Hempies is a vegan bakery cafe restaurant in Belgisches Viertel, Cologne.
Hempies on Ehrenstrasse in Cologne's Neustadt serves organic, plant-based wraps, bowls and smoothies from a hemp-forward menu; an eco-certified quick-service.
Must order: Vegan cinnamon roll with oat-milk glaze and a flat white made from house-roasted beans
Tip: Popular for weekend brunch; the cinnamon rolls and Berliner sell out early. Arrive before 10:00 for the full selection.
Address: Händelstrasse 55, 50674 Köln, Cologne
Balthasar on Aachener Strasse in Cologne's Belgisches Viertel is a neighbourhood cafe-bistro serving all-day brunch, cakes and wine in a warm reliable room.
Order: Strammer Max, the open-faced rye bread with raw minced beef, fried egg and radish
Tip: Late-sleepers favourite; breakfast served until 16:00. Arrive by 11:00 on Sundays for a reasonable wait.
Mevlana on Keupstrasse in Cologne-Mülheim is the city's most acclaimed döner restaurant, run by the Turkish community at its most culturally concentrated.
Order: Mixed grill platter with lamb kofte, chicken shish and Adana kebab with flatbread
Tip: Open from 06:00 for breakfast through to 02:00. Keupstrasse has over 40 Turkish businesses; Mevlana is the most consistent.
Lommerzheim in Cologne-Deutz has served Kölsch and the city's most argued-over pork chop since 1959 in a room unchanged since opening; cash only, no pretence.
Order: The Kotelett, grilled pork chop with mustard and rye bread; the reason people queue for over an hour
Tip: Cash only. Arrive before 18:00 on weekdays or face a long wait. Traditional Kölsch service: glass replaced automatically until you put a coaster on top.
Café Reichard on Cologne's Unter Fettenhennen, beneath the Cathedral towers, is the city's most famous Konditorei, serving Kaffee und Kuchen since 1855.
Order: The Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte and a pot of Darjeeling at a terrace table facing the cathedral portal
Tip: Opens at 08:30. The terrace fills quickly in summer; arrive before 10:00 for a front-row cathedral seat.
Brauhaus Pütz in Cologne's Südstadt is a neighbourhood Brauhaus on Engelbertstrasse serving Kölsch, Halve Hahn and Rhenish classics in a traditional room.
Order: Bratwurst with Senf and Rievkooche on the side for the classic Kölsch starter plate
Tip: A residential neighbourhood Brauhaus without Cathedral-area tourist pricing. Good for a relaxed midweek lunch.
Balthasar on Aachener Strasse in Cologne's Belgisches Viertel is a neighbourhood cafe-bistro serving all-day brunch, cakes and wine in a warm reliable room.
Order: Strammer Max, the open-faced rye bread with raw minced beef, fried egg and radish
Tip: Late-sleepers favourite; breakfast served until 16:00. Arrive by 11:00 on Sundays for a reasonable wait.
Kebapland on Ehrenfeld's Venloer Strasse is Cologne's most praised charcoal döner address, serving lamb and mixed kebab from a proper Turkish mangal grill.
Order: Charcoal-grilled lamb skewer in a house-baked flatbread with tahini and herbs
Tip: Open until 01:00 on weekdays, 03:00 Friday and Saturday. The grill is visible from the street; follow the smoke.
