Nobody dies of hunger or thirst in Cologne. Cologne is an internationally famous city: a tourist destination, a venue for staging exhibitions, congresses and major events and an economic centre all in one. The city offers an unparalleled selection of more than 3,000 bars, restaurants and breweries, the highest number per capita than anywhere else in Germany.

Cologne has a wide variety of restaurants, both German and otherwise, as a glance in the colored pages of the local telephone book will illustrate.

One can eat pretty well in most traditional-style Kölsch restaurants: the Brewer-pubs are particularly worth taking note of. If you are looking for a snack, you can either head for one of the Turkish, Arabic or Asian places, or you can make use of the traditional fast food places like Mc Donalds, Burger King etc. Italian restaurants in Cologne seem to attempt to aim for a higher quality than in the UK, though it is debatable whether they achieve it, and whether their prices (often 150-200% of UK prices) are justified. There are several Indian restaurants across the city, which serve a fair fare, though the visiting Brit may be slightly disappointed to find that German 'curry culture' is rather akin to that of the UK in the 1960s: menus are neither large and varied, nor regionalised and specialist, and although ingredients are fresh, the food without exception appears to be tamed-down for the conservative German palate and the cooks are rather hesistant to spice it up even if you ask for it. "Clay Oven" (Luxemburger Straße near Südbahnhof) and "Bombay" (near Eifelstraße tram station) do make a vindaloo that will satisfy the most hardy customer, though. More recently, Japanese and Thai restaurants have become more common; both are quite expensive.

The typical drink is Kölsch, a light, top-fermenting beer that cannot be brewed anywhere other than in Cologne. It is served in the breweries by Köbes (the traditional Cologne waiters) on scoured white beech tables. The brewery tradition can be traced back to the 15th century and the blue overalls of the "Köbes" remind of the brewers' old traditional uniform accordingly.

Small specialities are served as an accompaniment to Kölsch: for example Halver Hahn (literally: half a chicken), which is actually a thick slice of rye bread with cheese and mustard, or black pudding and raw onions, ordered under the name of Kölscher Kaviar. Hiding behind the name of Himmel un Ääd is fried black pudding with potatoes and applesauce.

Traditional Cologne cuisine also includes the Rievkooche (grated potato cakes), even though the humble potato fritter is enjoyed nowadays with more sophisticated toppings such as salmon. Another favourite Cologne dish is Rhenish Sauerbraten (marinated roast beef). Horsemeat was formerly marinated for the purpose, but now it is usually made from beef.

The welcoming and friendly atmosphere in the breweries is also reflected in other bars and restaurants. Here, a cross-section of international cuisine is offered - something to suit every taste. A myriad of Italian restaurants is present in "Italy's most northern city" French cuisine is well represented, not only owing to the historical relationship with France. There are Argentinean steak houses, Asian and Bohemian specialities, Cajun dishes from Louisiana and refined German cuisine. In addition, when all else fails, there are always the basics: currywurst sausage with chips and tomato ketchup/mayonnaise and the 24-hour pizza service.

Budget
Hauptbahnhof - The ground floor of the central train station has a good number of cheap eateries, which include Pizza Hut to kiosks selling sausages.
Falafel Habibi located on Zülpicher Straße. They have two stores, which serve the same food (though sweetmeats may vary).
There is an abundance of Döner Kebap and similar takeaways around the town. Generally a lot of Turkish snack bar-style places around Zülpicher Platz and in the Belgisches Viertel, with some excellent Lebanese and Persian takeaways further down Zülpicher Straße towards Südbahnhof. Probably best now (though expensive) is Oruc Döner on Kyffhäuserstraße (near Barbarossaplatz); while the kebap is quite good though not outstanding, their freshly baked pide bread is famous all over town. There are lots of Turkish restaurants and takeaways within Kalk, Mülheim and (mainly restaurants) in the Belgisches Viertel.
Borsalino, an Italian-style restaurant located on Zülpicher Straße close to Zülpicher Platz. Very affordable prices.
Don Camillo, Hildeboldplatz 1a; phone 0221-138551; a small italian tabula calde style restaurant. Coming from Hohenzollenring, head into Breite Straße/Ehrenstraße and take the first road to the left.
Buffet Chang - Large, clean and tasty Chinese style buffet (all you can eat for 5,90 Euro) on the top floor of DuMont Carré shopping mall, in the middle of the shopping district on Breite Straße. Open from 11.00 - 21.00 (Sundays and holidays 12.00 - 19.00). Also a good underground car park with reasonable hourly rates and discounts for microcars such as Smart and Mini.

Mid-range
El Inca, Görresstrasse 2, near Rathenauplatz. Latin-american restaurant, open 1800-2400.
Johnny Turista, Rathenauplatz. Easy-going pub/restaurant offering snacks, hot dishes and a daily changing selection of tapas; prices are lower than in most tapas bars.
Selam, Ehrenfeldgürtel 91 (tram station Venloer Straße/Gürtel) Ethiopian restaurant, opens 5 PM Tu-Fr and from 4 PM on weekends, closed on Mondays. Good selection of mild and spicy Ethiopian dishes served on the traditional plate of injera bread.
Farmer's Steakhouses with several branches on the Ring (near Friesenplatz), Wallrafplatz (near the Dom, off Hohe Straße), Kreuzgasse (off Schildergasse shopping street). At Lunchtime they usually have a special, that will give you a square meal for 6-7 Euro.
pepe, Spanish style food, tapas and cocktails Antwerpener Straße 63, near Stadtgarten and west of Friesenplatz, open 1800-0200. Big plates for hungry eaters, cool crowd. Usually booked out after 1900, make a reservation by phone or e-mail the day before.

Splurge
Landhaus Kuckuck, Olympiaweg 2, near Müngersdorfer Stadion (Aachener Straße). Exquisite German, but also international meals, open Tuesday - Saturday 1200-2300 - Sunday 1200-1800.