Restaurant La Tortue I Tapas Köln in Köln

The first time, this place didn't make enough of an impression on me to make me want to come back, and I didn't plan on coming back. But it just so happened that I stumbled upon it a second time. And today, this place has sunk to the ground in my eyes. When a nice girl walked into the restaurant and politely asked to use the restroom, the man who looked like he was in charge simply refused to let her in, saying they were actually closed?! (Yes, it was already 11:30 PM, and officially the place should have been closed, but in fact, it wasn't, as two tables were still occupied until midnight.) Unfortunately, we didn't immediately realize what had happened and didn't have time to stand up for her; she left. How inhumane can you be?! This is the best example of their absolutely unacceptable attitude towards people!!! I simply won't set foot in this place again – I don't want to support a business like this.

Terrible service and lack of staff

Unfortunately, a very bad experience.

9.50€ for 2 mini chicken skewers, or 14€ for a small slice of baked goat cheese is quite steep

Super friendly service! Delicious tapas and drinks.

The service was very good. They asked us several times whether we were enjoying our meal and if we needed anything else. The food was very tasty and beautifully presented. The price-performance ratio was also good.

Chic tapas bar in the heart of Cologne

A very friendly team works there and the food is incredibly delicious.

Great food, great staff and the best Spanish atmosphere you can get in Cologne

Superb food. Super friendly service. You can't ask for more.

Always happy to come back!! Tapas were so delicious🩷🩷🩷

Very good food and great service! We'd love to go back!

Very tasty food and friendly service. I look forward to the next time.

Super delicious tapas, great cocktails and friendly service :-)

The bread with aioli was okay (but it wasn't homemade, just mayo with garlic, which was great for 3 euros). What's a shame is that you sit there for a long time without service, even if you're the only customer. When the waitress finally comes, they're very nice. There were no cocktails because the "bartender" wasn't there... How difficult is it to teach everyone 3-5 cocktails? I'm writing these critical comments because I want you to improve. A tip: No guest is allowed to sit there for more than 3 minutes without glasses or with empty ones.

My partner had confirmed reservations here for his birthday and we showed up to a closed restaurant. They didn’t have the decency to call or email. Pathetic restaurant.

I fear the reviews are bought. All food comes from frozen bags. The tiger prawns are no tiger prawns. They don't even use fresh potatoes. Instead, potatoes wadges from the bag. I am very disappointed that I spend 100€ for two people and simply weren't even to finish most dishes because of the low quality. When speaking to the owner about the fact that it was not good, she did not offer neither a discount or sheer curiosity to find out what the issue was. Instead, she nodded and agreed, "Of course it wasn't the same as in Spain". And now looking onto the reviews, finding out that most people have pointed these things out throughout the last 4 years, and still, they didn't care, no words.

As Spaniards, we expected something different. The tapas have nothing to do with Spanish tapas. Very disappointing. For example, the bravas, the sauce they serve isn't brava sauce, and the potatoes are from the freezer and more like McDonald's country fries. The prices are far too high.

Unfortunately, I can't agree with the positive reviews here. The food was okay, but lacked any refinement. No seasonal menu or tapas of the week, just standard fare. The Manchego and sangria aren't recommended, but the rest is okay.

The food is very tasty. The staff is polite and nice. But the tapas portions are much smaller than in Spain 🥲

The location - an eye-catcher! Sweetly furnished with fine details. Wide selection of tapas and each dish has something of its own. The choice fell mainly on seafood - tender, deliciously seasoned and prepared with love. Plus a homemade mojito in your own style. Even as I sit here, I rate this bar and recommend it to a friend...

It was really delicious...especially the squid

Ein hervorragender Abend! Ein großes Dankeschön an das gesamte Team für den herzlichen Empfang und den tadellosen Service. Die Gerichte sind nicht nur köstlich, sondern auch sehr großzügig portioniert. Eine echte kulinarische Entdeckung in Köln! Falls ihr in Köln unterwegs seid, zögert nicht, dieses Restaurant auszuprobieren – ein wahrer Geheimtipp, den ich wärmstens empfehle.

We waited 45 minutes for our food before deciding to leave. We had only ordered a couple of tapas, but the staff seemed entirely focused on a large table that must have ordered over 50 dishes. All the waiters were busy serving that group, completely ignoring other guests-including us. Not even a single tapa was brought out during that time. Even the bread we ordered arrived late, and when we requested a second portion (still waiting for the actual food), they charged us for it instead of offering it as a courtesy given the excessive wait. To make matters worse, the ventilation in the restaurant is terrible. The place reeks of greasy smoke, and you'll walk out smelling like you've just worked a shift at a burger joint. Definitely not coming back.

