Rhein-Sommergarten am Schwimmbad in Köln

If you're in Cologne on sunny days, this beer garden is a must. It's beautifully situated on the Rhine, beautifully overgrown, and serves ice-cold beer, all at very reasonable prices. The only drawback is the food, which could use some variety. Update 2025: Now that a new operator has taken over the beer garden, it has largely stuck to its predecessor's concept, including the quality of the food...unfortunately. Otherwise, a great location in Cologne, a chilled beer garden with a view of the Rhine in the countryside!

This beer garden was an absolute favorite spot in Cologne for years. We ate and drank there almost weekly after our tennis match every summer. This year, there was a change of owner. Since then, the place has been an absolute disaster. We only managed to get something to eat once all summer. Otherwise, the kitchen was always closed or the food was out. The food wasn't good either. The schnitzel tasted greasy. Unfortunately, there was often nothing to drink either, as they closed very early, which other reviews also noted. One can only wish the place another owner soon before its reputation is completely ruined. I won't be setting foot in the beer garden again until then. The current situation is simply awful.

Unfortunately, I have to take away a star. The toilet is still an eyesore, and the fact that you've now appointed a grumpy attendant is outrageous. What is he doing there? You can't tell me these toilets are even cleaned. There's an urgent need for action.

You should definitely visit this beer garden

What a shame! I've been there twice since the change of tenant. There won't be a third time. Today they had the worst currywurst ever. The almost sweet sauce is a taste disaster. You can't make currywurst like that. By the way, I'm perfectly capable of eating with a knife and fork; you don't need to cut the sausage into pieces. I don't like the fries seasoning either. Why don't you just put salt on them? The staff are friendly, but definitely not catering professionals. They could really improve on the wonderful location right on the Rhine. Yeah, what a shame.

If it is closed you can also change it on the Internet instead of stating it as open

Nice beer garden with a relaxed atmosphere. Reasonable prices and a small selection of food. Perfect.

Very nice always received friendly

Unfortunately, Google lists opening hours until 11:00 PM on Saturdays. When we wanted to get something to eat at 8:35 PM on a Saturday, we were told it was already closed. What a pity. Our trip was in vain. The opening hours on Google should urgently be corrected.

Great beer garden on the Rhine. Good selection of drinks with a self-service concept. Be sure to bring some time.

Very nice beer garden with good value for money. Super child-friendly staff

What happened to the beer garden near the swimming pool? The worst currywurst of my life (tomato sauce with pickles 🤮), 17 grams of mayonnaise in the plastic bag. And now there's a toilet attendant sitting in front of the toilet. Paper towels for drying hands are only available from him. (For a fee, of course.) I really don't mind, but the toilet should be cleaned. But everything here is filthy (see photo) and the dirt isn't from one day. Helllers, shame on yourselves.👎

Well, it used to be a swimming pool – it was converted into a restaurant. The food was actually delicious, and the prices were reasonable. But the restrooms are from the 70s (original condition) – they need some work to make the place feel completely comfortable 😉 U.Ri. ™

We went there yesterday for the first time and also for the last time since the change of ownership. The quality of the food has declined considerably. The food used to be simple but delicious, especially on the daily specials. The staff doesn't speak a word, and you don't really feel welcome.

Very nice location. Very friendly service. Excellent food.

The once superb beer garden still has a very pleasant atmosphere. But the food is considerably more expensive, it doesn't taste as good anymore, and my fries were dry and hard (reheated?). The line in front of the order counter only slowly got shorter. Everything moved at a snail's pace. I'm no longer drawn there. What a shame.

Everything was very nice. A beer garden on the Rhine opposite Mülheim Harbor (Riehl), basically the old restaurant where the water used to be from a swimming pool. Prices are completely reasonable because it's a non-profit organization. You can sit there and eat something and enjoy a beer or wine. You get your own food and drinks at the counter and can pay with cash or debit card. Only open in good weather and only in spring/summer.

The food is a disappointment. The "mixed salad" consists only of iceberg lettuce and three slices of cucumber. Even the dressing wasn't enough for the whole salad. The burger is also too small for the price. You can get that at the snack bar across the street for €3.50. The value for money here is completely out of the question. Regardless of the quantity, the food was tasteless. Special requests (wedges instead of fries with the burger) cannot be accommodated. We were disappointed and unfortunately left still hungry.

Even under new management, it's still a great location. You can sit comfortably with a view of the Rhine. The beer is good, and the food is typical of a beer garden.

The food is bad. Prices are like a brewery, but the quality is worse than McDonald's. My burger had a maximum of 50 grams of meat and was very small overall. The location is nice, but only suitable for a beer and some fries.

