Haxenhaus in Köln

Pleasant and typical space, professional service and a fun atmosphere.

The portions were large. Maybe I should have asked for a half portion. 🤔 It tasted very good and, as the name suggests, isn't necessarily for vegetarians. And the Beijing shank, an Asian original, is interesting.

We was a big group of people, the serving was fast and the food was great! Really like the one meter beer idea 😁

The pig's feet are delicious, the beer is good, I ate it 7 years ago, and it is still very delicious after 7 years

A waiter with glasses and curly hair seems to make witty remarks for him. But he lies to you about the drinks on offer and won't bring you a small beer on principle. Very poor service. The ham hock plate is half salad. I ordered ham hock, not salad. Also very dry, crispbread-style.

Delicious knuckle of pork Potatoes too hard or didn't taste good 😐

We encountered a very rude waiter in this restaurant. When we just ordered an extra beer, he brought it over and told us to pay the bill. We said we needed to order more food. He directly said he was the boss and wouldn't allow us to order more food, and shouted at us very loudly. I think this is a form of racial discrimination. If the merchant doesn't solve this problem, we will keep appealing.

Calm, cozy restaurant, next to the river If you want to escape from crowded places this is a very good choice

Very tasty knuckle of pork, very juicy, and with a tasty sauce. The Himmel und Äad (spiced pork knuckle) was also delicious. Friendly and attentive service. Thank you 👍 We'll be back.

Dear owner, You never contacted me to pay me, so that's your first lie. Secondly, I didn't work for two hours, but four, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Furthermore, you have all the information you need to pay, but you want people to work for you for free. Shame on you! Best regards,

Extremely rude and unprofessional. We (five people) sat down outside 5 minutes before opening. Everything was set up. Then a woman came out and, without a word of greeting, very rudely and aggressively escorted us out of the premises. We wanted to eat the supposedly popular knuckle of pork. Staff like that makes it easier for tourists to generate revenue for other restaurants.

We were there with a group. The staff was very nice and friendly. Everything was good.

Food was very tasty and the salad too

It was very tasty; we each tried a different kind of knuckle. They were all delicious, with a good crust and sauces served separately. Not cheap, but worth the price. The only drawback is that paying with a card only works after I've entered the tip, which I find cheeky.

If you want to enjoy traditional German food, this place is perfect. Impeccable service. It has a large terrace overlooking the river. Their specialty is pork knuckle, so don't hesitate to try it. 100% recommended! P.S. And if you still have room after the pork knuckle, try the apple pie.

An atmospheric place with history. Angela Merkel and Helmut Kohl frequented this place. It's sparse during the day. A great place for meat lovers. Dinner dishes are prepared very quickly.

Great location. Food could be slightly better.

We had a delicious stew on the terrace. The menu offers a wide variety of dishes. They also have cocktails if you're not a beer fan. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

This employer gives people a trial day but doesn't pay for it. And when you call to ask about payment, you're turned away by the administration, saying, "Just send an email." Real scammers. 1. I worked for you from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, so not 2 hours to 4 hours!!!!!!!!!!! 2. With all due respect, you never called me!!!!!!!!!!!! 3. I called to ask if I could come see you, but the accounting lady said that wasn't possible, and she didn't have time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A traditional restaurant, as the name suggests, serving pork knuckle. It offers a beautiful view of the Rhine and the Hohenzollern Bridge.

Augustus ordered a knuckle of pork: knuckle, bratwurst, Leberkäse (meatloaf), fried potatoes, sauerkraut. The knuckle of pork made up for it! Sauerkraut was sour without being seasoned, fried potatoes not pan-fried but tossed in fat! Leberkäse (meatloaf) was 1/4 of a Leberkäse (meatloaf)... All for an exorbitant €30.50. The service was unconcerned with the customer or whether everything was okay.... absolutely not recommended!!

Very tasty German food and the waiters were very friendly to us. Will definitely visit again!

