7 Local Cologne Dishes And Where To Try Them

Cologne’s simple and hearty local cuisine is best served with a cold glass of Kölsch. That said, some of the most popular dishes hide behind menu descriptions in flowery language that even Germans from outside the city struggle to understand. We explain seven of the most popular local foods and tell you where you can try them.

Halve Hahn

(Halber Hahn (Ger.) – ‘half a rooster’)

Spoiler: there’s no chicken in this dish, nor any meat for that matter. Halve Hahn is nothing more than a basic, yet very famous traditional sandwich and can be found on virtually every menu of Cologne’s brewhouses and traditional pubs. It’s an open-faced rye bun, spread with butter and topped with thick slices of gouda cheese and raw onion. In brewhouses, it’s customary to bring customers a plate with all ingredients, and you’ll make the sandwich yourself.

Himmel un Ääd

(Himmel und Erde (Ger.) – ‘heaven and earth’)

The name doesn’t give too much away, but becomes clearer after a brief explanation – ‘earth’ is mashed potatoes, while ‘heaven’ is a chunky apple puree. This simple dish is refined with onions, bacon strips and most importantly slices of fried black pudding, or Blootwoosch in Kölsch.

Hämmche

(Eisbein (Ger.) – salt-cured knuckle of pork)

Mettbrütche

(Mettbrötchen (Ger.) – bread roll with minced pork)

This dish is an all time favourite in Cologne, and people eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or in between. Those from outside the area and abroad sometimes shudder when they realise that the minced pork is raw. The meaty cousin of the Halve Hahn is essentially a slice of bread or a bread roll spread with butter, raw minced pork, raw onion and sprinkled with salt and pepper. If that’s too much for you, look for Kölsche Kaviar – a rye bun with blood pudding and mustard.

Try it at: Brauhaus Pütz, Engelbertstr. 67, Cologne, Germany, +49 221 2111 66

Rievkooche

Restaurant, German

(Reibekuchen (Ger.) – potato pancakes)

You’ll come across the potato pancakes on German Christmas markets, where they are usually served either plain or with apple sauce. Brewhouses, pubs and traditional restaurants in Cologne often pair the fritters with dark rye bread and salmon. If you would like to try this speciality, check the restaurant menu before visiting, as most only serve them one day a week.

Ähzezupp

(Erbsensuppe (Ger.) – pea soup)

The local pea soup variety is often the snack of choice during outdoor events, especially during the Karneval festivitieswhen the temperatures often are still freezing – pubs, restaurants and food stands sell the hearty and warming meal in to-go containers. Vegetarians should double-check that the dish doesn’t contain pork belly or bockwurst chunks.