Cosa Nostra in Köln

Service: This is really my first experience. We wanted to have a drink and dessert with our children, but the waiter sent us out and told us we were in a restaurant and we could leave without food. I really don't recommend it.

Right on the Rhine in Cologne... great value for money... super tasty... very friendly staff... thank you... we'll be back 🫶🏾

The only downside was the wait for the food, but the waiter did warn us about the wait. Otherwise, the food was amazing. The fries were perfect. The schnitzel was amazing, and the pizza—wow, the cheese and the crust. Really good food. The price was also completely reasonable. The view of the Rhine was beautiful, and the seating was fantastic. A highly recommended restaurant on the banks of Cologne.

No card payments accepted; you're only informed of this when you're seated. I can understand that for small restaurants or towns, but I don't always have 100 euros in my pocket.

Very friendly staff, excellent food, and the location with a view of the Rhine and the promenade is fantastic. Highly recommended.

Disappointing experience. We originally wanted a Classic burger with a homemade sauce. The waiter didn't know what it contained; when we asked if it was a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise, he confirmed it. My friend then asked if it was possible to change the sauce, but the waiter curtly replied that no, the kitchen didn't make any changes. So she settled for the carbonara pasta... made with cream—surprising and unconvincing for an Italian restaurant. For my part, I had a chicken burger with a burnt bun. Throughout the meal, the waiters talked loudly among themselves between tables, and our waiter was completely lacking in warmth and friendliness. The place seems very tourist-oriented, which perhaps explains the lack of effort. For the French, a 75cl bottle of water costs €8, which may be surprising. At the end of the meal, we waited more than 10 minutes for the bill, even though very few tables were occupied and the staff were chatting among themselves. Contrary to other reviews, the waiter did not ask us for a tip (he probably understood why), but the waitress did at the next table.

We got a seat quickly. The drinks and food arrived very quickly, too. Still, a great location and delicious food.

I would like to express my deep indignation following the deplorable experience we had at your establishment in Cologne. Upon our arrival, we were greeted without even a single greeting. The first thing the waiter said was: "For a drink here, there's a 10% minimum tip." For any self-respecting restaurant, requiring a tip at the front desk is already unacceptable. Despite this disrespectful start, we still took a seat on the terrace to order drinks for 10 people. The result: a wait of over 15 minutes before being served. We had already made it clear that if the service was pleasant, we would have no problem leaving a tip. The waiter's behavior was then intolerable: repeated insults towards other customers, a haughty attitude, and unpleasant remarks. When he told us the bill (€62), he allowed himself to say: "With €70, I'll be happy." In what establishment is it acceptable for a server to dictate to a customer how much they "should" pay? Given his behavior, we decided to just pay the bill, leaving a few extra euros as a courtesy. But the server collected the tip... only to throw the coins in the face of the person who paid! This was followed by insults and even racist remarks aimed at the fact that we were French-speaking Belgian customers. This type of attitude is unworthy of a restaurant and a profession that is supposed to welcome and serve customers. This server does not deserve to represent your establishment. Personally, I will never set foot in Cosa Nostra again, and I will strongly advise those around me against it. I hope you will take the necessary measures in the face of such unacceptable behavior.

The food here was really good. Fish & chips was really tasty and fresh. Pasta was really good and good portion. Staff were attentive & friendly. 10/10

The meat was very tasty, but there's no standard: we ordered three identical plates, and each piece of meat arrived in a very different size. The flavor was very good. But I found the rest of the dish a bit bland (lettuce salad with canned corn, and those frozen fries).

Absolutely a tourist dump. At 4 p.m., you're not allowed to drink anything without food. The food itself looked terrible and was overpriced. We moved on immediately after waiting for 20 minutes and were finally informed.

The waiter is a thief. He demands a 10% tip before taking our order. He insults us when we pay the exact amount. What disrespect. Shame on you!

He gets a tips a throw back the money saying shame on you… worst expérience ever.

Fast, tasty, Large portions. Friendly service. Recommended.

