Gaffel am Dom

Saved this for the last stop before my train to Stuttgart as it's next to the Hbf. Very touristy, as expected, and you can see the huge cathedral through the front windows. Very impressive. Gaffel Kölsch itself is pretty mediocre, a mass produced version that should be a last resort with MANY better options in the city. Still tasty and very drinkable. The roasted pork meal I had was just okay, nothing special. Very expensive for the small portion relative to what you usually receive at a German pub. Priced for the location, though, so it's to be expected. Not a bad choice if you're nearby and don't need an authentic experience.

This is a huge space that also has a lot of outdoor seating. It was 95% full on the Wednesday evening that we were there.

Wood, wood and more wood but it doesn't feel dark due to some good lighting.

Professional German style service here. Not overly chatty but not grouchy either.

The food was good and I thought given the location, well priced.

Not sure this would be the first stop on my return visit, but I would go back.

 

This is a cavernous, beautiful and new-looking beer hall right next to the Cologne train station, serving the famous Gaffel kolsch beer. The wife and I arrived in town and were looking for one beer place to hit before crashing at our hotel, and this was it.

No variety here- just Gaffel kolsch, served by gruff-but-efficient servers that come around incessantly dropping a new glass of kolsch as soon as yours is empty or you tell them to stop.

I’m OK with one or two small kolsch brews, but after that I get bored so I moved on to Fernet Branca (thank you Germany for having Fernet all over!). They charge 1.7 euros for a small glass of beer.

The food menu is pretty expansive, and the portions are huge. I had enough food for a midnight snack and some breakfast. Overall a fun place in a super convenient spot.