Ludwig im Museum Restaurant & Café in Köln

Very nice! The food was delicious, the price was reasonable, and the atmosphere was lovely, although the excessively long tables, which make strangers feel like neighbors, are not a good solution.

Great experience, pleasant place, lovely lighting. The soup was delicious! Perfect for warming up before catching the train. Excellent service, friendly staff.

Everything here was great. Nothing to complain about!

It was quite nice, you can do it if you happen to be in the area. The location is definitely really beautiful.

Very good food, friendly service, waited a little longer for the food, but it was also very crowded.

I was more disappointed with Ludwig this week than I've ever been in a long time. We had been looking forward to a lovely afternoon in a nice restaurant on the terrace. We sat on the terrace for well over 15 minutes without any of the staff noticing us, even though it wasn't busy at all. The staff walked past us several times without even acknowledging us. We then made our presence known and asked if we could order something. We ordered two salads with goat cheese and drinks. The very tasty salads arrived, but our drinks didn't. When the waiter brought the bread, I asked about the drinks. He hadn't even noticed they were missing, even though our food had been on the table for 10 minutes. The waiter was completely non-communicative; he didn't even say "good day" to us, and he didn't seem to know how to say "please," "thank you," or "goodbye." And that wasn't all... When we paid, the bill was incorrect, and we had one drink too many on it. The waiter didn't notice, of course, and we only realized it after we'd already paid. Incidentally, we didn't look like backpackers or travelers just passing through Cologne; we were dressed appropriately for a musical. The food and drinks were very good, but the service was simply inadequate—a real shame. We won't be going back to Ludwig anytime soon, especially not to the outdoor terrace.

I was truly delighted. We ate there with a very large group and received an exceptionally warm welcome. The food was simply perfect. Admittedly, it's a bit pricey, but it's worth it. I had the Caesar salad with duck – crisp, fresh lettuce, just the right amount of dressing, and tender meat. It was a little annoying that the restrooms weren't working, but they quickly arranged an alternative. We could use the restrooms in the museum, although they aren't the best or cleanest. However, I don't want to deduct any points for that. Therefore, all in all, 5 stars.

We were here for a large family gathering and were very satisfied. The service was excellent and the coffee and cake were delicious. 😊

We've visited this restaurant three times and were disappointed twice. On our last visit, several of the limited menu items were unavailable, which was met with an inappropriately rude response. The food was mediocre, and despite its extremely convenient location near the Philharmonie, we won't be returning.

We just got ignored by the staff. We ended up leaving :/

Despite the dining room being full, there were still seats available at the bar. The service there was good and quick!

Great cakes, a very large selection of fresh, homemade cakes. Very good, fresh food, with a focus on regional products. Lunch dishes are highly recommended. Very friendly service. Reservations are recommended for meals, as it's always packed, especially at lunchtime. When it's full, the long wooden tables are quite close together. However, given the friendly museum clientele, this isn't a problem. The only downside: milk for coffee comes in small plastic containers. Shame! Really unacceptable.

We were a large group of guests at the Ludwig im Museum Restaurant. The menu is smaller, but very interesting, and everyone was very satisfied with their meal. The ambiance is upscale, so dress code is recommended. Thanks to its central location, it's easy to move on to other restaurants in the area. Thank you for the friendly service and the excellent food!

The coffee was really watery, not much taste. We took a cappuccino which wasn’t hot anymore and an Irish coffee which didn’t have any alcohol in it. I don’t advise to buy coffee here.

Crime and Dine with Martin Walker. The food was delicious. The service staff was excellent. This event was interesting. The German/British mix was different. Walker's lecturing skills were manageable. The selected texts for reading were commendable but a bit difficult to digest. Crime and Dine was worth €79. A three-course meal with a free cocktail at the beginning couldn't be beat.

