Rhine mussels steamed in white wine with onion, celery, leek and parsley. Served in the deep pot, with crusty bread and cold Kölsch, from September through April.

Cologne's position on the Rhine made river and coastal seafood a historical part of the city's diet, and the Rhenish tradition of cooking mussels in Mosel or Rheingau Riesling persists in Brauhäusern. The mussel season runs September to April (months with an R in German), tied to North Sea and Belgian-Dutch coastal harvests delivered overnight by truck. Peters Brauhaus and Brauerei zur Malzmühle plate the canonical version with rye bread for soaking the broth.

Where to eat Muscheln in Weißwein in Cologne

3 editor picks for Muscheln in Weißwein in Cologne, ranked by editorial score. All Cologne signature dishes · Muscheln in Weißwein across every city.

  • Lommerzheim

    Order The Kotelett, grilled pork chop with mustard and rye bread; the reason people queue for over an hour

    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.

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  • Brauerei zur Malzmühle

    Order Halve Hahn, the traditional rye roll with aged Gouda, alongside a freshly tapped Mühlen Kölsch

    Brauerei zur Malzmühle on Cologne's Heumarkt has brewed Mühlen Kölsch since 1858 and once served Bill Clinton; consistently fresh pours in the Altstadt.

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  • Peters Brauhaus

    Order Himmel un Ääd: blood sausage with mashed potato and apple sauce, the most Cologne dish on the menu

    Peters Brauhaus in Cologne's Altstadt serves hearty Rhenish brewery food alongside Peters Kölsch 350 metres from the Cathedral in a wood-panelled room.

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Make it at home

Serves 430 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 3kg live mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 2 large onions, finely diced
  • 1 leek (white and pale green only), finely sliced
  • 3 celery sticks, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 500ml dry Riesling or other dry white wine
  • 1 bay leaf, 6 white peppercorns
  • 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Black pepper
  • Rye bread and cold butter to serve

Method

  1. Discard any mussels with broken shells or any that stay open when tapped firmly.
  2. Melt the butter in a very large pot. Soften the onions, leek and celery over medium heat for 10 minutes without colour.
  3. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the wine, add the bay and peppercorns, and bring to a hard boil.
  5. Tip in the mussels, cover the pot, and steam over high heat 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the pot once.
  6. Lift the lid: the mussels should be open. Discard any that stayed shut.
  7. Stir in most of the parsley and a generous grind of pepper.
  8. Tip the mussels and all the broth into a deep serving pot and place in the centre of the table. Bring extra bowls for shells, rye bread for the broth, and cold Kölsch.

Editor tip. Never salt the broth; the mussels release plenty of seawater as they open. Cook them no more than 6 minutes; overcooked mussels shrink to chewy nubs.

Common allergens: Molluscs, Gluten.