The Rhine Sauerbraten is made from beef marinated for 3-7 days in wine vinegar, onion, bay leaf and cloves before braising until tender. The Rhineland version is served with a sweet-sour sauce made from raisins, gingerbread crumbs (Lebkuchen) and the marinade. Served with Kartoffelklösse (potato dumplings) and red cabbage. The definitive Cologne meat dish.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Brauerei zur Malzmühle on Cologne's Heumarkt has brewed Mühlen Kölsch since 1858 and once served Bill Clinton; consistently fresh pours in the Altstadt.
Order: Halve Hahn, the traditional rye roll with aged Gouda, alongside a freshly tapped Mühlen Kölsch
Tip: Monday to Thursday from 14:00, Friday to Sunday from noon. Less tourist-heavy than the Cathedral-adjacent Brauhäuser.
Peters Brauhaus on Mühlengasse in Cologne's Altstadt serves Peters Kölsch alongside Rhenish classics 350 metres from the Cathedral in a wood-panelled room.
Gaffel am Dom at Cologne's main station forecourt pours Gaffel Kölsch from 10-litre table taps facing the Cathedral; Friday sing-alongs from 22:30.
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