“Where is the best place for brunch in Cologne?” It’s a simple enough question, but with a lot of different answers. Luckily, Cologne has plenty of great spots for brunch, which can be a perfect addition to your city break. Whenever I have friends visiting, we almost always go for a nice big brunch on a Sunday morning followed by a bit of a walk. Ideal.
When it comes to German breakfasts, the stereotype is always of boring cold meats and cheeses. (And to be truthful, there is a fair bit of that on offer.) But German brunch is also about beautiful freshly baked bread – and all places will also have a great offering of cooked dishes and plenty of veggie options too!
Brunch in Germany is often a big family affair (I always notice a lot of grandparents doting on their grandkids at brunch time in Cologne, which is the cutest thing) but it’s also about catching up with friends and luckily Cologne has some great and popular instagrammable locations.
For my full guide to the best restaurants in Cologne, click here.
Top brunch spots in Ehrenfeld
Cafés with decent brunch options can be found all over Cologne, but one hotspot is definitely Ehrenfeld. Ehrenfeld is probably Cologne’s coolest neighbourhood and would probably remind most visitors of a small Berlin in parts. It is one of the best places to go out in Cologne, but come Sunday morning you’ll find more families than party-goers.
Literaturcafe Goldmund
Café Goldmund has been my go-to spot for brunch for years now – particularly when I’m in a big group. The menu is extensive, with dozens of options for cooked eggs, huge pancakes with various toppings, cheese and meats and a few cooked breakfasts (both English and German style). Goldmund also has some great outdoor seating in summer, looking out on some of Ehrenfeld’s coolest street art.
My normal order is the scrambled eggs with tomato and parmesan. Top tip: order a side of Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) for the table.
Café Sehnsucht
Another popular option in Ehrenfeld for brunch is Café Sehnsucht. They have a great selection of breakfast meals and all their food is certified organic. The coffee on offer is Van Dyck – a local Cologne speciality made just around the corner. The interior is really cosy, with a roaring fire in winter.
Jaely’s
I normally go to Jaely’s as an evening option (their Marco Polo pizza is incredible) but they also do a great brunch. If you have a sweet tooth, Jaely’s could be a great option for you as their display cabinet is normally full of fantastic looking cakes and their pancakes and chocolate-drizzled french toast looks incredible!
Best places for brunch in Central Cologne
Ehrenfeld isn’t the only place that serves up a decent brunch in Cologne – there are some great options that are a bit more central, too, including the Old Town, Zülpicher Straße, Friesenplatz and the Belgian Quarter.
LOUIS Breakfast Club
When it comes to brunch, The LOUIS Breakfast Club is the new kid on the block, only opening in November 2019. And the place has been packed ever since. LOUIS does an amazing selection of breakfasts (including my all-time favourite – shakshuka), but it’s the various takes on the classic egg benedict that is really impressive; I went for Mexican style, which included a healthy serving of guacamole and pico de gallo (pictured in the cover photo).
Café Buur
Calling all influencers! Café Buur and its Instagram-perfect portions are very popular with the cool kids of Cologne and the food looks as inventive and creative as it does delicious. If you need any more convincing, check out their Instagram here.
Jamesons Irish Pub
Because sometimes you just need a full cooked breakfast done properly. Jamesons does the best Full Irish breakfast in Cologne. The white pudding is fantastic. Be warned: you will almost definitely end up sat near a hungover stag party from Essex, but I guess that just adds to the familiar feel of home…?
Extrablatt – Alter Markt
Found on the Alter Markt, in the heart of Cologne’s Old Town, Extrablatt is a convenient option if you’re trying to work off the night before. Extrablatt is a beloved German chain (you’ll find another one near Ebertplatz in the north and another on Breite Straße) and does a very reasonable breakfast buffet from 09.00 til 13.00 on weekends.
Read more: Craft Beer in Cologne: the best bars and breweries
Brunch options in Cologne: Deutz & Mülheim
While some Colognians will stick their nose up at the idea of visiting the Schäl Sick (the local term for the area right of the Rhein), their loss is your gain – Deutz and Mülheim both have some great options for brunch and are easy to reach from the centre of the city via lines 3 or 4 or 18 on the U-Bahn.
Heimisch
If you’re looking for a typical German option for brunch, try Heimisch. Found in the heart of Deutz, Heimisch does traditional food really, really well. The breakfast menu revolves around beautiful freshly-baked bread and they have a great selection of homemade cakes to accompany a great coffee or tea. The interior is very chic – it feels more like a slice of Nordic design than a local café in Cologne.
Café Jakubowski
Another Mülheim staple is the chic Jakubowski on Mülheimer Freiheit. For brunch, Jakubowski serves up a number of set dishes, including lots of varieties of scrambled eggs – but there is a decent choice in the way of a “DIY-breakfast” too. I’m not a coffee drinker (like – at all) but it certainly seems like this place would serve a very decent cup of coffee. This is a very popular destination for brunch and lunch, so best to reserve ahead if you can. This is another good spot for outdoor seating, albeit on the pavement.
Café Vreiheit
Conveniently located close to Wiener Platz, the main square of Mülheim, Café Vreiheit is a quiet and chilled out place for a leisurely Sunday brunch. Vreiheit does a really good selection of different breakfasts, including some cracking omelettes and scrambled eggs. They also do a very wide selection of teas (but no English breakfast, unfortunately) and a great selection of cakes. For the hot summer months, there is also outdoor seating in the shade of a church.
Tandir Türkisches Restaurant
If you have the kind of hunger only an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet can sort out, then check out Tandir. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 0800-1400, they put on a great Turkish Frühstücksbuffet for around €10.50. There’s a good selection of great Turkish bread, cold cuts and salads and cooked dishes (think lots of beautiful things with egg). Great food and great value, just off Wiener Platz.
Café Rheinspaziert
Consider this one an honorary mention: I haven’t been to Rheinspaziert for brunch yet, but I can certainly vouch for the quality of their cakes and Aperol Spritz…es. Located in a great setting just off the Rhein and next to Mülheim’s nicest riverside green space, Rheinspaziert’s takeaway cakes and cocktails sustained me during the Spring lockdown in 2021. The relatively new cafe has a great, chic vibe and lots of outdoor seating which gets some great morning sun in the sunshine. Definitely one to bookmark! German speakers can check out a lovely write-up of the place here.
Where is your favourite spot for brunch in Cologne?
Comment below!