The food was very expensive compared to what it was very underwhelming. We got carbonarda which was bland and without pepper. The waiters were difficult to communicate with and spent more time making small children cry in other situations. In addition, the waiter himself added a tip to the bill without saying anything. Big no go Tourist trap but still a good location

Great surroundings, great restaurant, delicious food, and first-class service. Thank you for a lovely evening.

While visiting Cologne, we stopped here for dinner. While the Italian atmosphere outside wasn't so great, the food was okay. The view of the Rhine was magnificent.

Not family-friendly – ​​disappointing service On June 28, 2025, I visited the restaurant around 3:30 p.m. with my two young children (5 months and 18 months old). In the blazing sun, we were simply looking for a shady spot to have a drink and relax for a while. Unfortunately, the waiter refused us this, explaining that we only wanted a drink and the shady spots weren't meant for us. Instead, we were directed to sunny spots – completely disregarding the fact that I was traveling with small children. This is completely incomprehensible to me. Even if the food here were good, I cannot and would not recommend a restaurant that shows such little consideration for families with small children. Where is the humanity in that? It's a shame – we would have loved to stay. But certainly not again.

Great location, but totally overwhelmed: the pizza was cold and the wine still wasn't there after the meal.

Amazing service: the dishes are served a few minutes after the cocktails! This inconvenience, pointed out to the server, will be very poorly received; the quality of the dishes is very average; this culinary experience is a real disappointment!

Food was okay. But when i told that i don’t want to give tip because of long waiting waitress was pushing that it’s mandatory. And offered for me to give him cash if i don’t want to pay tip by card. Not recommending to go there.

The food itself was good (I had tortellini alla panna) But there was WAY too little. I don't know how anyone could get full from that. My colleagues who had pasta were the same. Now we're going to get a kebab.

Ristorante Costa Nostra stands out from the rest thanks to its location on the banks of the Rhine. Fine Italian cuisine, authentic and intoxicating flavors, generous portions, fresh ingredients, freshness on the plate, and a real treat in the mouth. Appetizing textures and presentations. The cleanliness of the premises is impeccable, whether on the terrace or in the dining room: the furnishings are comfortable. The service by Fru Dessy is exceptional. Smiling, fast, and courteous, in short: a professional dedicated to her customers. A must-visit restaurant near the Rhine. Enjoy your meal!

Unfriendly and arrogant service. A bottle of wine and two cocktails are apparently worthless. You can't get drinks without food. And at 10:15 p.m., you'll be thrown out with a nasty comment.

At a late hour (around 9:15 p.m.), the restaurant didn't contact us. After proactively asking, we were told that hot food was still available. At our seats, we received little to no attention from the service. I ordered two white wines, which were clearly watered down. The Roma pizza was slightly burnt and lacked flavor. I ordered a medium-rare rump steak, which I received well-done, and the fries were of average department store quality. All in all, unfortunately, it wasn't a positive experience. The location, with its view of the Rhine, was pleasant.

everything is bad, especially that women waiter she looks like a man she's very rude and can not smile or speak nice with the guest

No food, no drinks, no sales... EDIT 13/09 after the owner's response: There was NOTHING going on that day. EDIT 09/09 Owner: Sends her lawyer after me, telling me to delete my review. That's unacceptable.

We (2 adults + 2 children) visited this restaurant for the first time today. All the staff were very friendly, the food came quickly, and we all enjoyed it. We'll be back the next time we're in Cologne.

The food was good, the service very friendly and attentive, and we sat outside with a view of the Rhine and the promenade. Cash only!

A very disappointing experience. We received a very poor reception from a gentleman who didn't even greet us upon our arrival. I simply asked where the restrooms were, and he curtly replied that they were reserved for customers. So I offered him a coffee to go. Despite this, he remained rude and completely ignored us. Fortunately, one of his colleagues was a little friendlier and directed us to the restrooms. But overall, the first waiter's behavior left a very negative impression, which I find damaging to the hospitality in Germany. I work in the restaurant industry myself, and I believe a minimum of respect and hospitality should always be extended, especially when requests are made politely.

Service not great, food not good. I'm not really picky about restaurants, but this was really bad. Move on.