I ordered duck because it was recommended as the monthly special. It came with Caesar salad, as described on the menu. Only, instead of duck with salad, it was salad with a bit of duck (4 small strips). If I'd wanted salad, I would have bought it separately somewhere else. And then they had the nerve to charge €26 for it... I'm still hungry and will probably buy a kebab now. What a shame!

Food was excellent, I really loved it. And they have great dessert options. Service was friendly, but really busy, so if you want to catch the train, rather pay upfront. Will definitely come back.

An insider tip right next to the cathedral.

Super friendly staff, first-class value for money for the food - it was an all-round delicious and great time!

This is a place you should never visit. A business that judges, demeans, and excludes people based on their appearance or origins. Their understanding of service is zero; customer satisfaction is out of the question. The behavior of the waiters, in particular, was hurtful and discriminatory. I have never felt so uncomfortable in a place. Such establishments, which have no respect for human rights and equal rights, should not be supported. Reply to the reply received It's sad to see that you simply deny my wife's experience instead of taking an honest look. She experienced discrimination personally – and such moments leave deep scars. A place that truly embraces respect and equality would first listen and show understanding instead of immediately becoming defensive. When diversity is merely a showcase, but the opposite is demonstrated in the way people are treated, every fine word loses its value.

I'm writing this review from the perspective of a traveler who's been stranded in Cologne for an hour and a half, hungry... The dining options around Cologne Central Station aren't great. For a quick break, there's the Galestro Caffèbar—and what else? Fortunately, there's "Ludwig im Museum," a few steps away and highly recommended! Instead of just any old fast food, there's a great menu with varied dishes, a quiet, pleasant atmosphere, away from the hustle and bustle of the station, and attentive, friendly staff who are happy to accommodate special requests and are attentive to their guests. There's no better way to spend a wait for a connecting train!

Oh, I can recommend it. I only had a small view of the Rhine, and the location doesn't seem ideal at first glance, but something appealed to me, and it didn't disappoint. The food was amazing, the staff attentive, and the stay was simply relaxing.

Good ambiance, but incredibly loud. Due to the lack of soundproofing, you can only shout your way through conversations. Not exactly what you'd expect from a museum café.

A very nice café in the heart of Cologne (located directly in the Museum Ludwig or the Philharmonic Hall, but also with its own entrance). The cakes and drinks are very good. The staff are friendly, if a bit stressed.

I visited Ludwig for the first time today, but certainly not my last. The food was excellent, and the portions were almost too large for me. The price is almost reasonable considering the high-quality, organic products used. The service was very friendly and attentive.

The concept is excellent; a very nice menu with great dishes; one or two finer (organic) beers could be added, but that's just complaining at a high level. I think the newspaper selection is outstanding! I was astonished when I arrived via the terrace at 9:05 p.m. and asked the waiter cleaning up there if they were still open and if there was anything left to eat. He replied, "We're already closing. But I don't know. You can also ask inside." I said this, and the question was answered in the affirmative (the website says the kitchen is open until 11 p.m.; I suspect that by 10 p.m., these waiters would have sent you away). Unfortunately, it took about 15 minutes before I could order, as the waiters were very busy cleaning up, and I was probably forgotten in the meantime. The lack of motivation was unfortunately written all over both of their faces. If the non-native German-speaking waiter then doesn't pronounce the numbers clearly when paying, and you can't distinguish "31.10 euros" from "39.10 euros" and therefore give 42 euros, pointing out the misunderstanding would have been a matter of politeness. I certainly wouldn't have responded by demanding a refund, but would have thought that he deserved his tip due to his honesty (I only saw it when I got home). Now I hope that the very good chef also contributes to the tip pot. I suspect (and hope) that this was just an isolated instance of poor performance, and I'll try again soon.

Ingo's service was a true delight. Friendly and courteous, with perfect wine pairing tips! It was wonderful to be looked after by such a professional!

I visited the restaurant again today after a long time. It was just as I remembered: the service was very friendly, the food was just as good. Simply a lovely place to stop before or after a concert at the Philharmonie.

