Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in Cologne

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in Cologne? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Taku im Excelsior Hotel Ernst

4.8

4.8 (178)

€31 to €50

Asian

Altstadt/Nord

About the restaurant

Award-winning cuisine right next to Cologne Cathedral: The Michelin-starred restaurant taku serves East Asian fusion cuisine in a modern, Far Eastern ambience. The cooking style of Michelin-starred chef Mirko Gaul is a modern concept of "Asian Fusion”. Gaul reimagines the flavors of the haute cuisine of Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. Executive Pastry Chef Fabian Scheithe pampers the guests with his extraordinary desserts. His sweet delicacies form the grand finale of every menu. Restaurant manager Christoph Gonzalez deliberately focuses on organic wines and gladly recommends corresponding wines. The taku has been awarded with one Michelin-star for years, 8/10 pans in Gusto and 16/20 points at the Gault Millau. The interior of the starred restaurant creates an elegant and Asian inspired atmosphere. Calm colors and light installations reflect the ambience of Asia.

Top review

Denis

Dined on Oct 12, 2024

When traveling for pleasure, especially internationally, visiting some of the better restaurants in a given town is one of my higher priorities and pleasures. I have eaten at many restaurants with Michelin stars, and I can say with confidence that Taku is in the very top rank of restaurants at which I have had the pleasure to enjoy a supremely excellent meal and dining experience. The food is imaginative, thought-provoking, delicious, perfectly executed, and memorable in all positive ways. Each course was a true delight for the taste and for the eyes. The "club sandwich" course with a kind of Tonkatsu tuna "cutlet" on perfectly toasted brioche was a real standout. The servers are exceptionally talented, hitting just the right balance of friendliness and knowledge, without being stiff or robotic or overly formal at all. Each seemed to express real personality and enjoyment. I speak okay German, and everyone was willing to switch back and forth from German to English as needed. The sommelier was a real standout, sharing his enthusiasm for the wine choices, and explaining each wine happily and well. The pour on each wine-pairing was just right too. Sometimes in restaurants you barely get enough for 2-3 sips; however, here you received a nice half-glass ~ enough to enjoy with the course and a bit after until the next course. The pacing of the meal was excellent too, with no long waits between courses. All in all, it was an excellent meal. Highly recommended.

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Experience

3-Gang Degustationsmenü

Experience

4-Gang Degustationsmenü

Experience

5-Gang Degustationsmenü

Il Bagutta

4.8

4.8 (255)

€31 to €50

Italian

Neustadt-Süd

About the restaurant

Eine schöne Zeit in lockerer Atmosphäre und einfach gutes, italienisches Essen? Im Il Bagutta verwöhnen wir dich mit kulinarischer Spitzenqualität. Wir lieben es, unsere eigenen Lieblingsgerichte und besten Weine zu präsentieren und dir dabei ein Lächeln aufs Gesicht zu zaubern. Für einen gemütlichen Familienabend, eine Verabredung oder die nächste Firmenfeier - bei uns fühlt sich jeder wohl. Wir freuen uns auf dich!

Top review

Kenny

Dined on Dec 2, 2024

Fabulous food, great service, and lovely wine. Would thoroughly recommend!

Amabile

4.7

4.7 (158)

€51 and over

Crossover

Neustadt-Süd

About the restaurant

Das „Amabile“ hat mit seinen kulinarischen Ideen und Menüfolgen über Jahrzehnte ein Stammpublikum begeistert. Unter neuer Leitung seit Juli 2022 ist die Fortsetzung dieser Tradition unter Hinzufügung eigener Akzente unser Bestreben. Der Küchenchef legt Wert auf frische, saisonale Produkte. Feine Arrangements aus der modernen, mediterranen Küche sollen durch das Ambiente und den persönlichen Service unterstrichen werden. Zugleich werden aber auch Gerichte aus der lokalen Küche mit überraschenden und kreativen Akzenten Ihren Gaumen zu begeistern vermögen. Nutzen Sie die Chance, sich bereits vorab auf einen kulinarischen Streifzug durch unsere Speisekarte entführen zu lassen!