The food is good, the waiters are extremely unfriendly, and if you want to pay by card, you have to wait forever. Cash payments are accepted immediately, though. Not all waiters are like that, but if you're hoping for a tip, you should at least be friendly.

One of the worst restaurant! It's an insult to Italians. There's no way you can say you can eat Italian food there!

If you don't tip 10%, the friendliness quickly disappears. Sorry, not for me.

Tried to come eat here however when I ordered a beer first I was told no only food. I said I was going to order food but wanted a beer first, again was told no. I just left. The food looked good. I would have eaten after a beer but apparently that’s not allowed.

For me, a typical tourist restaurant on the Rhine. We had a reservation for six people, but apparently it didn't work out or was simply ignored. A table of four for six was rather marginal. The food selection was plentiful and served very quickly; the quality wasn't bad, but not outstanding either—average. Service was friendly and prompt. Since it's still quite chilly in the evenings in early April, we went inside, and it's starting to show its age.

Very good food, and we didn't have to wait long. A very nice place to enjoy a glass of wine.

Everything was fine, unfortunately I was given a two-day-old salad with my plate that was substandard. the leaves were brown and greasy! It doesn't work at all!

We would have liked to have had something to drink, but unfortunately we were turned away from the table by a lady as this would only be possible in conjunction with food. Another employee apologized for the waitress's behavior and told us that the employee's service wasn't great anyway. five stars for the employee.

Pasta was oily and not tasty in general. Quite pricey at the same time.

Nice location, cool service - nice and spontaneous - food, we had burgers, unfortunately only lukewarm, but otherwise ok. It was incomprehensible that you could only pay with cash and not with a card.

The food is very delicious, and the view is very beautiful, 100% recommended 🫶

Nice, cozy restaurant with a rustic atmosphere, fast, friendly service and very tasty Italian food. Price & performance top

Pizza was better than in Naples. Well topped, crosser and tasty base and very aromatic. Not dripping with grease at all. We even had sharp knives, which is not the case in many other Italian restaurants. Tiramisu is highly recommended and the service staff (short blonde hair) was very friendly and attentive.

PIZZA very tasty Toilets always clean Staff friendly Pizza was very tasty Tastes juicy and tastes very good. Not burnt and not too raw but just right. So come back Can only recommend

I've been on Mondays around Cologne for weeks and this restaurant has been the best in a long time. It's not just that the service is totally attentive and friendly, no, you can hardly believe it, you can eat really great food here. Be it fish, steak or pasta (I had it with truffles) everything was first class. I have to say that this is only the third time that I, as a mere mortal, have given 5 stars for the food. So for me it's definitely something I'll remember (and I'm really forgetful)

🤗🤗🤗 How I was there Everything was great 👍 Very satisfied.

Maybe I wasn't lucky, but the salmon in the fettuccine alla vodka tasted very strange. The service was great, very friendly.

Lunch in between, nothing special, but good and value for money too

We spontaneously ended up in this restaurant on a Saturday evening. The service was very friendly and attentive, the food came super quickly and was very tasty (we had the truffle pasta and a pizza). We'd love to come back! :)

I can recommend the restaurant 100%. Service was great, the food was wonderful and the price/performance ratio was simply amazing.

The service was fine, but the food was not fresh and way too salty. We ordered tortellini with ricotta spinach filling with a ricotta and spinach sauce. The spinach sauce tasted like the spinach came from a can and was way too salty. Neither of us liked it, but we ate it out of politeness.

We were there after the musical. The service was funny and nice. Unfortunately, my companion's pizza wasn't cooked halfway through. Unfortunately mine didn't taste as good as I expected based on the reviews. The starter was a bit burnt, but still tasty.

They could be a little more. warm, the food cools the dishes. They don't come hot. There was no one there but it said everything was reserved, only cash, no cards accepted.

Overcooked and tasteless pasta. The waitress was not friendly, refused to serve tap water and demanded a tip. Shame. Will never come back!

Made a reservation, only then did we see the reviews, so we went that way with some doubts. Very nicely received and very nice staff. The food was fine, not super special. Didn't see any of the reviews!