The tapas are truly delicious; the only criticism is that the tortilla was a bit dry and lacking salt on this visit. Otherwise, it's a beautiful restaurant, and the service was super friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, we couldn't order tequila; we were only offered a Tequila Sunrise. We would definitely recommend it and will be back :).

The kitchen is excellent. Dishes with good presentation and exquisite flavor. The attention of the girls is very friendly and attentive. Good recommendation!

A wonderful experience! There were four of us, and we were more than full after just the first round. The tapas were varied, prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients—simply delicious! The portions were generous and perfect for sharing. The service was attentive and warm, and the cozy atmosphere made the evening particularly enjoyable. An absolute must for anyone who wants to enjoy good food in good company! Top 👍

Super friendly service, delicious tapas, and really good value for money. Everyone enjoyed the dessert, and the espresso was good too.

​A wonderful experience! There were four of us and, from the first round, we were more than full. The tapas were varied, prepared with fresh, quality ingredients – simply delicious! The generous portions were ideal for sharing. The service was attentive and warm, and the friendly atmosphere made the evening particularly pleasant. A must for anyone who wants to enjoy excellent cuisine in a friendly atmosphere!

It just wasn't good. I had fried plastic in my food and pointed it out - service never came back to apologize, for example. Incredibly expensive for these small portions. Food was simply cleared away without asking if we were ready. There are better restaurants in terms of taste.

Too expensive for the quality/portion.

Very good. Fast service, there's WiFi, tasty. Menus don't have English but have Spanish. Taking 1 star off because cash only for €18.60.

I would really like to know where the good reviews come from. The food is exclusively finished products that have been warmed up. The Sangria is cold red wine with two fruits. The service clears away without asking if you are finished. Overall a very unsatisfactory experience. We cannot recommend it.

Der gesamte Abend war leider eine herbe Enttäuschung. Der Laden war fast leer – es waren lediglich drei Tische belegt – und dennoch war die Kellnerin vollkommen überfordert. Zwar war sie freundlich, aber das konnte den miserablen Service nicht ansatzweise kompensieren. Ich hatte nach scharfer Sauce gefragt, während mein Essen bereits serviert war und ich angefangen hatte zu essen. Statt die Sauce zu bringen, widmete sie sich anderen Dingen. Erst nach dreimaligem Nachfragen bekam ich sie schließlich – da war mein Essen jedoch fast vollständig aufgegessen. Eine Zumutung! Das Essen war bestenfalls mittelmäßig, von „besonders“ oder „lecker“ keine Spur. Angesichts der völlig überzogenen Preise ist das jedoch schlicht inakzeptabel. Für einen kleinen Pollo Con Miel fast 9 € zu verlangen, ist eine absolute Frechheit. Hier sollten die Preise dringend überarbeitet werden. Der Abend wurde auch später nicht besser: Als ich nach einem Espresso fragte, teilte mir die Kellnerin mit, dass die Kaffeemaschine erst eingeschaltet werden müsse und ich 15 Minuten warten solle. Am Ende wartete ich allerdings 40 Minuten und musste sie erneut daran erinnern – sie hatte es schlicht wieder vergessen! Das Ambiente war ebenfalls wenig einladend. Der Raum ist viel zu hell beleuchtet und es schwirrten überall Fruchtfliegen herum. Es war unangenehm, wenn die beim Essen die ganze Zeit in dein Gesicht fliegen. Zusammenfassend muss ich sagen: Dieses Restaurant war eine absolute Enttäuschung und ist keinesfalls zu empfehlen. Bei einer Rechnung von 55 € hätte ich mir ein wirklich gutes argentinisches Rinderfilet leisten können, das mich satt und zufrieden gemacht hätte. Stattdessen war ich hier hungrig, genervt und zutiefst enttäuscht. Es ist kaum nachvollziehbar, wie dieses Restaurant auf Google zu guten Bewertungen kommt – diese Erfahrung konnte ich keinesfalls bestätigen. Ich hoffe, dass sich in diesem Laden etwas grundlegend ändert, denn so hat dieses Restaurant keine Zukunft.

At the top! From the service to the cooking it was great! We had a blast!! Little extra for the waitress who speaks French

Die Tapas waren nur Durchschnitt. Besonders gemütlich ist das Restaurant nicht. 99 Euro für das „5-Gänge-Menu“ etwas happig

Heerlijke avond gehad. Vond het niet goedkoop, maar was wel lekker. We waren met een groot gezelschap. Het restaurant zat vol.

