Spending four days in Cologne meant that we literally ate our way around the city. We sampled traditional dishes as well as international cuisines. I think working in London has turned me into a massive food snob and I struggle to find food that hits my high standards. But Cologne did well. It's not the best food I've ever tasted but it hit the spot and I don't think we had a dud meal. So where did we stuff our fat faces?!
Beruit
I had wanted to try Lebanese food for a while but just never got round to it. When we found that a restaurant in the top 20 on TripAdviser was just a five minute walk from our hotel, it was fate that we finally got a chance to sample the cuisine. Tucked away down a side street, this unassuming restaurant doesn't really look much from the outside and it's tiny. It was packed but luckily we soon found a table. As complete novices we had no idea what to order so we opted for the sample menu which consisted of different hot and cold meze to start, lamb skewers with flatbreads and a milky pudding for dessert. It was such a feast - so much so we had to leave at 8.30 to have a lay down at the hotel. Definitely somewhere to put top of your list if you ever make it to Cologne.
Brauhaus Sunner Im Walfisch
After googling the best pork knuckle in the city, the dish at this beer hall was in 4th or 5th place. It was a stones throw away from our hotel so it won. The atmosphere was buzzing with locals and tourists enjoying themselves. We didn't even need to look at the menu, already knowing exactly what we wanted to order. The gigantic tender pork knuckle came with creamy mash potato, thick sweet gravy and a mountain of sauerkraut. The meat fell off the bone and the crackling was perfection. Definitely somewhere to go for a quick casual dinner or lunch.
For our first meal in the city I was determined to hunt down some traditional German grub. We opted for the nearest beerhall we could find in our Lonely Planet bible. What a good choice it was. This no nonsense, no frills restaurant was the perfect place to have our foodie introduction to Cologne. Although the waiter misheard my boyfriend's order and brought him the wrong food. But being the Brits we are, we never complained and it turned out to be a great alternative - he was glad of the mix up! The food's never going to win any gourmet prizes but it's comfort food at it's finest.
Burgerlich
I'm a sucker for a gimmick and a sucker for a burger. So when I came across a restaurant on my research where you can order on a pop up touch screen, I was sold. I popped it on my list of paces to try if we were ever in that area. After a mammoth day of walking, it turned out we were in the area so decided it was worth a sort. While its not the best burger I've ever eaten, it was a solid 7. The very sweet brioche bun soaked up the medium patty, beef tomato, gooey American cheese and crispy bacon to a tee. The shoestring fries were incredibly addictive and the chilli mayo was a thing of beauty.
La Bodega Tapas Bar
This tapas bar was once again on our list of places to go if we were in the area. We'd had a few beers in a beer hall nearby and decided to opt for a late dinner. After grabbing one of the last tables in the restaurant we set about trying to recreate what we ate in Barcelona. Now it wasn't quite the same as the Catalan city but it was pretty good. We ordered a selection of cream cheese stuffed peppers, a platter of cured meats, spicy patatas bravas and Spanish omelette. I'm still dreaming about those stuffed peppers now.