Great little restaurant with a nice atmosphere and good cuisine

Unfriendly service and then whining because the tip was too low for their liking. "you are definitely from Belgium"

A really beautiful spot on the Rhine, our service was noticeably good and was very friendly and quick to read our wishes, many thanks to Jan our waiter. The food came on top and was really delicious! Very happy to recommend 🥰👍🏽

Excellent, super pleasant server! Super affordable!!

I can fully recommend the Gorgonzola pasta. The cleanliness of the toilets can be improved. Gladly again!

Average food. Hidden charges! They refused to serve tap water, instead charging 8Euros for 750ml of still water. The bill came clearly stating ‘tip not included’, waitress distracted us with pizza price and then added 10% onto the machine without asking / telling. Try and eat somewhere more honest! Tourist trap.

Lovely ate on a chilly early evening, warm lighting, kind service, mellow music, great unwind spot on arrival. Delicious Primitivo red wine from Apulia, fresh and tangy side salad. Pizza was spot on, light crust well seasoned. Lasagna was a good compliment to all bubbly and hot. Good beer, cold Aperol spritz and water. This was a solid spot.

We had breakfast there. Great breakfast, rolls, sausage, cheese, jam, Nutella. Everything included.

Dreadful service rude waiter. Waitress was seen putting her hand into metal bowl of chips in kitchen and eating them. Bins overflowing. Food was incredibly salty. Beer flat and the wine was the worst. The worrying part was the rude waiter wouldn't let me check the bill before paying, then when I refused to tip he was vile. After leaving we felt sick and had to make a couple of trips to the bathroom

Well-prepared food, fresh products, friendly service, prices for every budget I recommend

We had lunch here. The food was very good. The service was also great.

I sat outside. When I ordered I was told that you couldn't pay by card. I then had to go get cash. I then learned from the neighboring table that card payment was possible at the counter in the restaurant... Unfortunately, the pizza didn't taste particularly good either.

Pizza was OK, but when I wanted to pay, they did a 12 euro extra on the bill. I said that the price was not correct and he said yes this is tip. I was like can I not consider that by myself? And he started to talk about his kids... So check the bill if you go here. He was playing sad. Propably not the first time.

We're going there again It was so nice there

The restaurant is of course very geared towards tourism, but that is inevitable given the location (Rhine Promenade Old Town Cologne). Nonetheless, the food is very tasty! The portions are a bit small for the prices but perfectly fine! It's very nice for a “quick” meal before, for example, a concert at the Philharmonie! What is particularly worth highlighting is the service! The employees are all very nice, very quick and know the map inside and out

We stayed overnight in the hotel above and used the short route to grab something to eat before going to the musical. The best thing was the super nice and friendly service. The food itself was nothing to complain about but also not what I expect from a good Italian restaurant.

I do not recommend even my enemies to go here. We are 3 three people me, my partner and kid. The waiter took order and said they would take only cash. We are about to leave, after a thought atleast we will order 1 pizza with the cash we have,as we are hungry. He then said we cant order 1 pizza for 3 people, there is something like minimum order in germany and so on. Fun part is , he is also not a native. Not sure, is this some discrimination or has he gone nuts ?

Stay away. Of all the tourist restaurants here, but especially of this one. Absurd prices: €6.2 for a 0.4 Spezi (she said they were only available in large, 0.2 would be €3.6) 14€ for a burger that I can make better at home... with dry meat, old bacon and NO fries, a tiny side salad, for over 7€ Baked pasta with canned peas, completely tasteless for €18 Service: Lady seems friendly at first, but in the end she doesn't care that the food wasn't good. When she reiterates the horrendous prices for poor service, she just says "I pay €17 for a Lillet in Bavaria". We're from Munich and I've never paid more than €6 for a soft drink anywhere, not even at a concert. When I asked the lady to pass on our feedback to the boss, she said that it wouldn't help anyway. No apology, no compensation or little things like a café or dessert were offered on the house, she didn't cancel anything, nothing. I don't recommend eating here, maybe the alternative restaurants along the shore are better, but they're probably all like that...