Great tapas shop in Cologne with dishes you know and like. Large selection and delicious. However, I have eaten chorizo ​​better. We didn't like the Spanish sausage in pieces. But otherwise everything is good.

Wir verbrachten einen wunderschönen Abend im La Tortue. Der Service war sehr gut und schnell. Die Mitarbeiter waren sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend. Das Essen war sehr lecker und die Zubereitung war ziemlich schnell, so dass wir nicht lange auf unser Essen warten mussten. Alles in allem ein sehr gelungener Abend. Wir werden auf jeden Fall erneut kommen.

In the middle of this noisy city, we didn't expect this absolutely pleasant oasis of peace and quiet to eat. The food was very tasty, unusually spicy in some places, but it still tasted delicious. 😋

I have visited this restaurant with a group of friends on a Friday. Taking a reservation for 10 to people wasn't a problem. The service was friendly but not very attentive. The food also didn't convince us. For bread and ailoi you need to pay extra but the portions are not very big. The restaurant was rather empty, so waiting time for the food wasn't that long The worst part was the wine. We ordered a wine and they just brought us another one with out letting us know that the wine we ordered is actually not available anymore. Also it wasn't possible to order a jar of sangria only glasses. The wines we had were rather cheap wines sold at way to high price. At least the invoice was correct but it wasn't possible to split the bill. Overall we wouldn't recommend this restaurant, there are way better tapas restaurants around.

nice people good service. the food just wasn't really good

eine ganz klare Empfehlung. Das Restaurant ist wirklich sehr gut und das Essen hat eine sehr gute Qualität. Die Tapas sind wirklich wie im Urlaub in Spanien (nur das Meer fehlt, lach).

Food was ok. But nothing special. In my opinion it is too expensive for the price. Ambience is modern. Service is very bad. We were there via TheFork. The app allows you to give points (Yums). We wanted to credit 50€. The boss became rude. How is she supposed to make money with it? This is not how you treat customers and you shouldn't offer this either. This was definitely a scam. I definitely cannot recommend the store as a whole. There are too many good restaurants with professional staff in Cologne!

Simply great. The service is super nice, you can sit outside and the food is fantastic. You can pay by credit card.

Very good products! Spain in Germany, except for the quantities that are a bit small but everything is very delicious!

Very friendly staff and the tapas were also very tasty

My partner and I went to this Tapas twice. First I'll start with the location: The place is furnished in a simple but very pleasant way and the music in the background is also somewhat pleasant. Now I explain our 2 experiences in this Tapas: The first time was on New Year's Eve (31-12-2022) and it was a disaster and after our bad review, the next day the owner wrote us an email apologizing and explaining the reasons that created the New Year's Eve situation and told us invited entirely at his own expense to apologize and to demonstrate that they know what they are doing. So, after receiving the owner's email, my partner and I decided to accept the offer and give it a second chance. The second time went much better, the food wasn't the best but we could eat safely, as far as the service was concerned the young waitress was exceptional in everything, the owner explained to us again, this time in person, the reasons for the bad New Year's Eve evening. After the second time we were happy and were inclined to give a good score of encouragement up to this morning when the owner contacted us by phone (she had my mobile number when we booked for New Year's Eve) telling us when we would change our review, the phone call bothered us and ruined our enthusiasm which she had recovered with our 2nd evening

Nice restaurant, stylish interior. The service is quick and proactive. Food also tasty and good selection

Wir haben über The Fork an einem Freitag Abend einen Tisch reserviert und konnten bei gutem Wetter draußen sitzen. Der Service war sehr freundlich und aufmerksam. Wir haben viele verschiedene Tapas bestellt, die zeitgleich und frisch am Tisch ankamen. Das Essen war gut und die Preise fair. Wir werden wiederkommen.

There were two of us there today. The tapas were very tasty but the portions were quite small. So the price-performance ratio wasn't quite right. The service was rather average. The ladies were friendly, but inattentive. Guests who came after us were served before us. Conclusion: we would still go there again.

We went to this restaurant a few weeks ago with my friends and it really surprised us!! The service staff is super friendly, the atmosphere is very nice and the food is delicious! There are vegetarian options and if you like seafood, it is the perfect place. Also, a super extensive menu, more than 40 different tapas. Good place to come to the terrace in summer and have a few drinks. I recommend!

The food was very bad and the service wasn't that good, I returned 2 tapas because they were inedible, but they were still worth it. Never come back and don't recommend it!