I was recommended to this place by a friend, but the experience wasn't very pleasant. After we sat down, we waited a long time for menus. Five minutes later, the waiter came and asked us to move to another table, saying they would take our order shortly. We then waited another six to eight minutes before the waiter finally remembered us. When I ordered in German, she was surprised and apologized. I mean, you can't just be serious with locals; tourists are guests too. The food was delicious, but the pork shoulder was clearly the front of the pork shoulder and was too small. A tiny pork shoulder shoulder, half a sausage (about 15cm long), and a slice of Käseleber cost 32 euros. I think this place is more expensive for the same taste. And for the same price, the food is too small. Next time I want grilled pork shoulder shoulder, I'll go to my usual place, Gaffel, instead of this place.

It was very friendly and delicious 😋

Enjoyed really delicious pork knuckles with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut.

The day I visited was incredibly hot. Even with the shade up, it was still hot. It was hot inside, too... But such days aren't common in Europe, so I'll pass. The food was a bit salty, and the unidentifiable sour sauce was a bit overwhelming. The staff was friendly and helpful. If you know how to eat haksen, go here.

Cool location, attentive staff, and right on the Rhine with a lively atmosphere.... TOP!!

I ate here a year ago. It was better then. The sauce seems watered down now and has less flavor...a shame. The ham itself was just as good, nice and crispy.

Great location, friendly service, and excellent food. Unfortunately, the water is a rip-off: no tap water, which I'm happy to pay for, but bottled water for €7.50.

The spinach was not only salty, it was too salty and since you are only served after 15-20 minutes it was also a bit slow considering the business

Once and never again... Unfortunately, that sums it up quite well. The service was a complete disaster. I had to call three or four times to pay, and they were unfriendly, too. I've worked in the restaurant industry myself, and I'm really, really disappointed... Some of the food was cold, and the salad had no dressing.

Decent food, but with room for improvement, service unfortunately unmotivated and not thoughtful

It's not worth it, and it's expensive too.

Wow – an unforgettable experience! Unfortunately, in the worst possible sense. The service? A study in slow motion. Anyone ordering a beer here should already be full and well-rested – our drinks arrived after more than 20 minutes, when we thought we'd have to pour them ourselves. The food? A 1 hour 45-minute wait for a single dish – we were wondering if we'd be served in this decade. Our polite inquiry was met with a shrug and the comment that it was "full" – even though the place was only 40% full. Perhaps they count the empty chairs as guests here? So if you like to go hungry, forgo drinks, and feel like you're being treated like air – congratulations, this is exactly the place for you. For everyone else: Save yourself time, money, and hassle.

The location is beautiful, the service is friendly, but the food—half a chicken and a salad—wasn't very convincing. We can't recommend this restaurant.

We tried three restaurants in Cologne over a long weekend, each with a similar menu. This allows us to directly compare Haxe and Himmel und Ääd. We're only giving them four because the mashed potatoes and fried potatoes were "from a bag." At least, that's how it looked and tasted. Then there were the prices – the value for money wasn't right here compared to the others. We'd like to emphasize the friendliness with which we were welcomed and served. And the knuckle crust, which you can order separately as a starter or snack, was also incredibly delicious. So... just give it a try and form your own opinion.

Great knuckle of pork, not dry, tender, good sauce, special creation, side dish more than sufficient, and a meter of Kölsch to go with it 😉 Inside, in the middle, it's a bit reminiscent of a cafeteria, with one seat after another. You have to like it because you're not completely alone... otherwise, nothing to complain about!

Very good beer, generous, local and tasty food. A special thank you to Rachel, who was perfect.

My go to place when I'm in Cologne. Food served always good. Service excellent. Tried many others restaurant in Cologne. This is my favourite 😛

We live two minutes away from Haxenhaus and have only heard negative things about the brewery from our neighbors. We wanted to get our own impression, which we now regret. After a strenuous 1 hour and 40 minutes, our food arrived. Some of it was only lukewarm. The taste was more like solid home cooking, if by "solid" you mean something you can make better at home... even with just one pot and without enthusiasm. The young waitress wanted to pay for our drinks out of her own pocket as an apology for the long wait. A nice gesture, which we declined – the restaurant should pay for such things, not the waitress. Which then also happened for two of the four drinks. The management? They were in the restaurant, but remained frozen in shock. Not a word, not a glance, not even a shrug. Customer loyalty works differently. Our conclusion: If you like waiting, appreciate cold food, and love management that doesn't want to be disturbed, this is the place for you. We'll give the space to other guests in the future. Addendum: Food can be forgotten. Mistakes like that happen. A brief apology from management would have made a lot of things right. Sending young waiters ahead and asking them to pay for the apology out of their own pocket is bad form. The fact that the wait for the food wasn't worth it in terms of taste and temperature is doubly bitter.

