Ludwig im Museum Restaurant & Café in Köln

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.

I was more disappointed with Ludwig this week than I have EVER been before. We were looking forward to a lovely afternoon in a well-kept restaurant and terrace. We sat on the terrace for over 15 minutes without anyone from the service staff noticing us, even though it wasn't full and the service staff walked past us several times without taking any notice of us. We then made our presence known and asked if we could order something. We ordered 2 salads with goat cheese + drinks. The very tasty salads came, but our drinks didn't. When the waiter reordered the bread I asked about the drinks. He himself hadn't noticed the missing drinks even though our food had already been on the table for 10 minutes. There was absolutely nothing from the waiter in terms of communication, neither hello when greeting us nor please, thank you or goodbye were unknown. That wasn't all... When we paid the bill was incorrect and we had one drink too many on our bill. Of course the waiter didn't notice this and we didn't notice until we had already paid. By the way, we didn't look like backpackers/travellers passing through Cologne but were suitably well dressed for a visit to a musical. The food and drinks were very good but the service was simply unsatisfactory, a shame. We don't go to Ludwig any more so quickly, especially on the outside terrace.

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.

Everything was great here. Nothing to complain about!

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

A year ago I had a disastrous visit to this restaurant. The restaurant management called me and really tried to clarify things. So now a new attempt. I had made a reservation (must be made at least 2 days in advance) on Sunday afternoon after the concert in the Philharmonie. It's convenient because access is possible directly. Unfortunately you can't add a note when making the reservation, so I had to send an additional email asking for a table in the peripheral area. Despite the large crowds from all sides, the receptionist was very friendly and kept an overview. Reserved tables had been set very attractively in advance. As requested, I got my table at the edge and a waiter appeared promptly and immediately accommodated my request for an aperitif. “My” waiter was still super friendly and took great care of me as a guest. For dinner I had bread dumplings with pumpkin in an Asian curry sauce with garden vegetables. Last time we visited it was basically the same dish only with spinach in the dumplings. Unfortunately, the taste of the very liquid sauce did not change and the Thai restaurant certainly has better. When you eat this dish for the first time, you could describe it as creative. A huge plus point is of course that the products are organic and information about the regional producer is often provided.

Outrageous impertinence. This restaurant is only good for itself. Apart from the paid comment writers, every connoisseur comes away empty-handed. Sunday evening, reserved for 6:00 p.m., 6 people. Arrived on time. At this point the restaurant was not yet full. 6 Eating from the menu, no special requests, ordering the food after ordering the drinks. Certainly before 6:30 p.m. We chose the restaurant, as apparently many other guests did, because a staircase leads directly into the foyer of the Philharmonic Hall so that we can immediately attend the concert there at 8:00 p.m. When our food had still not been served at 7:30 p.m., we asked for the first time, pointing out that the concert was about to begin. In 5 minutes it will be ready. At this point it was already clear to us that there was no longer any question of a good meal. And what came to the table was, contrary to the semantics in the menu, an imposition in terms of taste and appearance. The salad is smothered in sauce, the tagliatelle has pieces of salmon that are still cold inside, the quiche is three centimeters thick. What hubris when ordering mineral water at the very beginning of our visit to ask about the temperature, room temperature or chilled. Apparently it's not enough to talk about your own organic products, they also have to be put on the table. There was no mistake, there were simply too many guests ordering their food at the same time. For restaurant occupancy, see above. How can anything improve if you gloss over obvious errors or simply claim that there are none? Why can't management anticipate that there will be peaks in the hours before the concert, which should be part of the basis of the business in the immediate vicinity of the Philharmonie? Our verdict, inadequate, an imposition, a place that celebrates itself, but for no reason. The service is casual and, in the event of a complaint, trivial. The kitchen with no visible or tasteful standards, apparently only semi-trained assistant chefs at work, a restaurant with unparalleled mismanagement. This way you can ruin every guest's evening. One question remains: why didn't we just get up at 7:30 p.m. and leave, pay for drinks and leave, never to be seen again? Certainly none of us will ever set foot in this restaurant again, this is how lasting the proverbial “Rhine Falls” was.

