Falafel Food Revolution

Although this place might not catch your eye from the outside, it's worth stepping into Falafel Food Revolution for their unique, donut-shaped falafels, which are extra crispy. They also serve delicious, affordable vegan treats like baklava.

Tantuni Haus

Tantuni Haus is a great spot for vegan Lahmacun and Pide. They offer delicious, cheap vegan options, including Tantuni Dürüm, sandwiches, and plates.

Eat Kumpir

Eat Kumpir is a Turkish eatery that serves baked potatoes with various toppings and fillings. You can choose from salads, pastes, vegetables, or meat options, and they also offer a vegan version of their dish.

LizBät

LizBät specialises in crêpes with countless sweet and savoury fillings. They have 14 vegetarian variations and several vegan options, including a vegan Bolognese filling. Enjoy your crêpe in their idyllic courtyard with a glass of Kölsch or wine.

Masala Empire

Masala Empire offers modern Indian cuisine without the usual ethnic kitsch. They have a wide range of vegan and vegetarian options, as well as a lunch special during the week. Enjoy your meal on their large terrace with a view of Neptunbad.

Hanoi Vegan

Hanoi Vegan offers a fully vegan Vietnamese menu, including bowls, soups, curries, and appetisers. They also serve cocktails and house-made lemonades, as well as freshly tapped Heinenhof-Wiess.

These options showcase the variety and quality of vegan and vegetarian dining in Ehrenfeld, Cologne, ensuring that everyone can find delicious food to suit their tastes.

International restaurants

Ehrenfeld in Cologne is known for its street art, nightlife, and diverse culinary scene. The area offers a variety of international restaurants, each with its own unique character and specialties. Here are some notable mentions:

Bagatelle Ehrenfeld

This quaint and cosy restaurant serves French tapas. Expect delicious small portions of quiche au saumon, boeuf bourguignon, and beetroot carpaccio.

Saudade

A small, welcoming café with a fantastic selection of Portuguese wines and tapas. The menu includes local specialties such as Bacalhau (dried and salted cod) and Bitoque (Portuguese steak with fried eggs). You can also purchase local treats like olive oil, honey, and marmalade to take home.

Maifeld

Maifeld is a corner café and restaurant that is open all day. It offers a range of dining options, from a typical German breakfast to soups, salads, burgers, and tarte flambées for lunch. For dinner, they serve healthy Buddha bowls, Moroccan roast chicken, and various fish dishes.

Bunte Burger

This vegan burger joint has won over both omnivores and vegetarians in Ehrenfeld. They offer creative burgers with unexpected ingredients like polenta patties and pulled jackfruit.

Oskar Jäger Deli

This deli offers a weekly changing menu with salads, soups, quiche, and daily meat and vegetarian options. It is only open for lunch during the week.

Haus Scholzen

A rustic yet chic German restaurant serving hearty traditional dishes. The menu changes daily but includes local specialties like Rievkooche, Soorbrate, and Flönz. They use fresh, seasonal ingredients and meat, fish, and produce.

Shepler's

An American-Italian Tex-Mex restaurant dedicated to serving authentic southern food. Meat lovers can choose from spare ribs, chicken wings, steak, and burgers, while vegetarians can opt for baked potatoes or a veggie burger.

Café Sehnsucht

One of Ehrenfeld's most popular cafés, known for its excellent organic food and homely atmosphere. They serve fresh bread, eggs, french toast, salads, focaccias, risotto, steak, and delicious cakes and coffee throughout the day.

Italian restaurants

Ehrenfeld in Cologne is home to several Italian restaurants, each offering a unique dining experience. Here are some top Italian dining spots in the area:

Moto 59 Foodgarage Köln

Moto 59 Foodgarage Köln is an Italian restaurant located in the heart of Ehrenfeld. They offer a range of classic Italian dishes such as pizza and pasta, as well as a "spitzenburger" (a type of burger). The restaurant also serves fine espresso, hand-picked Italian wines, and unique cocktails. The atmosphere is casual and inviting, making it a perfect spot for a relaxing meal with friends or family.

Caruso Pastabar

Caruso Pastabar is a cosy Italian restaurant in the Agnesviertel neighbourhood of Ehrenfeld. The restaurant exudes a relaxed atmosphere, and the chefs focus on creating innovative Italian dishes with a special emphasis on fresh pasta. Many of the recipes are old family traditions, ensuring an authentic dining experience.

Il Bagutta

Il Bagutta is an Italian restaurant in the Neustadt-Süd neighbourhood of Ehrenfeld. The restaurant prides itself on presenting culinary delights of the highest quality, showcasing their favourite dishes and fine wines. Whether it's a cosy family dinner, a romantic date, or a corporate event, Il Bagutta aims to make everyone feel at home.