A perfect evening in Cologne! We visited the restaurant on Saturday evening and were very pleasantly surprised. The food was not only delicious but also beautifully presented. The staff was very friendly. The only thing was that we had to wait a bit too long for drinks. We would definitely be happy to come back.

A friend of mine experienced racism from a waiter at this restaurant today. It was very disappointing and absolutely unacceptable. No guest should ever be treated differently based on their background or skin color. I definitely do not recommend this restaurant.

When I wanted to buy and drink water in the café, the waiter told me I wasn't allowed to drink the water inside because it was a restaurant. I wasn't even allowed to drink it in the garden, only outside on the street. The waiter's behavior was extremely dismissive, so I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone go there. It was a completely racist act.

My experience at this establishment was a complete disappointment. Instead of treating everyone equally, they openly discriminate. As a customer, I expect respect – instead, I was treated condescendingly and excluded. This behavior was not only rude, but clearly racist. It's unacceptable to take people's money while simultaneously treating them like second-class citizens. I can't recommend this place to anyone – it should be avoided at all costs.

What I experienced in this restaurant shocked me. The employees' behavior was completely disrespectful and full of prejudice. I didn't feel valued as a customer—or even as a person. It's unacceptable that a business makes money while treating people poorly. No matter how pleasant the atmosphere, such behavior overshadows everything else. In my opinion, a business where racism prevails should have no place.

We went for dinner! The atmosphere is super nice and the service is great too! As for the food, everything was beautifully decorated and delicious! I think it could have been a little better for the price. Recommended :)

The breakfast was okay, although the bread was a bit dry. The prices were rather high, which is probably due to the location. On the plus side, the café is large yet pleasantly subdued, making it easy to have a conversation.

Very central location near the cathedral. The food was very good, but a bit expensive for what was on the plate. (Lots of side dishes)

After a boat trip on the Rhine, I enjoyed our first main course with my son and granddaughter last Sunday afternoon at this fine restaurant. The food for the child and us adults was excellent. There was plenty of space to choose from (for example, on a padded bench) with a view of the roof of the Philharmonic Hall. The view even reached the hotel across the street on the right bank of the Rhine. The staff was extremely friendly overall. And we felt personally looked after by Barbara for over two hours. At this point, I would just like to express my sincere gratitude for the successful gastronomic event.

The dishes were beautifully presented, though the flavors didn’t quite meet the expectations we had for that price range. The service, on the other hand, was excellent. The staff and owner were very helpful and did their best to leave us satisfied with our visit.

I like going here. Nice atmosphere.

A modern restaurant in a prime location. Very convenient for museum/philharmonie visitors! Impeccable food and a matching wine list at a reasonable price. Attentive service, even when it gets busy.

Lovely cafe of the Ludwig Museum…

We sat on the terrace and the very friendly service served delicious food.

The food was very good, especially sitting outside on the terrace. Very good, attentive service. We enjoy coming here and have never been disappointed.

Staff is unfriendly, but food was good. Menu is a little difficult to understand, but we eventually found something we liked! Coffee was watery and awful.

For me, this is one of the best and most beautiful restaurants in Cologne. We meet here with our friends every month. The chefs are magicians with unique flavors and original recipes, all at a very fair price.

Beautiful restaurant-café near the Philharmonic Hall and the museum. Affordable, delicious lunch menu. Friendly service. Spacious room and plenty of time for conversation.

My go-to place in Cologne for a delicious breakfast. Great location in the shadow of the cathedral.

Very nice atmosphere. We were here with four children, and it was very nice. Everyone around us was very friendly. We received very attentive and friendly service, and the food was delicious.