It's still a very nice beer garden with a great atmosphere. But dear Hellers team, are you really serious?! I had a "Salat Schwimmbad" (swimming pool salad). It was actually a pasta dish filled with lots of iceberg lettuce, 4 wafer-thin slices of cucumber, 4 small tomato quarters (more like a garnish), and—as a highlight, so to speak—4 mini crumbs of chicken breast. Oh yeah, and a small slice of baguette. For a whopping €16.90. That's pretty cheeky, I think. Just as cheeky as the restroom attendant you placed there for doing nothing (except stacking coins in a cup). What a shame! The ambiance and your service staff alone make up for it and might make me come back. But maybe not....

A beautiful and spacious beer garden located at the former swimming pool. Perfect for cyclists and walkers – the Rhine is nearby. We were there on Sunday afternoon with a group of 10 people of all ages. We also had lunch. A nice selection of beer garden dishes, including a daily special. Attractively presented, generous portions... and no one had anything to complain about...

One of the most beautiful beer gardens in Cologne! Very busy on sunny days, but you can usually still find a nice spot. Drink prices are really reasonable compared to downtown beer gardens and bars. Self-service, sometimes with a line.

One of Cologne's most beautiful beer gardens. Best reached by bike. The bowls of fries or wedges are spectacular!

Fantastic location, super friendly staff, and it's delicious too! What more could you want?

A surprise success – this beer garden, which a friend had identified as the geographical center between Dünnwald and Brabarossaplatz. It's beautifully situated with a view of the Rhine. Easily accessible by bike. It's not super hip or beach-bar-like, but it's a perfect spot for after-work fries and a sunset drink.

It's deteriorated considerably since the change of ownership. Both the cleanliness (trash in the corners / sticky tables) and the staff (endlessly long lines at the checkout/ordering / unmotivated) are bad. Well...it was never Michelin-starred cuisine...but the price/performance ratio just isn't right anymore, despite the very nice location. For a beer, yes, but otherwise...👎 P.S....and the culinary offerings here unfortunately have nothing to do with a Cologne brewery...sorry! It's a snapshot...I hope they'll adjust it...

Something has gone wrong in the last few months. A price increase of almost 100% (e.g., a baked potato salad from 7 euros to just under 14 euros now) without an improvement in quality is unacceptable. You can have a good beer here, but the value for money for the food is unfortunately no longer there. It's a shame.

I always love coming to the Altes Schwimmbad in the summer... and have been for over 25 years. The food, drinks, and staff are all good. Only the restrooms are old and, unfortunately, often not clean.

The food was high quality and enjoyable. It's a simple but good option for a quick meal, and I highly recommend it.

If I ask for a Currywurst, I want a Currywurst and not a gherkin sauce and go you know. The site isn't bad, but it's so rustic that cleanliness shines through its absence. When I order a currywurst, I want a currywurst and no garlic relish. The Premises is not bad, but so rustic that Sauberkeit is surrounded by Abwesenheit.

Unfortunately, the food quality is no longer good and they've also become inflexible. It wasn't available at the previous restaurant. The rhubarb spritzer tastes of nothing. A colleague wanted the calamari with fries instead of the salad, and she would have paid extra for it. No, that's not possible, it's a set menu. It would have been fine before. A lot of understanding, even if you use frozen products if you use them wisely. I ate the very dark chicken schnitzel, and I'm not a fan of throwing food away. The place is still idyllic, but since the quality has declined, including in the drinks, this was unfortunately my last visit.

It's great for a beer, but I cannot recommend eating there as it's outrageously priced frozen Schnitzel and fries.

The route out of the city on foot or by bike, sometimes directly along the Rhine and through nature, is much more uplifting than this location itself.

It used to be much better. Now it's overpriced, and the food quality is poor. Unfortunately, it's no longer worth coming here.

Great concept, sometimes you have to wait a bit longer for a beer if you're standing in line and there are lots of people in front of you placing long food orders.

It got off to a somewhat bumpy start after the reopening. Now things are back on track and everything is fine. Lovely shady spots invite you to linger.

New tenant, now really bad food, bottomless pittance, ready-made schnitzel, simply nasty and disgusting. It's a shame for the beautifully situated beer garden. A breath of fresh air feels different. Please let a restaurant professional take over.

No longer recommended under the new tenant. Food prices have increased significantly. For example, potatoes with quark cost €14 instead of €8. The quality is also pretty mediocre. The waiting time is also much too long compared to before. It's certainly okay for a beer, but nothing more. It's almost impossible to have more than one beer, as the line at the entrance is far too long.