Great place, nice location next to the Rhine, friendly and fast service

Unfortunately, I can't recommend it. The service here is completely overwhelmed with 23 guests in the garden. It took about 10 minutes before I could place my order, the drink was wrong, and friendliness seems to be a virtue for the female server. I had a knuckle of pork with dark beer sauce, three quartered potatoes, and salad, all for over 30 euros. The prices bear no relation to the size and quality of the food. Three quartered potatoes, that's a joke! The wait here at lunchtime is a testament to patience, but it's the responsibility of the owners. Two people for the bar and the outside garden, without a commis, so you have to walk. It all took far too long for me; all in all, disappointing.

Delicious pork knuckles (eisbein/schweinshaxen). Friendly staff and good service. Can highly recommend the “Helena” and “bierkutscher”

The food, the atmosphere, the location, everything was just super!!

Unfortunately, only 2 stars overall because the knuckles were really not good :/ They tasted like they'd been cooked all day and were extremely dry. I definitely expect more from a restaurant that calls itself a "Haxenhaus" (Haxen House)!! Our knuckles were comparable to the ones from the hot counter for €4, although we paid €31 here. Unfortunately, the Coke also tasted pretty stale. The service, however, was very good, and we were treated very well and friendly.

Hello dear Haxenhaus team, We were here for the first time and had lunch. The ambiance is classic for the name Haxenhaus. The service was very attentive and friendly. There were four of us, three of whom had knuckles. They were great! Two people also had a small salad bowl. The selection was well-mixed, but they could have been a bit more careful with the visual aspect. Perhaps they could have arranged it in a larger bowl and poured the dressing on top. This was set at the bottom. Perhaps it was served too early? One person ordered a Wiener Schnitzel, which was also very large and tasty. However, it had a lot of breading. The well-pounded veal was almost lost. This was then served on top of the fried potatoes, so that you couldn't even notice the potatoes at first ;-(... here's a small deduction. Perhaps as a small suggestion, serve the fried potatoes in a separate bowl or pan (for the look). Otherwise, we were satisfied and will probably come back and recommend you to others. Best regards

Superb interior decor and the opportunity to eat by the Rhine in good weather. Very pleasant atmosphere. Well-cooked and crispy legs of lamb.

I sat outside and thought everything was great. Service was friendly, and the food was good and plentiful.

We only had goulash soup, but it was great.

Different styles to eat un codillo.

Friendly service and good atmosphere, right by the river. Prices were reasonably and food was great with massive portions!

Very medioka food. For the price of €30 a dish, I prefer a dönner kebab. I would give 0 stars. Haxenhaus removes unwanted comments even if they are true. They can't take any criticism about their medioka food.

Very poor service and rude staff. I wanted to give 0 or -10 stars, but unfortunately, that's not possible.

Unfortunately the pork knuckle was quite dry, the sauerkraut and potatoes were, however, outstanding.

Very friendly service. This is important, as a service charge is required when paying by card. 😁 The food isn't great, but it is tasty. However, the half-meter sausage is noticeably smaller.

Delicious knuckle, everything was perfect, the staff was very friendly and attentive, we felt very comfortable.

Food was great! Had a nice evening

The best knuckle of pork I've ever eaten north of the Main (perhaps the best ever...) crispy on the outside but not too hard, tender and juicy on the inside.

We had the shank, really superlative, house specialty. We will come back to try other things too

Excellent food Everything was very good

Popular restaurant on the Rhein terrace serving authentic German dishes. We had very tasty Schweinhaxen, (pork knuckle) with sauerkraut. Very enjoyable. And the friendly waiting staff made the experience even better. Definitely to be recommended.