Super nice staff. Everything went very quickly and food was very 😋

Man sitzt sehr schön draussen, doch leider war das Personal sehr unfreundlich, als man die für das Geld zu kleine teure Portion beklagt. War sehr abschreckend.

The restaurant is very nostalgic and beautifully decorated. The service was very, very friendly and funny, the food is highly recommended and was served quickly. It's definitely worth a visit. Thank you for the lovely evening with you.

Vandaag daar gegeten pizza was in de aanbieding maar dat was dan ook een lokkertje want voor 4 drankjes moesten wij €25 betalen. We konden daar ook niet pinnen werd er aangegeven dus moesten we eerst contant geld pinnen bij de bank. Bij het afrekenen werd het bedrag maar naar boven afgerond

€11.90 for 7 very small scampi, as shown in the photo. Everyone can make up their own minds. I'm not going back here.

Mediocre food, and unfriendly service as possible. The waitress still extorts a tip from you despite the insufficient quality. A tourist trap!

We ate here two days in a row during a short vacation in Cologne because we enjoyed it so much and the location to the sights was simply perfect. Just a few minutes to the cathedral, the Hohenzollern Bridge or the Musical Dome. Both the starter, pizzas, pasta and dessert were super tasty. The service was wonderful both days. The order was prepared very quickly, which really surprised us because there were a few other guests. Conclusion: We were thrilled on both days. If we are in Cologne again, we will definitely come back.

The restaurant has bad reviews deleted on the grounds of “defamation”. It had under 4 stars. Staff unmotivated and slow, prices very high.

Food was good. We asked for a lasagna and a carbonara. The lasagna was very good, but the carbonara was not the best. Bacon was kind of not so good prepared. The place is comfortable and the staff is helpful, but they charge for bathroom use (????). I mean, even if you are eating there. Strange, I though. A bit expensive overall, but super well located.

Great hotel located directly on the Rhine and the underground car park. Great menu, super friendly service. Would come again and again

I came with friends and we paid in cash. The waitress took the money back as a tip, without my permission. That is stealing.

7.50 for a water. I really liked it

The food was very tasty, we had pork fillet and salmon and we can only recommend it

Caution. This restaurant is designed to be a complete tourist rip off. The staff is rushed and unfriendly. I advise everyone not to visit this restaurant. Drink prices (only 0.4 liters possible on the terrace - €6.20 for mineral water) and food leave a lot to be desired. Glasses are not really clean. Even one star is not even remotely justified.

Nice for a drink on the Rhine in Cologne, at the foot of the Cathedral. We only had a drink here, but you can sit here on the terrace, under the parasol, enjoying a Kölsch or another drink with a view of the Rhine. An extensive map...

We ate there with our adult children after Gamescom with 6 people. Very close to the Rhine and the cathedral. We were asked to sit down. Order taken. Up until then everything was very good. Then the food came. Burger with fries and noodles. The taste of the food was bland, the fries were glassy, ​​unsalted and the meat was dry. The pasta sauce was unseasoned. After dinner we sat in front of empty plates for 30 minutes. All glasses were empty. We didn't get a second drink. Price per person would have been significantly higher if we had spent the evening there. Subterranean in taste Service underground Ambience great

Very friendly staff. Very great service. We felt very comfortable. Always my pleasure! 😊

The restaurant is amazing, the food is delicious, and the service is fast Amazing restaurant, tasty, fast service

One of the worst schnitzels I have ever eaten in a restaurant. Fries drowned in cold salad. Service needs improvement Waiting too long, even though you had made yourself known to different waiters.

Were served fairly quickly. We just didn't get what we ordered, but no problem and we adjusted. When paying, the owner asked why we did not leave a tip (we were certainly from Belgium) and he clearly indicated that we did not have to come back to him again. Very customer friendly.....

Very nice pizza and beer, friendly staff and great atmosphere. All you can ask for.

Very good, friendly and fast service with delicious food

Very good food, quick and extremely tasty. Very friendly staff 👍😀

The worst schnitzel there is in Germany!!!

Food was good and the service was friendly. Were there with 10 people and there were no problems. Can only be recommended

Typical overpriced tourist trap.