Went there again for breakfast today… TOP selection, TOP quality, TOP service, TOP ambience…

Excellent location restaurant Location: Inside the Ludwig Museum, but facing the square with charming autumn colors. 5 minutes' walk from Central Station and Cologne Cathedral. Environment: Large and elegantly designed. There is an outdoor dining area. Service:, good Food: The chess of Mandarin cheese cake is smooth and not greasy, not too sweet. Coffee is OK.

quiet and cozy atmosphere for having some wine after a concert at the philharmonic.

Nice museum with many artist’s paintings like Picasso and Andy Warhol. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to finish the muesum.

One of the best restaurants in Cologne. Pleasant atmosphere, a calm, stylish interior and always fresh flowers on the table. The friendly staff make you feel welcome. Particularly noteworthy is the delicious food, which not only impresses with its taste, but also impresses with its wonderful presentation. A perfect place to spend a relaxing time and enjoy the day with good food.

The service was very friendly and quick. The restaurant is the place to go for anyone who wants to eat something before visiting the Philharmonic. Accordingly, it is relatively full and the restaurant closes early. A reservation therefore makes sense. The food was very tasty. The lamb steak was cooked to perfection and my colleagues were also very satisfied (ox cheeks and risotto). For dessert there are various very tasty cakes. The prices are not cheap but reasonable. Overall recommended.

Nice place to stay. Good menu. Also very tasty vegetarian and vegan. Attentive and very good service. Wonderful ambience.

just had the most delightful experience at a charming café! The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, perfect for a relaxing afternoon. I indulged in a selection of cakes that were not only beautifully presented but also absolutely delicious. Each bite was a sweet treat! Paired with a rich cup of coffee, it was the perfect combination

Had breakfast with my girlfriend and got a seat without a reservation. Great breakfast, nice ambience and good service.

It's great that organic products are used 👏🏻 Delicious breakfast, nice service

Food OK, service OK. Guys, the hygienic conditions in the women's restroom are a disaster!

All around a lovely experience. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The food was really very tasty. There were 5 of us there and we all didn't wait longer than 15 minutes for our food. And anyone who has been there in the summer will understand why the atmosphere is so beautiful.

The restaurant is located near the Cologne Cathedral.  The outdoor terrace is shielded from the many passers-by, which enhances the private atmosphere.  We were helped by a very patient waiter who helped us make a suitable lunch choice with his excellent advice. The goat cheese salad was perfect on a warm sunny day. Despite the crowds, service was quick and with a smile.

The food was excellent. However, the service staff does not match the high quality food. Apart from that, we find begging for tips extremely unpleasant.

The restaurant couldn't convince us either! Unfortunately the burger wasn't tasty, the waiter was a bit confused and the billing was wrong! But then he corrected it again. We sat outside...since it is very central to the cathedral there is a lot of traffic and crowds. We didn’t feel comfortable, it’s a shame!

場所的には最高の場所にあるレストランだと思います。駅からも近く、ドームの裏側の美術館付属のレストランで、大きな広場側の外にもテラス席が幾つもあるので、結構落ち着いて食事もできます。この広場の先はもうホーエンツォレン橋です。喫茶にも良いですし、一寸した軽食も出来、日替わりランチも充実している様に見えました。ビジネスランチなど結構使えそうです。今回は時間も早かったので生のミントティーだけでしたがこれも美味しかったです。次はランチに利用してみたいと思いました。

Beautiful place if you want to relax in the city center near the Rhine. Courteous service, good food and drinks selection. Safe from the burning sun under large umbrellas. And as the name suggests, there is a museum there too.

My husband and I had lunch outside for the first time before visiting the museum and we were very impressed by everything, especially the view and the surroundings. After two days we came to a pampering breakfast. My expectation was that we would start eating breakfast straight away, as the opening time of 10 a.m. is rather late for breakfast. By the time we got our breakfast platter it was 10.38. It was beautifully decorated, but the quality of the contents was totally mediocre for me, the egg was overcooked, the bread wasn't entirely fresh. The service was friendly and tried to create a good atmosphere.

