Essers Gasthaus is an austrian restaurant in Ehrenfeld, Cologne.
Editorially verified May 29, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: An Ehrenfeld address off the Venloer Strasse strip; small dining room, no walk-ins accepted.
Guided tour · 2 hours
Discover the fascinating underground culture of street art on this walking tour of Cologne's Ehrenfeld district. See work from local and international artists and lear...
Guided tour · 2 hours
Dive into the colorful world of Cologne's street art scene on this guided walking tour with a local. Discover pieces of public art in the vibrant and multicultural Ehr...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Cologne's Agnesviertel on a guided food tour. Sample local specialties at markets, discover the neighborhood's favorite haunts, and learn the city's diverse cu...
Address: Ottostrasse 72, 50823 Koln, Cologne
Sattgrün on Friesenwall in Cologne is the city's leading vegan restaurant; a daily-changing menu that is one of Germany's most impressive plant-based.
Why locals goVegetarian food still flies under the radar for most of Cologne's food tourism coverage.
Bar Rix on Friesenwall in Cologne hosts free natural wine tastings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; a low-key room for discovering small European producers.
Why locals goNo food menu to attract attention; a pure wine destination that doesn't advertise.
Epicerie Boucherie on Elsassstrasse in Cologne's Südstadt is a French wine shop and bar serving vin naturel alongside charcuterie; a hidden find in a quiet.
Why locals goA hybrid wine shop-bar format that sits between categories; hard to find via standard dining searches.
Brauerei Paeffgen's chestnut-tree beer garden on Friesenstrasse is Cologne's most evocative summer drinking spot; hand-brewed Kölsch under the trees.
Why locals goThe chestnut garden is unmarked from Friesenstrasse and invisible unless you know to look.
Toddy Tapper on Schillingstrasse in Cologne's Agnesviertel is a South Asian cocktail bar mixing drinks with coconut toddy; small, skilled and off the map.
Why locals goIn the Agnesviertel away from the Belgian Quarter cocktail corridor; a destination, not a walkby.
Mandalay on Brüsseler Strasse 53 in the Belgisches Viertel is one of Germany's very few Burmese restaurants; evening-only, small room, Cologne Gastro Award.
Why locals goBurmese cuisine is almost absent from Germany; this is one of very few real Burmese kitchens in the country.