We used to love visiting here as regular customers. Naturally, we were very excited to see what would change (for the better, of course) with the change of tenant. But we were sadly disappointed. Apart from a revised menu (although the selection has been significantly reduced) and new people, nothing has changed. They let the entire winter months, when they could have finally spruced up the place a bit, go by unused. But one thing has changed: the prices have risen significantly again and are now easily at restaurant level. The service, however, is completely different. The other day, our food was slammed onto our table. And the quality of the food can't be compared to a restaurant. We'd rather go to the meadow next door (or to the Rhine) with a six-pack from Rewe. It's unbelievable how carelessly this beer garden is run.

Update June 2025 under new tenant: Almost everything is the same, only the food is a bit worse and more expensive. It's best to eat somewhere else and enjoy a drink here 🍻Unfortunately, the cleanliness has also declined - ha, I didn't think that was still possible - but people, you have to wash tables once a week 😉 Rating 2023: + good location on the Rhine + beautiful greenery + self-service + good atmosphere ~ the food is very simple, the currywurst is more like a sausage goulash, and you sometimes end up with 3-4 pieces.

Under the previous owner, this wasn't exactly a fancy place. It was down-to-earth, honest, and clean. But what Heller's team has turned it into is, to say the least, a total disaster, and after my last visit, I wonder if the public order office wouldn't even shut the place down due to the hygiene conditions. Dirty, filthy wine glasses, a restroom that's almost impossible to enter without getting a badge, and the wine quality is like something from the Cologne Kalker Schützenfest. That's why I'm awarding the second star solely and exclusively because of the beautiful location, right on the Rhine!

I've been a customer there for years. The atmosphere is good. However, the prices for food have risen significantly. The price is definitely not in line with the quality of the food. I will only buy drinks there from now on.

9 euros for a sausage with bread! You're crazy! 🤮

We had to wait 45 minutes for two fries and one nugget (which tasted only okay). When I asked where the food was, I got a rude reply that the kitchen was busy.

Finally, a beer garden in Cologne serving Kristallweizen beer. Wonderfully located directly on the Rhine. You can choose your own drinks, and the food is brought to your table.

A beautiful place to unwind and unwind! Enjoy a glass of wine with friends! Here's my big but! The tables are sticky; it's the tree losing its leaves, not the beer rings. Despite asking to wipe them down, I had to ask again. A calamari salad for €15, two slices of cucumber, two tomato wedges, five corn, and a slice of onion!? Fresh, crisp salad with dressing from a bag?! Yes, the baguette slice is nice, but leave it out and put cucumber and tomato on top. ;)) Guys, you can do better!! You should definitely reconsider the price-performance ratio! And despite my criticism, I will go back; it's simply beautiful!

As a long-time regular customer, I was curious to see how Hellersteam's launch would go. When I was there today with my wife, we had a salad and a baked potato (unfortunately, we didn't really like it). The value for money is also no longer there and has deteriorated significantly. The ambiance remains the same, but the ordering process is far too slow, so that even though the beer garden was only half full, a line had already formed all the way down to the street. You really don't want to wait in line for another half hour for just one more beer. So far, we're disappointed, but we'll be back in the hope that the menu and service will improve. Things were much better and smarter under the last tenant.

In 2025 no possibility to play with card. Ridiculous

It's the year 2025, and we're in a restaurant in the middle of nature, with no ATM anywhere in sight—no card payments accepted. We arrived with a baby and were turned away. A restaurant should offer an alternative like PayPal or bank transfer.

Beautiful beer garden directly on the Rhine

Especially beautiful during wisteria season! Delicious beer and nostalgic swimming pool fries. One of the most beautiful places to enjoy the Rhine in Cologne.

Beautiful beer garden surrounded by greenery with a view of the Rhine.

What we're missing: Delicious Mai-Bock and light wheat beer and the delicious daily specials that were available until last year.

The beer garden is idyllically situated among plants and trees along the Rhine. The beer is okay. The white wine is rather stale. The food selection is very limited, expensive, and simply bad. It was much better under the previous tenant. Another major negative is the long wait times. The line stretches all the way to the sidewalk, and it takes ages to get a drink or order a meal. Things were better before.

Still one of the most beautiful beer gardens in the city. However, the waiting times at the ticket office are very long, but the old owner (God bless him) went much quicker.

Really nice beer garden, service etc. everything was great, unfortunately relatively expensive.

