Shopping & Entertainment in Cologne-Ehrenfeld

Our house & appartments can be found in the trendy Cologne quarter of Ehrenfeld.

Only a few years ago Ehrenfeld ranked among the poorest parts of Cologne. Within the last five years though it has become home to artists, creatives and students and with them a large of number of young families have arrived here too. Thus the face of the quarter has changed considerably and has become one of Cologne’s nightlife hotspots.

You will find diverse, basic and hip shopping opportunities in Ehrenfeld as well as a varied number of possibilities to go out: cinema, theatres, concert venues but also a plethora of restaurant, bars and discos.

 

Shopping

 

House M94

In the direct vicinity of the DaHeim you can find two supermarkets in easy walking distance. Walk out the house to your right you will find Aldi (about 50 m away). If you walk towards the public underground stop you will find the Netto supermarket (open from 7am-9pm). In the same area you can find a number of small turkish shops and close to local trainstation in Ehrenfeld.

Only 25 metres away you can find a a lovely Italian deli which provides fresh crunchy bread, yummy cold cuts and other delicacies on a daily basis.

Pharmacy, Kiosks (small convenience stores open at nearly all hours, selling various drinks and food items), bakery, cafés, Arabic and Turkish snack bars as well as, McDonald's und other Restaurants can be found here. If you would like to indulge in some wines, just walk around the corner to the wine store Weinhandel Nelles. Also recommended the first coffee roastery of Cologne Schamong (dating back nearly hundred years) can be found nearby. 

 The Good Food is an intiative that tries to save food that goes off soon or does not meet supermarket standards from the dump. The food is donated, the employees work free of charge and the buyer decides on a (fair) price he or she wants to pay. Their shop can be found very close to the DaHeim M94 (Venloerstr. 414).

 

Appartments DaHeim V56

Only 2-3 min walk away you can find the supermarkets REWE and Kaufland. The latter is hidden but huge. Aldi is also just around the corner. on Venloerstrasse you will find various bakeries who provide fresh crunchy bread on a daily base. On Neptunplatz you can find a bi-weekly small market (Tuesdays and Fridays). There is also Weinhaus Scholzen where you find a great selection of local and foreign wines, champagnes and liquors.

 

If you head about 1km or two underground stops towards the inner city (from the house) or walk a few hundred metres away from the city cetnre (from the appartments) you will find optricians, dry cleaning, mobile phone shops, butcher, shoe and clothing shops, Rock it Baby, for guys the trendy Herrenbude shoemaker, drugstores, Tchibo, copy shops as well as another McDonald’s and uncounted restaurants and snack bars on Venloer Strasse.

Ehrenfeld Apparel gives you the opportunity to shop for authentic Cologne-Ehrenfeld souvenirs such as the renown T-Shirt "Paris, London,Tokyo, Ehrenfeld". If you visit Café Sehnsucht (see below) take some time to explore the street it lies on (Koernerstrasse) as you can find a number of creative to freaky small shops: f.i. Kitsch de Luxe, Utensil oder the Second Hand- and Jewellery Store "Die Garderobe". In these shops you will find great accessories, clothes and home furnishings both new or second hand. Tutu et tata also on Koernerstrasse.

 

 

Nightlife & Restaurants

Some of our favourite spots in Ehrenfeld can be found here – though we must admit there is definitely much more to explore! But we hope it gives you an idea about the multitude of options you have when you are staying at the DaHeim. One thing is for sure: you do not have to venture very far!

Only a few hundreds metres from our house is the movie theatre Cinenova with three drei screens, not only showing American Popcorn Movies but also Arthouse or Independent-Movies (Mostly German Language though). Next door the Herbrands is a Bistro, Beergarden and Event-Location where you can Eat and Drink, in Summer also outside and virtually dance the night away. Closer to the DaHeim you will find the Braustelle – Cologne’s smallest brewery. Here you cannot only sample freshly brewed Beer from Cologne (Koelsch) but even from Cologne’s adversary city of Duesseldorf (!) Alt. Food is relatively affordable as well. Same goes for the Pizzeria Piccola were you supposedly get some of the best pizza in Cologne. We can only wholeheartedly agree!

A great new restaurant in Ehrenfeld is the Karl Hermanns (very close ot our house DaHeim M94). There you can find really delicious burgers, but also cakes and very creative breakfast. If you think cheap or you crave Maccy D - go elsewhere. The food is created with loads of love and in biodynamic quality (prices are not cheap but the taste makes it so much worth it ... hmmmmmmmmm). 

Visit "Bunte Burger" (colourful burgers) if you are vegan or into vegetarian burgers. 

Try this libanese place (Venloerstr. 446). Noel the owner prepares very delicious falafel & schawarma with fresh herbs. The vegetarian starter platter (with tasty salads, dips, wine leaf, falafel and fresh bread) which can easily cater for 2 people (at 10 Euros a platter a real bargain) is amazing. He prepares it also for to go!

If it is Indian food your after: the owner of the well known Café Jaelys opened a new hip restaurant in Ehrenfeld Masala Empire that I can highly recommend. The food is spicy. If you like it mild. Definitely tell your waiter how you prefer it. Just a few hundred metres down the road you will find two vietnamese places which offers solid vietnamese cuisine and m/cocktails also outside on the street at Viet Village and  Hanoi 46. These two are flanked by the Cologne favourite Sushi Ninja.

The hip icecreamshop Eisdielerin  produces yummy icecream (also vegan) and of course fresh cake and waffles are readily available. Also great: homemade icecream at the  Eisfeld close to the train station Ehrenfeld.   Cafe Rotkehlchen next door is a lovely place to have breakfast. and continue on with cake. The sweet little Madame Tartine  provides french lunch time delicacies in a hip environment. Since its recommendation by Jan Böhmermann Kebapland (Venloer Str. 385) has become a hotspot for hip partygoers but is also packed at lunch time. Plan to line up, but the food is still worth your while (& wait).

