Brauerei zur Malzmühle

Made it here on the third try during the madness of Karneval weekend. The first try was on Saturday, the first day of the festival. They were full and there was a €20 entry fee, anyway. Second try was the next afternoon around noon when they were supposed to open but they had a delayed opening by a few hours due cleaning up and recovery from the night prior. Third try was a few hours later on that Sunday. A very quiet, subdued crowd and only about half full. Sat near the kitchen at the high tables for several stange. It is remarkable how different each brand/style of Kölsch is within the same city. This one is much sweeter than others, in a good way, and very unique. Helps you understand why this place is special and well-known.

We enjoyed our stop here. We ate outside and were pretty much directly on the sidewalk. Lots of good people watching.

The inside is nice, multiple levels and lots of space. Both the inside and sidewalk were crowded. Seems to be be mostly locals instead of tourists.

The service was friendly and professional. Quick with refills which is appreciated. The food was good traditional German fare.

I liked both the Kolsch and their take on a Marzen.

160 years of brewing beer in the basement says it all. The beer is fresh and fast but the selection is simple; you get kolsch and that's it. Food is authentic German fare and quickly prepared. Interior space is large and multi level for holding large parties. Go for the history, stay for the beer. Prost!

 

 

Very standard German beer hall, lots of wood (including possibly the only wooden revolving door I've ever seen), reminds me of the Schneider Weisse beer hall in Munich... I think. They get some extra points for selection since they had more than just their kolsch. The kolsch was good, but not as crisp as I would have liked so not my favorite of our trip. The food was good, standard German fare, I had blood sausage, my wife had a pork knuckle. Both were good, but neither was amount the best I've had. Definitely a worthy destination when in Koln.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Kölsch, very good atmosphere, we had an awesome schwieneshaxe and although we weren’t locals we were never made to feel like that. This place is just off the main square so not as touristy as other Kölsch bars. This bar would be my first stop everytime I returned to Cologne.

Far enough from the tourist frenzied center to actually encounter a local or two. On our last visit we were fortunate enough to enjoy the first half dozen rounds courtesy of a very nice couple that are based in the area. Very quiet on Sunday evening.

The beer is one of the best of the Kolsch style, but if you want variety of styles, you wouldn't be in Cologne, now would you? Served fresh from a cask on the bar, no CO2 pressure required. Prices are reasonable for city center, and it is very convenient to access from the tram.

Drinking kolsch, it's better than remodeling your flat. I had the opportunity to see a few breweries on my own while EIke and Daniella fixed up their newly bought flat. Fist stop, Malzmuhle. It's interior is on the darker side and you can sense the history whcih has been left on the walls. I didn't see a bar to sit at, so grab a seat at a table and get served in a quick manner.

Kolsch, as you can imagine, is the staple house beer, and is first served to you by default. It was my favorite kolsch of the trip, and I helped myself to a few pours of the beer. If you're looking for something a little different, there is also a malzbier (a low alcohol, sweet dark beer) and a bottled weizenbier which was served with its own weizen glass. The kolsch is also available in bottles to go.

It's not a classic spot in the city like Gaffel Haus or Fruh am Dom. However, Malzmuhle has my favorite kolsch, and that would certainly have me return.

This place is located a bit south of the Heumarkt tram stop. When I was there, they were working on the roads making it difficult to get across to; the best way being to go down into the underpass and directly back up the other side. Climb a couple of steps and push on the revolving door brings you in to this fine drinking house. We went there just for beer and it was easy enough to get a table as the rush for food was over. We stayed in the front room and drank some kolsch. The only other brew on tap is a 2.5 % malty beverage that is not great. Service was efficient and our glasses were replaced when required. Another must visit when in Cologne.

Six months ago I tried to find this brewpub but ended up assuming it was only a brewery, no restaurant or drinking area. My friends and I are idiots, as just this week I returned and it is very easy to find your way through the front door.

This is a little off the beaten path as far as Kolsch brewpubs go, but not too far. About a 15 minute walk south from the Koln Dom.

The interior is nice, all wooden chairs and tables, lots of wood fixtures, beautiful multi-pane windows that look old (but I'm sure aren't). It all looks sorta authentically old except for the floor, which has new-looking tile (at least it's stone color). There was a huge spiraling staircase to the second level which was closed when I was there.

The food is a little pricy compared to other Kolsch pubs, but it tasted good. English menus are available which makes ordering as easy as pointing. The beer itself is easy pounding and priced on par with others in town (1.55 euros per 0.2L glass).

Two beers are served here, their Kolsch (which is OK) and Malzbeer (a wierd and sugary concoction that I do NOT recommend).

