Rhine Sauerbraten: beef marinated for 3 to 7 days in wine vinegar, onion, bay and cloves, braised until tender and finished with a sweet-sour sauce of raisins and Lebkuchen crumbs.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Sauerbraten dates to the medieval German tradition of preserving meat in acid, with regional variants developing across the country. The Rhineland version, traditionally made from horse meat until the 20th century shift to beef, is defined by its sweet-sour finish with raisins and crumbled Lebkuchen (gingerbread). The dish has been the canonical Cologne Sunday roast in Brauhäuser since the 19th century. Served with Kartoffelklösse (potato dumplings) and braised red cabbage.
Common allergens: Gluten
Tip from the editors. The 5-day marinade is the dish; anything under 72 hours gives a flat Sauerbraten. Lebkuchen is essential for the Rhenish version; molasses won't substitute.
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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