The restaurant is located in a central area and it looks nice inside. However, service is very slow. We ordered drinks: beers, a bottle of wine and one aperol spritz. We ordered the same salad 3 times in our group and one arrived 10 min later. There were a few flies around our food while we’re sitting inside and waiting for the last salad. All the food arrived and we were almost done eating when the aperol spritz arrived after reminding the waiter. Then, I found a live spider while I’m halfway the salad and when I tell the waiter he just said “ok” and took my plate away (see last picture). We decided to not order dessert out of fear that it would never arrive.

Try the Benedict breakfast, it is great. They also have choices for vegetarians. Nice view and very central too.

Excellent !! Service was so good. Many authentic vegan/vegatarian choices available. Food was very tasty as well. Would definitely love to come back

I wanted to order a light beer, but the waitress snapped at me, "Where's the Bavarian here? We don't have that here... Drink Kölsch." If I'd wanted that slop, I would have ordered it. And they also have Hefeweizen on the menu. What's the point? Furthermore, the signs for the daily specials don't provide any information about allergies to the food. Even listing allergens on the back page of the menu doesn't help if the footnotes on the board are missing. Thank you very much 🥴 ..

the food was good qnd the staff we enjoyed

Very tasty food (vegetarian and meat), attentive and friendly service.

The museum café/restaurant offers a pleasant atmosphere that's perfect for a visit to the museum, but is also worthwhile in its own right. The generous organic breakfast selection is particularly noteworthy. From fresh bread and spreads to regional cheeses and sausages, there's everything your heart desires. The staff are friendly, attentive, and always strive to make your stay as pleasant as possible, even if it sometimes takes a little longer. The café/restaurant itself is relatively large, so even larger groups can easily find a seat. (Reservations required)

I had a risotto with leek and salmon strips. Unfortunately, the rice was overcooked and the salmon strips were very dry and hard. My wife had better luck with her large salad plate. The service was very slow, and when a larger group of guests arrived, it almost came to a complete standstill. We wanted a cake for dessert, which we had already chosen from the display case. We were then told to go back to our table and place our order there. Unfortunately, no one came to take our order. The prices for non-alcoholic drinks are also quite high.

Super delicious food and top service.

My favorite cafe at the cathedral

Four of us (uncle, aunt, my boyfriend and I) had dinner at Café Ludwig on a Saturday evening. I had already read some critical reviews in advance, which unfortunately coincided with our own impressions. During our stay the atmosphere was tense. One waiter in particular (larger stature, dark gray short hair) seemed stressed and reacted to our order with a mixture of unfriendliness and cynicism. During the course of the evening, cutlery, glasses and plates fell several times without anyone apologizing. In addition, a few hours after eating the salmon dish with tagliatelle, my friend and I developed severe gastrointestinal complaints that suggested food poisoning. In summary, our visit was disappointing in terms of both service and food quality.

Highly recommended. Interesting and changing seasonal menu. The food is very tasty.

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, in the evening, I ordered pasta with salmon before going to a concert in the Philharmonie. The food itself looked OK and tasted good too. My partner also tried a piece of salmon from my plate. An uneasy feeling spread through me while I was eating. About 1 hour after eating, during the concert, I became very sick and had to stop going to the concert because I vomited. I vomited 1-2 times an hour throughout the night until my body got rid of the entire salmon dish. My partner ended up vomiting in the night too. Since we hadn't eaten anything else all day and the symptoms went away as soon as the salmon was out of our bodies, we assume that the salmon dish resulted in food poisoning.

The Ludwig in the museum is very beautiful. The places to sit and stand are nicely laid out. The menu was enough for us to have coffee. The service was very friendly and accommodating. We have liked the facilities and the overall atmosphere for the second year now Overall, highly recommended. Visit.

Anyone who actually charges a premium for oat milk in 2025 simply hasn't heard the shot. This really is gastronomy from the day before yesterday and has now become obsolete even in the deepest provinces. In the center of Cologne, right next to the cathedral, people stick to it. It's a shame, but the next café is never far away in Cologne. Addendum to the operator's "answer": Actually, everything has been said after this bitchy reaction. Of course you can react to criticism with insulted insults; Repair would be another option. But this self-reflection may not be available to everyone. By the way, the deepest province I came from is Cologne's Nordstadt. What an embarrassing appearance.

