Restaurant Pizza Piano in Köln

After the closure of arguably the best gluten-free Italian restaurant in Cologne, Mimmo u Santo, we were looking for a new place. Based on the good reviews, we eagerly reserved a table at La Teca. Upon arrival, however, we were rather rudely informed that we would have to wait if we wanted to sit outside. When I explained that we had a reservation inside, they simply told us we could "sit anywhere." No sooner said than done – but the waitress's first information was that payment was only accepted in cash (welcome to 2025). A reminder of this when making the phone reservation would have been helpful. So I had to walk for 20 minutes through the Südstadt district in 25°C heat to withdraw cash from a gas station ATM for a fee of €4.99. When I returned, my wife was suddenly sitting at a different table, since "sitting anywhere" wasn't what she meant after all. My "regular" pizza was average at best, a bit soggy in places – I've had much better. My wife's gluten-free pizza, on the other hand, was fine. The service seemed rather bored overall, and even the final apology and bottle of red wine couldn't salvage the impression. Conclusion: Overall, disappointing, and no reason for us to return to Südstadt.

Clean, bright and comfortable. Spacious rooms and about 10-15 minutes from the main city centre.

The food was good overall, and the service was friendly. The downside was that it was dark at our table and quite cold because the server found it too much trouble to open and close the door every time (the kitchen is opposite and the food has to be brought in from outside). So the door stayed open – and it was November.

We've already tried a few dishes from the menu, and they've always tasted delicious. A definite recommendation for those with a delicious appetite 😉

The food was delicious. I had pasta in tomato sauce, some eggplant, arugula, and Parmesan cheese for lunch. Unfortunately, the sauce was very oily, which caused me some digestive issues afterward.