Pleasant place after enjoying art in the museum 😊

Quick, friendly service, attractive menu, all four were very happy with the food, we'll be back!

Unfortunately, the service in this restaurant was disappointing. Our waiter was inattentive and unfriendly. After we tipped anyway, there was neither a thank you nor a farewell. Overall a very unsatisfactory experience.

在trip advisor上搜到 需要看展览、 大教堂太好了 就进来drink sth、 一切都好 特别环境 小细节 台灯 壁灯（各种小动物🦒……🍷nice好喝 beer white wine andred wine 汉堡量大 二人share 土豆条有点油 服务员帅 且善解人意

Poor service. hard to get attention from any waiter, soup was almost warm, the food itself was just average. even paying took a long time

Food is good, prices are high but you can find a selection in every price range. A very friendly meeting place. You don't just go there once.

Large portion of salads and vegan dish. Highly recommend!!!

Ho cercato di cenare in questo ristorante, ma non è stato possibile. Entrando ho salutato alcuni camerieri, ma nessuno di loro mi ha risposto, mi hanno ignorato persino quando mi sono rivolto direttamente ad una di loro, ha girato il viso e fatto finta di non sentirmi. Allora mi sono seduto, ma nessuno si è avvicinato in 10 minuti, neanche facendomi notare con dei gesti di saluto. Sono andato via e sono andato a cenare altrove. Non so se odiano solo i turisti italiani o tutti i turisti in generale, ma è meglio evitare questo posto!

Hello dear readers, A few days ago I had to pick up relatives from the main train station and decided to stop by this establishment while waiting. I was immediately served by a nice waiter and ordered scrambled eggs and pancakes. The food arrived after a pleasant time and was the taste explosion you expect from a good breakfast. Added to this is the unusual location of the location, as well as the ambience that is reminiscent of a vacation. I'm looking forward to coming back! breakfast greetings, P. Gustavsen

Delicious food and very nice service

Varied daily menu with acceptable prices in addition to the usual dishes. It was very tasty 😋

Hi! I'll keep it short: if you like asparagus and want to eat it the way it should be, then you just have to come here in these weeks! 😋👏

Actually a great atmosphere and a great menu, unfortunately we were served very rudely. That's a shame and of course ruins the most beautiful location.

We had an invitation today and had a fantastic breakfast. The waiter spoiled us with everything he could. Thank you very much. Scrambled eggs with salmon, a large portion for the set. Pancake with fruit, a sweet sin and absolutely worth eating. Be veggie, super delicious spreads, fine fresh cheese and a bread basket to go with everything. We were completely full and now want to have breakfast here regularly.

Bad restaurant experience. After visiting the museum, I wanted to sit down for a cup of coffee and some desserts. After entering the restaurant through the door on the side of the museum, I waited for a while but no one was taking my seat. So I walked to the outdoor seat and sat down. Later I observed that other guests seemed to have no one to take their table. Seat yourself. There were several service staff walking around, but no one paid any attention to me. I wonder if someone will stop me only if I start eating my own food at my seat? In the end I left the restaurant without ordering. This was the only restaurant in the entire trip to Germany that was puzzling.

A friend and I had dinner at Cafe Ludwig last night. Our table was ready and it was in a lovely spot by the window. The waiter made good dinner choice recommendations and the dish was wonderful in presentation and taste. We had planned to stay a while longer (the restaurant was not very busy anymore). The service personnel ignored us entirely. Maybe because we were sitting by the window and the tables in besides us were empty. We had already wondered why we had not been offered bread before or with our meal. After dinner we were not offered desert or coffee or another drink. After more than 30 minutes sitting there, we flagged down a server and ordered another drink. Even after that nobody even looked into our direction, until we got up and waved to signal we'd be ready for the bill. Really disappointing considering the place and food were very good.