Nice cafe with a good menu. Good and attentive service The cake and the homemade lemonade... Class

Ordered an eggs benedict. I find the portion to be a bit small in my opinion but the food and drinks were delicious. The service is a bit slow but it is also a busy cafe location. They did have a nice looking assortment of caje which i would like to try next. Whether inside our outside, it is a nice location to have a coffee or food.

Very good restaurant, the noodles are very tasty here. The service mixed things up for us but it's very quick here.😋

Very nice restaurant with a great view and a varied menu. Food very nicely decorated.

Was able to get a delicious and quick dinner before the concert even though I had very little time. The waiters are very friendly and their service was super fast. Great start to a wonderful evening!

Always my pleasure! Price/performance is regularly excellent!

A pleasant place for a break. What I liked was the attentive friendly service.

Very good cuisine. Exceptionally friendly service. Highly recommended.

Always my pleasure. Nice ambience. Friendly, accommodating staff. Three good lunch options. Also vegetarian. Barrier-free. Conversation at the table is possible despite the full hall. Reservation makes sense.

I can only agree with the honest and bad comments. Yesterday I wanted to have a coffee before the concert. Unfortunately nothing came of it. I sat at the table for exactly 30 minutes and left angry and disappointed and without having had a coffee. I wasn't willing to wait any longer for 1 drink. The waiters are ignorant, unfriendly and completely inattentive. I then drank my coffee in the Philharmonie. Never ever this cafe/restaurant again. The location and connection to the Philarmonie save this shop, otherwise it would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Very nice and pleasant stopover on a cultural trip. The business lunch is highly recommended. Friendly and courteous service. Nice card.

Very nice atmosphere with a great selection of seasonal food. Unfortunately, we received a very unfriendly welcome and had to wait quite a long time for service, which is why we almost left. The friendliness and courteousness can be improved here.

The Ludwig im Museum Restaurant & Café is a wonderful place for a special evening. The location could hardly be better - right next to Cologne Cathedral, with a view of the city and perfect proximity to the Philharmonic Hall. If you want to have a relaxed meal before a concert, this is the right place for you. The menu offers creative and delicious dishes, accompanied by unusual, lovingly prepared drinks. The service? Excellent – ​​attentive but unobtrusive. In the evenings, after the concerts, the restaurant fills up quickly, so reservations are recommended. Whether for a romantic dinner or simply an enjoyable moment in a stylish atmosphere - the Ludwig is always a good choice.

Slow and kind of chaotic. You should bring your time, and don't waste time on a “quick café” before the event begins.

Was standing outside a food truck. Ordered fries were very bad. Old grease, grease not warm, we don't know, but it was so dirty Fortunately, we will no longer be in Cologne.

An incredibly affordable and high-quality place to visit in Cologne, where you can sit, spend time, eat good food and drink good drinks.

I think design isn't suitable for effective walking, you can lose too much time. But my favorite is last floor.

For the behavior of the waiter (who later turned out to be the restaurant manager after my complaints), who only offered benefits, racist comments, assumptions, ignorance and rudeness, even 1 star is way too much. I had a very unpleasant experience visiting there last Friday and this was ONLY because of a person who, in my opinion, was failing in his job. Insinuating guests with your assumptions and insisting on it and hurting us with racist comments is intolerable and unacceptable. Zekiye February 17, 2025 Reply to your feedback How inappropriate to offer to contact you. If you were to take complaints first, you would also know that I contacted you by phone about this matter before my review here. The very nice lady on the phone also pretended to be the person in charge of the restaurant. I also thanked you for contacting me. Apparently feedback is not taken seriously.