I've been to the beer garden over and over again over 25 years ago!! I always found the old gentleman material and completely out of place. Didn't even want to mix a Kölsch/Cola. Now I was back after a long time because I thought: new tenant/owner = a breath of fresh air and an update of the whole thing! The shop is already getting old. Sorry, but nothing has changed... The shop could have been given a coat of paint/new seating/sanded/painted the ancient wooden floor or thought of a new concept for catering purposes. So I was super disappointed! And the currywurst was the worst I've eaten in a long time. The currywurst had an animal aftertaste and the curry sauce was a completely watered down paprika puzta sauce! It had nothing to do with curry sauce. The fries were good. The only nice thing about the store is the great location... It's a shame you don't do anything with it. Don't come back for a while. !

Super lovely beer garden! The only issue is that it's soooo hard to get a drink and the waiting time at the self-service counter is way too long on sunny days.

Opinions about the “swimming pool” probably vary widely. We love it as is and hope it retains its dingy charm and originality! You can read the sad news here that the former tenant died last year, he rests in peace.

Absolutely! A wonderful place and delicious food at reasonable prices.

Really nice beer garden but the promise to deliver "open-air fries" was not fulfilled at all.

Great for a beer garden. Good food. I've been to worse and more expensive ones. I always enjoy coming here. I can't complain, knows that it is an S B beer garden with partial service.🤗🤗 Was there again. I brought a lot of time with me. Looking for a nice place 🌞🌞 🚺 placed + employed. P.S. the potato salad wasn't for me spicy enough Salt pepper & onions were missing. 🤔🤔

Disappointing. I was hoping that the beer garden would be spruced up after the change of ownership: none. I have the impression that things are going even worse now and are even trickier. Personally, I find that very unfortunate and difficult to understand. We would now have had over half a year to prepare for a great beer garden season.

We have known the swimming pool for many years. Were excited about Heller's reboot: Externally unchanged, I would have expected and wished for a new look and seating. Food pretty much identical, rather less. But nothing exciting or anything worth going to. Unfortunately. That's why we've been there less in recent summers, the food is always the same and rather mediocre. Now here are the fries, solid and small. Portion ok at 3.50 euros; BUT: Ketchup/mayo from Kraft in the well-known disposable plastic bags for 0.60 euros each??!!! It's still okay, we got a total of 4 pieces of fries for one time, 2.40 euros for them, plus the unnecessary waste that this causes. Checked: Purchasing costs 0.10 euros per pack of 100. So really not hospitable, in any way!!!! This makes fries 5.90 euros.....INRE!!! For a beer or a spritzer with the ambience still one of the most beautiful beer gardens in Cologne. Hopefully you will change this dilemma with Rut and Wieß and conceptually the kitchen too!

A wonderful place, right on the Rhine, to relax, meet friends and of course to eat or drink something delicious. There are super delicious cakes, currywurst and other delicious dishes and super delicious rhubarb spritzer. In April, an abundance of beautiful wisteria delights the eyes and the soul.

Closed on Mondays. Today is Tuesday. Still everything closed. Too bad. Even though it is shown as open. :/

As long-time regular customers, we were excited to see how the Hellers team got off to a successful start. When we were there a few days ago the only food we had was schnitzel with coleslaw (unfortunately we didn't like it at all) or fries. The prices have also increased significantly again. The drinks menu is extensive, unfortunately you don't seem to have any Maibock in your range anymore. The ambience has remained, but the processes are still quite slow, so that even though the beer garden was only half full, a queue had already formed all the way down to the street. We're disappointed so far, but we'll definitely come back again in the hope that the menu and service have improved.

I enjoy going here every year because it is or was unique. Unfortunately I was very disappointed today. Top turned into flop. I fondly remember the gentleman at the window who made the shop an experience with his demure but unique manner. The staff was on their toes. the atmosphere was great and contagious. The staff today is miles away from that. Playing on his cell phone, sitting at the table and drinking Kölsch himself, he already seems listless and unhospitable at the start of the season. The whole atmosphere is gone. Currywurst fries didn't taste good. The currywurst is a normal bratwurst, which wasn't the case before. The curry sauce was none. Ketchup is now available in bags and even at the table there were wooden chip forks and not even a napkin. I don't think the prices are appropriate (currywurst fries 10.90 euros) and you don't need to justify them with increased prices. That's just too expensive. There was no cake. Everything is very provisional although there is no need for a new concept or anything like that to continue or take over this store. Sorry guys but I won't be back and I'd rather remember the good old days.

Norbert, the long-time innkeeper, left us last late summer. Now his beer garden belongs to the Hellers Group and the unique “swimming pool” no longer even has its own internet address. On the brewery side it almost disappears into the pompous nonsense. After all: the extensive selection of drinks, including the many different bottled beers, seems to have hardly changed and the reopening has been announced for spring. On the other hand: today, on April 4th, 2025, under current news it says "Our beer garden, swimming pool Rhein-Sommergarten is closed today, March 21st, 2025."