Super delicious tapas! Great ambience and fast service. Wow!

The food is horrible, it has no flavor at all, I don't recommend it, the Spanish restaurant has nothing, and the girl who served us answered that each person has a different palate, the problem here is that there were 4 of us palates, and we couldn't, eat that food

We had different tapas (10 for three). Quality is okay, but nothing special in terms of taste. Some things a bit dry. Price is okay for the quality. Service was very nice, atmosphere was nice.

I can highly recommend this restaurant. The tapas were really incredibly tasty and there is a large selection. A really nice atmosphere and great and attentive service, thank you very much for that, we'll be happy to come back.

We recommend! Only the grilled calamari was really rubbery for me. The rest is perfect!

Portionen waren recht überschaubar, Qualität und Geschmack auch nicht im oberen Bereich. Für Köln ist das Kölsch zu teuer! Schade, da Service und Ambiente gut sind.

It may be somewhat disadvantageous for this shop that I was in an excellent tapas bar in Hamburg last week. The food here is OK, but not much more. Also more expensive than in HH. Alioli has too little garlic, bread is good. Albondigas slightly over-seasoned and not particularly good. Calamari slightly rubbery, not enough breading, not crispy. Chorrizo tortilla was quite tasty, too small and not enough chorrizo. I don't remember any more dishes...that's also telling. Service is nice and friendly, overall fast service.

Very authentic, delicious Spanish tapas and good wine selection. I can highly recommend the Crema Catalana

Classic good tapas. Very friendly service. Small but good wine list. Everything is new and very nice toilets. Open and attractive kitchen.

Pleasant atmosphere, nice service and delicious food. An insider tip that is inconspicuous from the outside.

Lecker Tapas und schönes Ambiente. Mit zunehmender Gästeanzahl wurde die Geräuchkulisse lauter (noch nicht so, dass wir genervt gewesen wären, aber doch so, dass dies unser Tischgespräch störte). Das ist aber häufig in Tapasbars und -restaurants so. Alles in allem war es ein schöner Abend…

Ein sehr schönes Tapas-Restaurant im belgischen Viertel Kölns. Gemütlich, Essen sehr lecker und der Service perfekt.

Great shop. There was only a limited selection of tapas, but all of the ones we ordered were very, very tasty. In addition, all the people in service are just super nice and warm. The latter in particular makes a relaxing evening just perfect. Gladly again

The food was really good, I like the place and the people are nice too. I liked the tortilla and the prawns. I recommend it for tourists and also locals who live in Cologne.

Food of very poor quality, tasteless and very poorly served. I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT.

Absolutely recommended! Everyone was very friendly and the food tasted great! We'll be back👍

Unfortunately, the tapas we ordered were mediocre and didn't seem to be of high quality. The service was really very good and friendly.

Sehr lecker, super Atmosphäre und nette Bedienung

Super toll! Familienfreundlich und super freundlich!

Thank you, Madam Samira, for the wonderful food. It was a wonderful dinner, Spanish food of the highest level, and very wonderful services. Indeed, it was a wonderful and enjoyable experience. thank you on behalf of all my family.

Sehr gute Anlaufstelle um Tapas in Köln zu essen. Der Service war äußerst freundlich und alles hat gepasst. Das Essen war sehr lecker und die Einrichtung war schön. Einziges Manko war, dass die Tische leicht zu klein waren und die Klamotten durch die offene Küche danach nach Essen riechen. Trotzdem würde ich hier aber definitiv nochmal essen gehen, wenn ich wieder Lust auf Tapas habe.

Sehr lecker, sehr freundlich und schneller Service. Einziges winziges Manko ist die recht laute Geräuschkulisse. Aber dafür sind die Tapas umso leckerer und in großer Auswahl verfügbar.

I’d 100% recommend this place. The food was really good and the crew were so nice and friendly. :)))

merhaba, aile olarak gittik. cumartesi akşam üstü 16.30'da oraya gittik. Filipinli garsonun ekstra yardımları için kendisine teşekkür ediyorum. Yeşil biber, domuz bacon, karides salatası, ekmek ve sarımsaklı yağ, kalamar tava ve zeytin yedik. Yeşil biberi ve zeytini çok sevdim.

This restaurant has left me with best impressions. Hospital hosts, they serve excellent and amazing food, the ambiance is very welcoming. Must visit and recommended restaurant for tourist like me. I would definitely come back here.