 

 

Do you like your music grungy and slightly harder: then do not miss out on Underground or Sonic Ballroom. The Livemusic Hall is in direct vicinity to these locations and provides great concerts and parties. Same goes for Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld (to be found underneath the train tracks of trainstation Ehrenfeld) and the very hip e-feld. Recently opened Bumann & Sohn in a former factory is beergarden, bar and club all in one. 

If you want to see nightlife extraordinaire, welded fire spitting dinosaurs and you are willing to invest in a taxi (approximately 10 Euro per Taxi) definitely do visit Odonien: a vast space for culture and the arts. Basically it is a beautiful beer garden and club. But there are also crazy arts festivals, theatre productions, christmas markets, fleamarkets... you name it . very worth while especially for late nights! Do check out their website (admittedly only in German): Odonien. Opposite you will find (less of a highlight) Europe's largest brothel - the Pascha. But do not let that put you off Odonien, the streetsides are world's apart from each other.

 

Rubinrot and Köngisblut are all about cocktails. The Lizbät offers 40 different crepes – sweet & savoury, meaty & vegetarian versions. The Portuguese restaurant Saudade offers yummy wines (some such as the Vino Verde even on tap – yummy!) and some food. Café Sehnsucht (translation: Cafe Yearning) has been amongst Ehrenfelds favourites for years and years. Food is biodynamic, interesting drink options, great breakfasts and cakes make this a great spot to spend pretty much any time of day. They even have their own coffee rostery just a few houses down the same road (van Dyck – here you can find the biodynamic coffee "Ehrenfelder"). The Herb liquor made in Ehrenfeld you can buy (or sample) at Haus Scholzen, which is also renown for its traditional fare.

 

Life in nearby Neu-Ehrenfeld

Around Lenauplatz (very close to DaHeimM94) you have a lot of options to eat out or drink. Or you could do it as the locals do and pop in the REWE and buy yourself some cold drinks (or at the kiosk on the square). A little fountain provides cooling for kids in the hot months. Who does not feel so young try some cool homemade icecream at Kookaburra - Die Eisvögel (only open until 7pm).

In Neu-Ehrenfeld (ordering our quarter) will amongst the many cafes, restaurants and bars there's the popular Wicleff is a popular spot for Football, Carnival lovers alike but also has a great mix of people from the square grandmother to hipsters - everyone feels home here. The new stylish Wallczka offers hip Crossover-Kitchen on little plates. Make a reservation ahead of time! We LOVE LOVE LOVE the Korean tapas at Anju. 

If you visit the former family café Herr Landmann, now a lovely place to try some georgian tapas at the Maspinzelo. Also around the corner try our currently absolutely favourite burgers and sweet potatoe fries (handmade) at Afro Burger (delivery possible). 

 

 

Sports & Wellness

There are a number of Parks in the nearer and further vicinity you can use for running or walking (Rochuspark, Gruenguertel). The gym Fitness First am Heliosturm (close to Train Station Ehrenfeld) can be visited with a daily or a guest pass (check their website and print one out!). You train on 2200 sqm here (sauna and steam bath included).

The popular Neptunbad (a former swimming pool for workers) was transformed to an East Asian themed wellness temple with even some of its Art Nouveau Grandeur remaining inside. If you want it less splendid (and expensive) you can lap in the nearby Ossendorfbad (with outdoor pool section or sauna).

If you are into climbing – try the Kletterfabrik. Also the Boulderplanet is recommended (incl. outside boulder area). Bonus: There is a big separate children area that will keep your kids busy for some time - especially on those rainy Cologne days (you can bring food and drinks). 

A keep fit circuit in Gruenguertel (a park close to DaHeimV56) offers outdoor possibility to keep fit even on a business trip. Located between Vogelsanger Str. and Venloerstrasse. You can also find Slackline-Posts nearby, an open Tennis- und Basketball-Platz (first come...) as well as several playgrounds for kids of different ages. A kiosk offers drinks and ice cream.

 

Courses

Ehrenfeld now only has one last cooking school – the Marieneck is even on the same road as the DaHeim, though on the opposite end of it.

At the Herbrands (mentioned above) you can participate in short (and free) beginners Workshops before their weekly Salsa-Parties. Dancestudio Hop Spot close by to the DaHeim gives you the opportunity to learn Lindy Hop.

The charming winery Weinhandel Nelles around the corner from us offers regular wine tastings (if you want to customized for your own little group). Recommended for wine lovers!

At La Galana you will become cigar expert in no time – including how to roll them yourself! Cocktailbar Rubinrot provides cocktail making courses.

If you fancy mini-golf, you can play in absolutely fabulous surroudings: Cologne's only 3D indoor minigolf course provides a great opportunity to play and indulge in great art.  Laser-Tag can be played close to DaHeim M94.  

If you want to experience something exceptional, try our former escape room The Great Escape. You will be locked into a room with your choice of friends, family or colleagues where you will find hints to riddle yourself out of the room. e have built the whole thing in crazy steampunk format. There are two missions: check it out!

 

Events

Once a year the neighbours of Neptun Square Adresse Neptunplatz organise an event on 30.04. which is called "Steal the tree". Men and women alike compete in a run to get hold of one of the may trees to be found in the square on that day which they can then take home to their loved ones. From neighbours for neighbours: the Koerner Street’s yearly party Körnerstraßenfest which has become cult is celebrated every year around end of June/beginning of July. Same goes for the Rothehaus-Street-Festival which is usually around two weeks earlier. Perodic Streetfood Festivals take place.