Beautiful beer garden near the Rhine. Delicious snacks.

Wonderful beer garden in a prime location with a wonderfully mixed crowd because it's outside the tourist zone; one of the few beer gardens in Cologne that, in my Franconian sense, deserve the name (and the Franconians know a thing or two about beer gardens!). The boss only gets upset when amateurs don't understand the beer garden concept and only start thinking about what they want at the serving window when it's busy and then don't have the table number ready for food delivery. PEOPLE, that's the only way it works, unless you want to wait for hours like in the Cologne caricatures of a beer garden for a vagabond Köbes with his test tubes, who then just says that a colleague is responsible for the table. Addendum: The long-time tenant unfortunately died in 2024 (RIP, Norbert). Beer garden from 2025 under the management of the Cologne brewing family Heller, but apparently (and hopefully) according to a tried and tested concept.

wow this is the original location of the vik dance. beautiful

Re-opening spring 2025. I wish Norbert and his team all the best. It was always very nice to be with and with you. Hopefully the new tenant will keep the concept of just cozy and informal.!!!!

VERY COZY WHEN THE WEATHER FOLLOWS UP. GOOD MENU. AND ALWAYS DAILY DEALS. DEFINITELY A MUST FOR HOLIDAYERS AND COLOGNE RESIDENTS. NICE STAFF.

Super sweet! We even gave our daughter a little ice cream because she hurt herself and was crying so hard!

Lovely setting, great atmosphere. Perfect for a summer weekday evening.

Food is delicious 😋 Service ok. Very nice atmosphere with a view of the Rhine. Toilets could be cleaner 🙈

My favorite after-work beer garden 🥂☀️🥰

Nice beer garden. Good location for the youth hostel. Large beer selection!

The price is in proportion to the quality and the portion size of the food and the ambience are not justified and far too high. A fries with currywurst for 7.00 euros, the portion of fries was quite manageable and they are standard fries comparable to the big yellow M. As is the self-service.

Great atmosphere, no tourist hustle and bustle. Just beautiful

A great beer garden on the Rhine was there again on Sunday, as always it was very nice, the salad with turkey was very fresh and the cherry spritzer always tastes the best, a great beer garden in the heart of Kölle ❤️

Plenty of seating, food basic but good, toilets could do with a renovation though. Overall, however, OK, with some good views of the Rhine

It's all pretty old came. The showers are no longer nice. Expressed positively. The place as such has something from the Eastern Bloc. Here a building ready for demolition, there a pile of sand. The restaurant is a bright spot! Urgently needs an organizing hand. It was cheap. But I would rather pay 10 euros more.

I always like to stop here on my evening walk Sometimes there are great dishes on the daily menu

Nice and easygoing Atmosphere, good food and drink selection.

Found this spot by chance. I didn't know him as a Cologne native...embarrassing! Nice place, beer garden also has shady places. Civilian prices

Nice restaurant on the Rhine with home cooking and cosiness

My happy place. Lovely people, such a good vibes. Sommer wine is especially recommended!

Very nicely located on the Rhine and suitable as a stopover for a bike trip. Were there in very warm weather and sat in the quiet outdoor area. Staff was very friendly and the price was reasonable. We recommend.

One of my favorite beer gardens in Cologne, a former outdoor swimming pool complex, in the immediate vicinity of the Rhine. Good beer selection with delicious draft beers, family-friendly menu with reasonable prices. At the back there is a playground that is clearly visible from the mountain terrace. Whether alone or in company, you feel comfortable here. When it comes to service, you place orders at the counter, paid, drinks are taken to your seat, food is brought to the table. ....always happy as soon as the sun comes out 👍

Everything perfect. In the summer, a clear beer and a bowl of wedges… there's no better place for that! Keep it up

Finally a beer garden with Maibock. Great other types of beer like Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel. The ambience and food are also first class

Cozy beer garden right on the Rhine. Drinks, ordering food, paying at the counter. Bring your own drinks and food will be brought to the table. Nice and fast service.

If you want to sit in peace and enjoy your beer away from the bustling city, this is the right place for you

Nice place that could do a lot more with it. The food isn't worth it.

Nice atmosphere on the banks of the Rhine! You can have a good drink here, the food is either at the average level of a chip shop (self service) or good (for daily specials), but overpriced due to the mini portions.

If you are looking for a beer garden in Cologne, you should definitely visit this one. No long waiting times, always a place to be found. Great service and the price-performance ratio is right here!

Cozy, beautiful place with great price/performance ratio for drinks and food 👍