Viaa

Viaa is an authentic Italian restaurant located in the beautiful Veedel Braunsfeld area of Ehrenfeld. The restaurant offers a wide range of classic Italian dishes, including pasta, antipasti, fish, and meat options. The wine selection is exceptional, and the drinks menu features a loving array of cocktails. Viaa is a perfect spot for a family meal, with something to suit everyone's taste.

Grissini Restaurant

Grissini Restaurant is an Italian restaurant in Deutz, Ehrenfeld, boasting a unique location with a stunning view of the Cologne Cathedral and the Altstadt. The restaurant, led by chef Antonello Marsico, offers an exquisite Italian menu with fresh meat and fish dishes, creative pasta dishes, and sweet treats. The service is renowned for its family-like warmth, and the wine selection is perfectly curated to complement the culinary delights.

Nonna Napoli Ehrenfeld

Nonna Napoli Ehrenfeld is a cosy, casual, and dog-friendly Italian restaurant in Ehrenfeld. They offer lunch, dessert, dinner, and Sunday lunch options. The restaurant provides a welcoming atmosphere and is a perfect spot to enjoy traditional Italian cuisine with loved ones.

German restaurants

Ehrenfeld in Cologne is known for its street art, nightlife, and mix of cultures, and its culinary scene is just as vibrant and diverse. Here are some German restaurants to check out:

Haus Scholzen

Haus Scholzen is a traditional German restaurant in the heart of Ehrenfeld. The menu changes daily, but you can expect to find local specialties such as Rievkooche, Soorbrate, and Flönz. The chef uses only fresh and seasonal ingredients, and the restaurant is known for its cosy atmosphere. It is recommended to make a reservation.

Maifeld

Maifeld is a corner café and restaurant serving German cuisine with a no-fuss dining style. They offer a typical German breakfast with a range of bread, cheese, sandwich meats, and spreads. For lunch, they serve soups, salads, burgers, and tarte flambées. Dinner options include healthy Buddha bowls, Moroccan roast chicken, and various fish dishes.

Restaurant Pöttgen

Restaurant Pöttgen serves German and European cuisine at moderate prices. It offers a welcoming atmosphere and is known for its good value. The menu includes dishes such as turkey steak with ham, and they have a selection of craft beers.

Kaffeebud Ehrenfeld

Kaffeebud Ehrenfeld is a café serving German food and coffee. It is described as a hidden gem by some, and it is known for its friendly staff.

Glashaus Restaurant

The Glashaus Restaurant in Deutz offers German cuisine with a unique view of the Rhine, the Hohenzollern Bridge, and the Cologne Cathedral. The restaurant specialises in unconventionally prepared dishes made from fresh and sustainable ingredients. They also offer a wide range of wines.

Mediterranean restaurants

Ehrenfeld in Cologne is known for its street art, nightlife, and mix of cultures, and its culinary scene reflects this diversity. Here are some of the best Mediterranean restaurants in the area:

Delicato Foodservice & Kitchen Bar

Located in the Ehrenfeld area, Delicato offers a casual dining experience that is also good for groups. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dessert, and dinner, and has a 5.2/5 rating from 97 reviews.

Brot, Wein, Fisch und...

Also located in Ehrenfeld, this Mediterranean restaurant serves lunch, dessert, dinner, and cake and coffee. It has a casual atmosphere, is open on Sundays, and is good for groups. The restaurant has earned a rating of 5.4/5 from 15 reviews.

Piccola l Giglio's Ehrenfeld

This restaurant, located in the Ehrenfeld area, serves pizza, lunch, dessert, dinner, and Sunday lunch. It has a rating of 5.2/5 from 27 reviews.

PULS

PULS is a restaurant in the heart of Cologne's Altstadt (Old Town) that offers creative à-la-carte dishes and a casual atmosphere. The menu features a variety of options, including meat, fish, vegetarian, and vegan choices. The restaurant transforms into a cool bar with unique cocktail creations in the evening.

Heising & Adelmann

Located in Altstadt/Nord, Heising & Adelmann combines a restaurant and bar, dining and partying, and excellent food with an incomparable atmosphere. The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine with a Kölsch twist, and the staff are attentive and charming. On weekends, the venue transforms into one of the hottest party spots in Cologne.

Phaedra Restaurant

Phaedra, located in Neustadt-Süd, offers an unusual selection of food and drinks. The menu includes specially crafted, appetising Mezze, as well as daily fresh small dishes with different flavours. They offer Mediterranean fish from sustainable sources and meat from animals raised in organic and responsible farming. Desserts with an oriental touch complete the dining experience. The wine list features classic, well-known wines, as well as lesser-known reds and whites from winemakers who have gained a great reputation among connoisseurs.

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