Yesterday, on February 16th, 2025, four of us had breakfast here, we ordered 2 x the vegetarian and 2 x the "Good Morning" breakfast. The service and ambience - at least in the window area - certainly deserve 4 stars, but the quality of the cold cuts deserves a maximum of 2. It is in no way understandable that in this area people are obviously making such savings that they resort to the simplest, packaged and completely tasteless sausage and cheese products (analog cheese or ham). When you end up paying almost €100.00 for four people, you're left with a bad aftertaste. It's a shame, next time we'll go back to Cafe Jansen!

For lunch, spaghetti putanesca for € 11.90. Totally salty. Thank goodness the portions are so manageable that you can finish it quickly.

The food was more delicious than expected and the unique elements stimulated my taste buds. The atmosphere is nice, and the service is friendly and fast.

I love this cafe, it's best to reserve a table, it's always busy

Excellent food, really nice service and exactly the right intervals between courses. Perfect!

Nice ambience, good service and good coffee and cake. Not far from the cathedral/main station. Always worth a visit.

We had duck, chicken&dates salad and spaghetti. Nice!

Today a break with the family. Wonderful. Super friendly service and the Eggs Benedict is a poem. Very large selection of cakes. Currently a beautiful gingerbread house to enjoy!

Sensational! It was completely unexpected what awaited you in this “museum restaurant”. Architecturally fluffy, with a nice ceiling height. Lots of space for each guest, which is great for a tête-à-tête. This also creates a pleasant background noise that is not disturbed by background music. We had dinner calmly. I chose Spaghetti AOP, my accompaniment "Homemade meatball of Hokkaido pumpkin and spinach on a beetroot and root vegetable ragoût, rounded off with a ginger-lime sauce". Both were flawless! There was also very attentive service. Overall, there isn't much that a restaurant in this category could do better! We'll be back!

Tidy cozy. Great food, adapted to the season. Quality matches the price. Pleasantly attentive service. Gladly again!

The food is good, no question. But I don't have to go here again thanks to the snobby waiter. If you like to be ignored, you are welcome to visit the café.

A wonderful combination of museum, restaurant and proximity to the Philharmonic Hall. Great atmosphere close to the cathedral, especially at Christmas time you now have numerous opportunities to discover the many interesting sights such as the wonderful Christmas markets in the immediate vicinity. The Museum Ludwig is an absolute must with its numerous world-famous works of art such as Picasso. Highly recommended.

We had a company event on site. The service was attentive, although it sometimes took a long time for the drinks to arrive. The cake buffet was really carelessly arranged on the table, unfortunately the cakes didn't taste good either and looked like finished products. The main courses were mediocre. Since the location is really beautiful, I expected more. There really is still potential and room for improvement here Update: So neither I nor my colleagues were asked about this. Since we were a group of more than 50 people, your statement is interesting. I think everyone is allowed to form their own opinion.

Nice place for lunch before or after visitjng the Ludwig museum which has some great Impressionist and Expressionist paintings

I was there last week and am very disappointed. I think the concept of sustainable and organic products is great. The implementation very much needs improvement. The chicken with peanut sauce meal we ordered came just as quickly as the starter. Nothing could possibly have been freshly cooked at that rate. The quality was something like finished products. The taste was okay but nothing special. The rice is unsalted. My companion's dish was very dry and tasted old. The cake we ordered was delicious. There is a nice atmosphere in the restaurant, unfortunately it was very crowded in the large front area. I also missed the feeling, which due to the concept should simply be more special and warmer.

Been there a few times and always satisfied. The access from the restaurant to the Philharmonie is also great. Of course, the concert ticket must be presented at the Philharmonie.

And again we had a very good breakfast before we went to the museum.

On the occasion of my birthday and the annual Cologne tour that starts in the morning, we had breakfast at the "Ludwig". Our breakfast was varied and excellent, and the staff were very accommodating. A great location next to the radio station.

The worst chocolate milk ever. Lukewarm and tasteless.