Great service, good selection of high-quality, mostly regional and seasonal dishes.

Ludwigs is outstanding in terms of taste and the quality of the products. The service is always professional, very friendly and attentive.

Centrally located right next to the cathedral. An inexpensive business lunch is offered during the week. The menu offers something for every taste. But the cake is also very tasty. The coffee is particularly good. The service is quick and friendly even during busy periods

The food was tasty and there was a good selection (including for vegetarians) - not cheap but of good quality. The service was friendly and the overall atmosphere was pleasant.

Service was very nice, food was, as always, very tasty and the prices were also reasonable.

Une grande salle agréable et pas très bruyante. Des plats originaux et très bons. Des raviolis excellents et des spaghettis al dente juste comme il faut. Nous avons passé un agréable moment. Emplacement excellent entre le dom et le pont Hohenzollern. Un service remarquable de discrétion et de gentillesse. Un grand merci au serveur qui s’est occupé de nous. Il était barbu et se reconnaîtra. Un petit bémol: le saumon était un peu trop cuit.

Those working here were friendly, helpful, and spoke English. The vegetarian ravioli was very good. The atmosphere is pleasant. For patrons, some were meeting with friends and colleagues, travelers, workers on their computers or tablets, and individuals enjoying a coffee or meal.

Efficient service Reasonable prices Nice architecture

I wasn't served for a good 10 minutes and left. I had already greeted one service person and made eye contact with another, but it was not returned. Any hint of imminent service would have made me wait even longer. I don't normally write bad reviews.

The acoustics worked very well and I was able to taste the beautiful dishes in peace. Speaking of costs, they were more expensive than a kebab around the corner, but here I simply had a delicious and inexpensive meal. Lots of selection of tarts and cakes for dessert. I liked the in-house coffee very much. I would like to come here again for that. And the service was very friendly. Extra star ;)

Extensive selection of creative dishes. Friendly staff. Large selection of cakes/tarts. Personally, the location is too “open” for me; somehow the “cozy” feeling was missing. But that's about all one could complain about. Prices are relatively high, but appropriate for the ingenuity and quality of the food.

Terrible attendance! They placed us at a table that was still dirty from other people's breakfast. We know that it is cultural to make reservations at the restaurant, but it is better not to accept customers who do not have a reservation as they will treat them differently/humiliatingly. In short, I have no intention of recommending or returning to this restaurant!

At first glance, a nice atmosphere. Unfortunately the staff is completely unambitious. The man/woman looks in our direction and then turns away into the depths of the room. Then not. Ohme order gone. Therefore no rating of the kitchen.

Diesmal leider ein Reinfall - ich saß allein am Tisch, ging zur Toilette, ließ aber erkennbar etwas am Tisch liegen und die Tasse war noch nicht leer (Jacke an der Museumsgarderobe). Bei der Rückkehr saßen vier andere Gäste dort, der Kellner habe sie dort platziert. Nachfrage beim Service, was das denn solle: Antwort: "keine Ahnung", "ich war das nicht". Meine ruhig vorgetragene Antwort, dass das doch ungastlich sei, kümmert gleich zwei Kellner nicht: "Keine Ahnung, € 3,60, "Auf Wiedersehen". Nein, lieber nicht.

Always thought it was more of a typical tourist bar. Very nice and attentive service, nice. Ambiance and convincing cuisine at really fair prices. There are also some vegetarian dishes on the menu, which were also impressive. So it's not a typical tourist restaurant, I can bury my prejudice. Will definitely come back again.

An architecturally very successful museum with a very attractive exhibition. The cake in the cafe is very tasty

The restaurant is really great. We were thrilled by the ambience and especially the food. We can highly recommend the iced tea - we've tried them all. ;)

We went for lunch and it was very crowded. We were lucky to get a table at all. Service was friendly and fast. We were pleased with the food. You can check the restaurant's menu online in advance. There are also additional dishes that are advertised on a board in the restaurant.