The service was excellent, the friendliest waiter I've yet encountered in Cologne, not that any of them have been rude, just a little distant. Anyways that wasn't the case here, it was a warm reception and a new glass appeared every time the last drop emptied from the previous one.

Visited on the July summer day of 10/07/2010

Entering the pub is a unique experience going through the revolving door and through the heavy red curtain.

This reveals an old style brewpub with wooden panelling, tiled floors and pine seating/tables.

Service was quick and efficient, quickly getting Kolschs landed on our coasters.

Malzmuhle Kolsch of course on the agenda and served straight from the wood, very fresh.

Didnt try the food but saw the Schnitzel and it was the size of my face!

Definitely one of the busiest brewpubs we got to, which made for a lively bustling atmosphere.

Definitely a must visit!

We pushed through the revolving door, then through the heavy red curtains. This is what entering Narnia must be like.

Gargantuan bratwurst with red cabbage, apples, and roasted potatoes lubricated by mustard is what we ate. We drank their Kölsch and tried their Koch'sches Malzbier, a 1% ABV item that tasted like force carbonated unfermented wort. Upon looking it up, it turned out to be just that. Not the tastiest of beverages, but it was nice to see an alcoholic option that was not Kölsch.

A fine establishment, and just a stone's throw from the Rhine.

Stopped in for a quick lunch, that I wish could have been extended. The decor is mostly different shades of wood with the tables being unfinished and adding a nice contrast to the walls and chairs. Very simple setup, with long tables and short tables for groups. The quality of the beer was great, although I only had the Kölsch. They had some other options, but I don´t know what they were, and I wasn´t looking for anything other than Kölsch. The service was fantastic and friendly in both German and English, and we were provided with an English menu when requested. The food was quite good. I got a simple bratwurst with sweet cabbage and roasted potatos and my partner got a beef dish that was quite good, although saltier than we are used to.

This is the best place I visited in Koln, in all departments, including the Kolsch (well balanced spice & fruit).

The building was lovingly restored after WWII, and is cosy and welcoming inside (especially in winter). There is a little booth near the back, where what I think is where the manager sits and observes proceedings, whilst doing paperwork and various other tasks. It also has the curtain within the front door which I saw in a few other places also.

The food in our opinion was brilliant. We had a Rhine specilaity - Braised beef with dumplings & stewed apples. It was incredible!

I will make a bee-line for this place if ever in Koln again - best beer & best food in town.

The wife and I stopped here on our recent trip to Europe. This was a very close second on the best Kolsch in the city center.

The atmosphere was less than desirable after having spent most of our time in open air cafes our well aired dining rooms in the summer. The only windows were in the front and the whole place was very smoky and there was no outside seating It made me feel somewhat claustrophobic.

However, the beer quality was excellent. A worthy stop for a few Kolsch after our visit to the chocolate museum down the road!

Outward external impression is a bit less than impressive, but pushing through the rotating doors leads to a surprise of traditional interior, dark wood, high ceilings with historic pictures. The usual bare wooden top tables, with benches and stools. Got the impression that more local folk use this bar than some of the others and with good reason. The Kolsch is very good, slightly malty taste, fresh, light bodied, very drinkable. Service from the waiter who was working our table was a bit slow (he seemed more interested in his cigarette!) but OK. Food was good value and traditional German, and what we had was very good. The menu not as extensive as some of the brewery bars, as the beer comes first here. Highly recommended.

August 2005
John W (Bham UK)

Dark windows and the rotating door make the entrance in the place kind of mysterious. Once inside, you discover a totally not fancy atmosphere, which is actually what makes the bar look cool. Very quiet and basic atmosphere, like an old-style neighborhood pub. Nice wooden tables, no real decoration except for all the wooden furnitures. Very few people when I went, in the mid afternoon. Service was fast and almost friendly, which is quite rare in Cologne from my experience. Waiters seemed to be having an argument in the back of the room, but that just added to the family like atmosphere of the place. Didn't get to try their food. A good stop.

The establishment is less than 100m from the Heumarkt Bahnhaltstelle for the 1,7,8,or 9 lines. From taxi or foot it is right across the tracks from the Altstadt or roughly a 150-200m walk from the Scholade Museem. Look for big red letters that say 'Malzmühle'.

Upon enterance one can tell that Malzmühle was very recently redone. But they have done very much to preserve the historical qualities of the establishment. The table particularly add a class touch--they are simply sanded beer-soaked tables that you can picture generations of men throwing back round after round over.

The beer has little equal. For further description please read the review. The food is also extremely good. The restaurant specializes (quite appropiately) on Rhineland and other German dishes. For the non German speaker their menu can be alot to handle. But, in my opinion, after eating there a few times, one can not go wrong with any choice.