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on May 18, 2024

Absolutely outstanding friendly staff. The owner gave me what I considered the best table with a view of the restaurant. As I mentioned it was my birthday. A most wonderful gesture. The food and wine recommendations were superb accompanied by a wonderful romantic setting. Amabiele has now become my favourite. Thank you so much to a wonderful staff!!❤️

Haus Müller

4.8

4.8 (210)

€31 to €50

Modern European

Altstadt/Süd

About the restaurant

ANKOMMEN, WOHLFÜHLEN, GENIESSE
Im Herzen der Kölner Südstadt

Top review

HeidiVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Fabulous restaurant. Service was professional and unobtrusive, food was spectacular and very reasonably priced for what you get. Top meal in Germany so far!

Ito – Japanese Cuisine

4.8

4.8 (350)

€51 and over

Japanese

Neustadt-Nord

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

Addison

Dined on Nov 14, 2024

Service was incredible, but they are quite aggressive about the water consumption, coming by every 5-10 minutes to refill your glasses, and frankly at 8,00€ a bottle, you would expect more from the water. Every dish was very interesting and made for a good experience, however the main course from the Omakase did not really work for me, in terms of the flavor combination, but that just personal taste. The state of the restaurant itself was quiet and chic, but there were quite noticeably cobwebs in some of the corners, and eye level… All in all I would recommend!

PULS

4.9

4.9 (289)

€51 and over

International

Altstadt/Nord

About the restaurant

PULS ist ein weiteres Restaurantkonzept von 2-Sternekoch Daniel Gottschlich mitten im Herzen der Kölner Altstadt, das kreative à-la-Carte-Gerichte und legeres Ambiente vereint. Das Team um Chef de Cuisine Johannes Langenstück und Daniel Gottschlich überrascht mit ständig wechselnden à-la-Carte-Gerichten. Hier ist garantiert für jeden etwas dabei. Ob Fleisch oder Fisch, vegetarisch oder vegan. Hier erlebst du ein Dinner mit Freunden, romantisch zu zweit oder mit Geschäftspartnern. Möchtest du verschiedene Gerichte à-la-Carte probieren und teilen oder auch nur eine Vor- und Hauptspeise für dich genießen? Bei uns ist vieles möglich: Hier gibt es keine Vorgaben: „Enjoy it your way“ – Jeder kann auf seine Art genießen! Im laufe des Abends verwandelt sich das PULS in eine coole Bar mit einzigartigen Cocktail Kreationen.

Top review

Jens

Dined on Dec 7, 2024

Amazing food, amazing service. We will be back soon!

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Experience

Chefs Choice Menü Medium

Experience

Chefs Choice Menü Large

Experience

Chef´s Choice Menü Small

La Société

4.9

4.9 (244)

€51 and over

European

Neustadt-Süd

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

Johan

Dined on Aug 22, 2024

A delightful surprise of a gem in Cologne. Inspired and surpring cooking at a very high level. Wonderful, friendly service and a sommelier with a safe hand guiding us to spectacular, reasonably priced choices. I'll be back!

Hanse Stube im Excelsior Hotel Ernst

4.8

4.8 (233)

€31 to €50

French

Altstadt/Nord

About the restaurant

Directly opposite Cologne Cathedral, the Hanse Stube offers innovative French cuisine with regional influences. The gourmet restaurant has been awarded several prizes for its excellent cuisine and first-class service. Chef Joschua Tepner prepares unique taste experiences. His menu pays homage to both tradition and innovation. The Hanse Stube team provides excellent service and pampers its guests; head waiter Franz-Georg van Hall personally carves at the guests’ table and sommelier Robert Demers finds a wine to pair with any style of food. The interior of the Hanse Stube is characterized by timeless elegance with cozy sofa corners, filigree wooden chairs and various contemporary and historical paintings on the wood-paneled walls. The two side rooms, "Mirror Salon" and "Fish Salon", can be booked exclusively for small banquets.

Top review

LaShauna

Dined on Nov 28, 2024

There was no one at the host stand to greet and seat me for almost 20 minutes. Had to go to the bar and ask the bartender to get someone. After that initial issue, the food and service were lovely

Ouzeria

4.8

4.8 (190)

€51 and over

Crossover

Neustadt-Nord

About the restaurant

Casual Fine Dining - Crossover Küche mit einem Touch Fine Dining und Fusion, in lockerer und gemütlicher Atmosphäre mit tollem Service und einer spannenden, größten Teils griechischen Weinkarte.

Schaut vorbei und überzeugt Euch selbst!

Wir freuen uns auf Euch!

Top review

Jean-Laurent

Dined on Nov 29, 2024

Amazing food, great wine and lovely staff, it was perfect!

phaedra Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (368)

€51 and over

Mediterranean

Neustadt-Süd

Top review

Aron