The history and ambiance are simply fascinating. The staff are incredibly nice, friendly, personable, competent, and service-oriented. The buffet left nothing to be desired and was simply excellent. We were able to enjoy the Haxenhaus at a company event on June 25, 2025, in incredibly beautiful weather. Many thanks to all the staff. Arno Grüwel Grill & Camping Market Windmüllerstr. 7/ Am Wasserturm Lippstadt

I'm giving it "only" 4 stars because, for me, the food is the most important thing.... But first, something else.... Location: On the banks of the Rhine.... Lucky with the weather... were able to sit outside.... We were there during the week of the Spoga trade fair.... Quite crowded.... Very international clientele, very nice.... Rustic interior..... I wasn't expecting knuckle dishes to be so "northern"... Men's restroom small... but clean... someone was waiting for a financial gift.... We had a super friendly and attractive waitress who has only lived in Germany for a few years.... It's simply amazing how well she can already speak German..... Food: I know everything has gotten more expensive and that you also pay for the location.... but knuckles are the cheapest part of the pig 🐷 and 1/3 of the knuckle's weight is the bone (estimated).... That's why I think the knuckle prices are excessive!!! I had the Wiener Schnitzel...it was large, the breading didn't break (or collapsed), the side salad was good...the fried potatoes weren't crispy...it lacked zest!!! It tasted good; in fact, I don't think Wiener Schnitzel, made with pork, is any worse...I can't tell if it was veal...assuming...it didn't blow me away...hence the 4 stars....

We were really late at the restaurant, like after 10pm and the service was not busy anymore. The food came really fast. Homemade sausage is great and the Schweinehaxe is ok. Schnitzel is a bit dry but for the over all experience and price, 4 stars. If you are looking for a restaurant that you have a space outside, kids can play and you can eat then we really recommend this restaurant.

Schnitzel was ok the stake was not good

Every time I come to the exhibition, I must eat delicious food! Especially the pig's feet with local beer🍻

We had lunch here once. The food itself was quite good. I think the service was okay. I just think the prices are a bit high.

A nice restaurant in itself, located on the banks of the Rhine. However, it is very touristy. The staff are very friendly and the service is quick. The ambiance is very rustic, like a brewery, which makes it feel very authentic. I was unfortunately a little disappointed with the food. The knuckle of pork was very tasty, but the potato wedges didn't really have any flavor. It seemed as if they weren't seasoned at all. They only came with three long potato wedges. Several smaller ones would have been better, in my opinion. The salad didn't have any dressing, which made it taste a bit dry. I feel like the quality has gone down since my last visit.

We ordered a lot of food and beer, and we ordered beer by the meter. We calculated that we ordered about 8 meters of beer, and added 1 meter when we paid the bill, but it was not served, and we were charged for 11 meters. We reminded her that she added another meter, but asked us to pay again. At least 2-3 meters of beer were charged. The food was good, but it was hard to accept this kind of practice. I will not come again.

Lovely place and get the german vibes... The food was really good..

We waited for Zakas for 2-1 hours and the food was disgusting

Very nice atmosphere and very good beer, specialty shin! We had something else but we were not very impressed, the potatoes were a bit too burnt and the sausage tasted of little, but I'm sure it was a coincidence, the view is very nice especially at sunset and the staff is very kind

Apparently, I was having a bad day. Unfortunately, my knuckle wasn't really crispy, more like a soggy shank. It was tasty, but if the rind didn't crack...🤷 It's a real shame, actually a lovely location in an 800-year-old house.

Yes, you are on the Rhine but knowing that we would have to wait almost an hour for a plate of homemade sausage and that the one on the menu was half a meter while the one in the photo arrived (to exaggerate 30cm at 21€), we would have looked for a less central place. Which I recommend you do too, try something else

Not very nice, more of a cynical attitude. We waited 20 minutes for the drink and more than an hour for the food. The food has no taste, even without salt. The wiener - although it is made of veal - was not fried, but drowned in oil. I don't know why this place is so overrated. Avoid if possible

Best pork knuckle I’ve tried in Germany so far, great service, and lots of cold Kölsch

Super delicious food, I'll be happy to come back.

Great service, delicious food. I can only recommend it.

I wanted to try typical German food and it was recommended to me, I was very satisfied

The food was okay. In my opinion, the food was delicious, but the prices were rather inflated. Fried potatoes and sauerkraut for four people were way too little. The waiters were unfriendly and arrogant. We'll never go there again.

