Jeder Jeck is anders (Every fool is different), we say in Cologne, where there’s something worth recommending in each of the city’s eighty-six Veedel (districts). We’ve largely focused on the geographical surroundings of our gallery, Drei, located in the Belgian Quarter, about two kilometers west of the Kölner Dom (that iconically overburdened Cathedral).

BREAKFAST

Exterior view of Metzgerei Schmitz & Salon Schmitz

Salon Schmitz
Salon Schmitz is an absolute institution in the heart of the Belgian Quarter, and only a few minutes’ walk from our gallery. It remains the central meeting point for the art scene, offering a great atmosphere and good food from morning till night. The food is prepared next door in the Metzgerei Schmitz (named after the previous tenant and not the focus of the menu – there are, in fact, excellent options for vegetarians and vegans) and is also happily served in the Salon. Over time, Schmitz has expanded to include the Brasserie Bar Schmitz, where, in summer, long lines form at the entrance for their homemade ice cream. Aachener Straße 28

Martin Kippenberger, Untitled (Hotel Chelsea), 1990

Café Central
Café Central is located on the ground floor of the Hotel Chelsea, at the corner of Jülicher Straße and Lindenstraße. Both the hotel and café have gained a certain cult status in Cologne, thanks to their storied history and the many tales about Kippy (Martin Kippenberger), who traded paintings for overnight stays here. They serve an excellent breakfast until noon. Our favorite is the French Toast – two slices of brioche bread soaked in milk and eggs, fried in butter and served with cinnamon, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. Jülicher Straße 1

LUNCH

Dinner in Markus Saile’s exhibition “Everything Folds,” Drei, Cologne, 2024, with catering by Café Il Piacere

Cáfe Il Piacere
Just around the corner is the small yet fantastic Café Il Piacere, also just a stone’s throw from the gallery and, by now, something of our own in-house kitchen. On workdays, you can reliably find us there around lunchtime. Carmen Giaquinto Tackenberg and her sons, Ludovico and Alex, serve a fresh Neapolitan dish daily from noon until late afternoon, with both meat and vegetarian options. Since we’re in Cologne, where everything is quite Catholic, Fridays mean fish. For those who prefer, a fresh salad can also be made to order. It’s definitely worth saving a bit of room for their outstanding homemade lemon cake. The very streamlined menu allows for fair prices and quick service, even when the café is busy – perfect for a lunch break! Lindenstraße 60

Interior view of Metzgerei Tosun at Markthalle Körnerstraße

Markthalle Körnerstraße
Whenever we visit Matthias Groebel in his studio in Ehrenfeld, the neighborhood west of us, or, just across the street, Georg Jacobi’s exhibition space Braunsfelder, there’s a good chance we’ll walk the few meters to the small market hall on Körnerstraße afterwards, to eat at Atila Tosun’s renowned and exceptionally good butchery. You may have to wait a bit longer on Wednesdays, when Atila serves the best Döner in town. Körnerstr. 21

Taglioni Zafferano with pistachios and black tiger shrimp by Studio Food Daily, 18 June 2024

Kunstwerk e.V. / Lore Deutz
Eastwards across the river, on the Schäl Sick (local slang for the right side of the Rhine) and within short walking distance of the Koelnmesse (site of Art Cologne), you’ll find the studio complex KunstWerk e.V. It houses the popular exhibition space Lore Deutz, run by a resident artists’ collective, which, as every year, will open a well-attended exhibition during fair week. Markus Saile also has his studio here, which we regularly visit around lunchtime – it’s mostly under pretense, though, as he is an incredible cook.
Nota bene: This is an appreciation post. Please don’t bother Markus! : Deutz-Mülheimer Str. 115

DINNER

Exterior view of Wein Bistro L’escalier

Wein Bistro L’Escalier
Right across from our gallery, the well-known restaurant L’Escalier reopened a few months back under the expanded name Wein Bistro L’Escalier. Here, you’ll find “casual fine dining” made from regional and seasonal ingredients, along with an excellent wine list. The previous owners, Jens Dannenfeld and Maximilian Lorenz, each earned a Michelin star here. The current chef, Daniel Lengsfeld, is already considered a contender. Brüsseler Straße 11