Durch eine Einladung zu einem Treffen haben wir das neue Restaurant besucht. In diesem Viertel, welches ich aus meiner Kindheit gut kenne, war schon immer ein Wechselbad der Trends unterworfen. Nun ja. Es ist soll ein spanisches Restaurant sein, da hier Tapas angeboten werden. Dennoch aber, es fühlt sich an wie eine koreanische Bar, da die Bedienung von dort herzukommen scheint. Welche nur sehr rudimentär unsere Sprache kann, dennoch sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend sind. Das Ambiente im neuen hippen Style mit Fabrikelemente, von offenem Rohrwerk. Dazu eine reichhaltige Bar und einer offenen Küche. Die Tische sind eng zusammengestellt. Das zieht natürlich auch die entsprechende Klientel an, die man damit stark abgesprochen werden. Das ist okay. Die angebotenen Tapas waren sehr reichhaltig auf der Karte. Ganz so wie es in vielen anderen Kölner Tapas-Restaurants angeboten werden. Die Qualität finde ich durchaus in Ordnung. Leider waren keine Highlights dabei. Das kenne ich anders. Somit war es allem in allem ein netter Abend.

스페인 레스토랑인데, 한국식 술안주집 느낌이에요! 정말 맛있고 사장님이랑 직원분 모두 친절하세요 :) 불금이나 주말에 가기 좋은 식당이네요 😊

Gemütliches Restaurant, super sympathischer Service und beste Tapas. So geschmackvoll und mit Liebe zubereitet. Wir kommen auf jeden Fall wieder…

Wirkt von außen etwas unscheinbar. Innen schöne Dekoration, toller Service, leckeres Essen. Wir haben es genossen.

یک جا ی بسیار زیبا فضای دوست داشتنی بهترین پذیرایی من به همه پیشنهاد می کنم غذاهای عالی وخیلی مهربان من همیشه برای رفتن آماده‌ام مرسی برای همه چی

Sehr freundliches Personal, ausgezeichnetes Essen!

Nice place, decent tapas and wine, and very friendly service. Interesting cocktails too. We will likely visit again. 👍

The Gin basil smash was really good. 😌

Für mich das beste Tapas-Restaurant in Köln! Ich war schon öfters da und jedes Mal ist das Essen ausgezeichnet. Das Ambiente ist sehr schön und das Personal äußerst freundlich. Ich freue mich bald wiederzukommen!:)

Alles sehr sehr lecker. Die Einrichtung ist geschmackvoll und die Mitarbeiter durchweg nett.

Eine Freundin und ich haben ganz zufällig dieses Restaurant gesehen und sind spontan rein gegangen. Wir wurden sehr freundlich begrüßt, sowie bedient. Das Essen war sehr lecker! Ich hatte zudem zwei alkoholfreie mojitos, die genau den richtigen Geschmack hatten! Die Mitarbeiter sind sehr freundlich, herzlich und haben auch guten Humor. Das Ambiente sehr angenehm und familiär, die Köchin auch sehr freundlich und nimmt sich auch die Zeit für kurze Gespräche. Man merkt, dass ihnen die Arbeit Spaß macht. Meiner Meinung nach sehr zu empfehlen. Ich werde aufjedenfall wieder kommen!

Very nice Tapas restaurant in the centre of Cologne. Really friendly and attentive service and the food was very tasty. Great wine and nice interiors. Croquettes were great but the patatas bravas were a let down.

Sehr seh freundliche Bedienung und super leckeres Essen Immer wieder sehr gern

Wir wurden herzlich empfangen, der Service und das Essen war spitze

Ein sehr tolles Restaurant. Echtes Spanisches Essen.

Nice personel, comfortable lokal, very tasty food. Brings you back to Spain. For sure we are coming back :)

Super netter Abend. Tapas können sich sehen lassen.

Super Speisen. Tolles Ambiente. Sehr freundliches Personal. Sehr zügig. Wenn wir mal wieder in Köln sind kommen wir wieder.

El Restaurants está ambientado muy bonito, el servicio es excelente, la mesera es muy amable y atenta. La comida es deliciosa y hay variedad de donde escoger, ademas llega caliente y rápido. Todo excelente!

Ein sehr schönes eingerichtetes lokal mit Entspannter Atmosphäre, guten cocktails und mit unfassbarem gutem Essen. Super tolle Bedienung . Sehr aufmerksam. Preis Leistung ist spitze. Ich kann es nur weiterempfehlen.

Absolute Empfehlung! Es ist nicht leicht exzellente Tapas in Köln zu finden, wir kommen definitiv wieder.

Tolles Essen, herzliche Gastgeberin, einfach gut!