The pork knuckle is the signature dish at this place. It was really good.

we arrived without a reservation. we were a group of 6. we had ordered a huge plate that was charged per person with a bit of everything. it was very good and filling. after that we had ordered two desserts to share. it had been over 30-45min, yet still no dessert. so we ordered a flight of 6 beers. they messed up to which they gave us 10 beers. we sent it back because it was incorrect. instead of explaining to us the options we had such as a flight with 5 beers. mind you we were with three germans so it was noy a language issue. they gave us 6 beers without the board. All while we are still waiting for the dessert. Then comes a man with curly hair with glasses, he started tossing the coasters to us. Very rude. then we finally got our dessert after reminding them THREE times. The ice cream came melted, the lady with red hair did not give us extra spoons. the service here was awful and they werent even that busy. horrible service. i wish the food made up for it

Always a great dinner. The portions have appropriately right sized a bit over the years, which is good since they were way too big in the past. Love the pig nuckles (haxen) meters of Kolsch etc

Can't give a star for the food. After 1.5 hours I still didn't have the food.

Unique shanks and beer Visit it

Good food and good quality price

You want knuckles...you get knuckles. And in many different variations. Very tasty! The service was attentive, quick, and friendly. It was quite humid that evening, so the restaurant was filled with a strong sewer stench, which is unavoidable in that area and with the density of shops in Cologne.

It doesn't seem to be as expected

Great location, super delicious food, and very friendly staff! A definite recommendation.

Very good food, beautiful location, and excellent service. Jonas, in particular, served us very kindly and courteously! We'd love to come back :)

Nice place, but a bit expensive. But normal at this place.

Everything was great and very tasty.

The service is truly mediocre. First, we forget our order, then they claim we haven't ordered anything. Everyone at the table was surprised.

The food was OK... The cured knuckle of pork was quite good, but it was mashed potatoes from a bag and sauerkraut from a can that wasn't even dressed in any way. I know... "brewery fare"... But when you pay €30 for the knuckle of pork... A pinch of nutmeg in the mashed potatoes or a little bit of broth in the sauerkraut should be allowed. One positive thing to mention, though, is the very attentive service staff.

The restaurant was moderately busy, but it still took about 15 minutes for my order to be taken. My drink arrived promptly, and after a good half hour, I asked how long it would take for the food (schnitzel and asparagus). The waitress didn't know and didn't come back. Four people from the neighboring table, who had already arrived before me, eventually left because it took too long. I also left 10 minutes later, and there was no real reaction from the staff when I paid for my drink. By the way, Kölsch was always refilled very quickly all around...

Very good grilled shank (Haxe), much better, less fatty, and less salty than the boiled shank (Eisbein) I've tried elsewhere. The chef's little touch—the shank (Haxe) gratinated with cheese and a bit of black pudding—is original and very good. According to my receipt (Beleg), service isn't included?! Does this mean that the servers aren't paid by the restaurant, but only by customers' tips?!

They're deleting honest opinions here. I can only advise everyone not to visit here, because anyone who doesn't accept serious criticism shouldn't be running a business. My unwanted review again!! A total disappointment. I ordered a knuckle of pork with dark beer sauce, potato wedges, and salad. The food arrived relatively quickly, and I don't want to complain about the service either. The food is the main problem with this restaurant. The knuckle of pork looked very nice, and the crust even tasted like something you'd expect from Bavaria, but it was a bit dry and not quite hot. The salad consisted of a single folded lettuce leaf, a thin slice of cucumber, and 10 strips of grated carrot. The potato wedges... well, what can I say, divide half a potato into three, and you've got the side dish. According to the menu, there should have been cranberry sauce. My inquiry about this was initially ignored, then, after visiting the kitchen, dismissed with, "We don't have that today." Finally, the sauce... You could smell the beer in it, but it tasted more like thick water with cheap beer in it.

Absolutely phenomenal dining experience! Every single item on our plate was a 10/10, even the sparkling water impressed us. Our waiter was incredibly kind and attentive, making us feel truly welcomed. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, creating the perfect setting for an unforgettable meal. After two decades in Germany, I can confidently say this is one of the best tasting restaurants I’ve ever been to.

Knuckle was very crispy, service very fast and super nice

This is on the river front, so it's an excellent venue when weather is good. They serve German delicacies and we like the Meter of Beer!