Exterior view of Haus Töller and Malz-Bierbrauerei Gerhard Fischenich

Haus Töller & Malz-Bierbrauerei Gerhard Fischenich
The two legendary breweries in the Mauritius Quarter are connected through their shared owner, Henning Heuser. Haus Töller, established in 1871 in a building dating back to 1343, is one of the most authentic of Cologne’s breweries and, being away from the Cathedral, is not overrun with tourists. We often stop by here after gallery openings. The cuisine is hearty, traditional fare, and they also serve Kölsch beer from Päffgen, a century-old microbrewery. Since the beginning of the year, what Henning claims as “very best potato pancakes in all of Cologne” are no longer to be found at Haus Töller, but across the street at the Malz-Bierbrauerei Gerhard Fischenich, available every Friday and Saturday from 5pm! Weyerstraße 96 & Weyerstraße 71

DRINKS

Interior view of Metronom

Metronom
After a hearty meal at Töller or Fischenich, it’s just a short stroll down Weyerstraße to reach Metronom, another staple of Cologne’s evening and nightlife scene. It’s been around for over fifty years, offering jazz music, Kölsch, and Guinness, with a few small tables where you’ll regularly find people playing chess. Weyerstraße 59

Interior view of MD Bar

MD
Founded in 2015 by artists David Ostrowski and Michail Pirgelis and run by Christos Pappas, MD is an absolutely fixture of the Cologne art scene. A classic bar, it has very good drinks – but no music and no Kölsch. It’s open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 8pm. Marsilstein 21–23

Exterior view of Essers Gasthaus

Essers Gasthaus
Essers is a unique local relic of German-Austrian friendship, with great food and a phenomenal wine list spotlighting vintages from both countries. It’s easily accessible in Neu-Ehrenfeld and well worth a visit. Marsilstein 21–23

DANCING

Entrance to Fi

Fi
When we want to go dancing, we make leave of the Belgian Quarter to make for Ehrenfeld, where Fi opened in May 2024 – and promptly placed itself at the very center of Cologne's famous techno scene. Ursprung Fi is located on a hidden industrial estate, and features a very minimalist design – nothing more than bare concrete walls. Its layout foregrounds the sound experience above all else, with a unique system that fills the club down to its last corner, for a lineup that is usually very good. A rooftop terrace, meanwhile, offers a panoramic view over Cologne. Widdersdorfer Straße 246

DAY TRIP

Julia Scher, Delta Radio, 2018. Installation view, Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, 2023

Museum Abteiberg
Around sixty-five kilometers northwest of Cologne lies Mönchengladbach, widely and primarily known in Germany and beyond for its famous soccer club. However, in the center of this rather small city (population: 270,000) is the Museum Abteiberg, one of the country’s greatest museums, in a building designed by Hans Hollein, itself a major work of postmodern architecture and an inspiration for Frank O. Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao. The museum has a long history closely linked to its trailblazing founder, Johannes Cladders, who made Mönchengladbach a Kulminationsort (point of culmination) for the most current discourses as early as the 1960s. Dierk Stemmler and Veit Loers followed in his trailblazing footsteps, while Susanne Titz has continued to build on a great legacy. That she has been there for two decades – two years longer than Cladders himself was – is absolutely unusual in today’s cultural sector, but in this case, it is also unusually justified. In 2016, her work brought the Abteiberg prestigious distinction as “Germany's Museum of the Year” by the International Association of Art Critics.

We had the honor of working with Susanne on Julia Scher’s retrospective “Maximum Security Society” in 2023. The museum has a Kubrick-y ambience, and its many small cabinets, galleries, and lecture and training rooms – as well as a vending machine café in the heart of the museum – affords a special perspective on its great collection, above all from the 1960s onwards. Abteistraße 27, 41061 Mönchengladbach

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Matthias Groebel, Untitled, 2024, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 70 cm. Courtesy: the artist and Drei, Cologne

“New Technologies”
Matthias Groebel & Jean Katambayi Mukendi
Conceived in collaboration with Martin Germann
Drei, Cologne
6 Nov – 21 Dec 2024

Art Cologne
Koelnmesse – Messepl. 1, 50679 Cologne
7 – 10 Nov 2024