The Best Beer Gardens In Cologne

As soon as the first rays of sunshine appear, the people in Cologne swap seats in their dim corner pub for a wooden bench in one of the city’s beer gardens and indulge in local foods and cold Kölsch. Here’s our guide to 10 of Cologne’s best beer gardens.

1. Stadtgarten

Restaurant, Mediterranean

This leafy beer garden has arguably the prettiest setting in Cologne. Right on the city’s green belt, guests sit shrouded by large chestnut trees, away from the busy Venloer Straße. The Mediterranean food is fantastic, the staff is very attentive and the beer cold. At the end of November, the Christmas market opens, fairy lights illuminate the trees and wooden huts open up selling crafty things, delicious foods and mulled wine.

Choice of Kölsch: Gilden

2. Hellers am Volksgarten

Gastropub, European

This idyllic beer garden is situated right next to the pond in the Volksgarten park, the most popular green space in Cologne’s south. It’s a great place to relax in the sun and an even better place to rent a paddleboat and venture across the 14-acre lake. Hellers beer garden offers seasonal dishes, schnitzel, steaks and pasta along with their homemade sauces, but the real treat is their organic beer.

(Obvious) choice of Kölsch: Hellers

3. Aachener Weiher Biergarten

Gastropub, Pizzeria, European, Fast Food, BBQ

In the warmer months, the green areas around Aachener Weiher pond become one of the city’s most popular hangouts. Locals, tourists and students escape the buzzing city centre, which is just around the corner, to have BBQs, sunbathe or play sports. The beer garden at the foot of Hiroshima-Nagasaki Park serves hearty German meals, pizzas and cold beers and is a great spot to soak up the atmosphere.

Choice of Kölsch: Gaffel

5. Odonien

Gastropub, Nightclub, European

The Odonien is many things: an artist’s workshop, nightclub, a location for concerts, plays, flea markets, festivals and cultural exchange. And a beer garden. Surrounded by green plants and rusty metal sculptures by artist Odo Rumpf, the location is unique. On the menu are tarte flambée, salads and hamburgers – or you order some raw meat and sausages and fire up one of the BBQs available yourself.

Choice of Kölsch: Sion

6. Playa

Bar, Restaurant, European

The Playa is a combination of a beach bar and beer garden, open year-round and particularly popular among sporty types. The sitting area overlooks five beach volleyball courts which can be rented by the hour and in winter, an ice rink for skating and curling covers the sandy pits. The restaurant serves a choice of burgers, including vegetarian options and salads.

Choice of Kölsch: Sion

7. Herbrand’s

Cocktail Bar, Gastropub, Pizzeria, European, Vegan, Vegetarian

The Herbrand’s is an old-established venue and has one of Cologne’s largest beer gardens with 1,000 seats. Green plants dotted around the copious outside area provide a cosy atmosphere. Various snacks, pizza, pasta, burgers and steak can be ordered from the bar. The menu changes seasonally but always includes a vegetarian and vegan option. If you get tired of beer, a selection of cocktails is also available.

Choice of Kölsch: Gaffel

8. Rheinterassen

Restaurant, Gastropub, European

Located on the right side of the Rhine, the Schäl Sick, the Rheinterassen beer garden offers a great view of Cologne’s skyline. Guests can pick a seat on either their long wooden benches or, if lucky, snatch one of the comfy beach chairs. On Sundays, the garden opens at 12 noon and is a popular lunch locale. A stroll over Love Lock Bridge takes you back to the city centre.

Choice of Kölsch: Sion

9. Maybach

Restaurant, European, Vegetarian, German

On site of a defunct freight yard, the Maybach is known for its unique setting and a crossover cuisine ranging from sophisticated risotto to no-frills Bratwurst with potato mash. Their Sunday brunch is particularly popular.

Choice of Kölsch: Gaffel

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.