RheinZeit in Köln

The waiter came twice within ten minutes to take our order. Since we hadn't yet decided what to order, he then completely disappeared… for over an hour. We tried to get the attention of other waiters, who consistently replied, “My colleague… two minutes…”, but nothing happened. Some even stood at the entrance, seemingly unoccupied and not making any effort to help us. Admittedly, it was New Year's Eve, but the restaurant didn't seem so overwhelmed as to justify such a long wait. It seemed to operate on a very specific system: only the waiter assigned to our table could take our order. As a result, no other staff member agreed to take it, despite our prolonged wait. With our waiter nowhere to be found for almost an hour, we seriously considered getting up and leaving. However, our meals were very good. The meat was excellent.

Very nice, friendly service. Food was excellent. It's a shame there's no more room inside 🫣

Unfortunately, the negative reviews are accurate. Absolutely unprofessional and terrible service. Unfriendly, disorganized, and arrogant. The location is beautiful, but its success depends entirely on the staff. We've never experienced anything like it; everything went wrong. A reservation was forgotten, the food was cold, one meal arrived after everyone else had finished, the dessert was frozen, the waiters were insulting each other, and the worst offender was the waiter Kevin—unfriendly, disrespectful, and completely out of line. He verbally abused the guests… Unfortunately, we won't be going back—it's a shame, we were really looking forward to it.

We chose this restaurant because the food is good and it's in a good location. We made a reservation three weeks in advance, and the day before New Year's Eve we received an email confirming our reservation. Nine people arrived at 9:15 pm, and guess what? There was no room for us. The waiter said, "We have a problem" because all the tables were occupied. At that moment, a reservation means NOTHING. After 40 minutes, we finally got a table where we sat together. Sorry, but it was chaos. That was the last time, and never again...

Nice terrace, well heated in winter. The staff doesn't speak English but tries their best to communicate. We had some dishes from the menu modified and everything arrived as requested. The food was quite good. The portions were generous, especially the mushroom schnitzel.

There's a rat out there. The staff doesn't understand English. It takes ages for the food to come out. Don't come here. There's a delicious place next door. Go there.

We stopped with a friend to eat here, the lasagna was good but the food I ordered didn’t taste good. Anyways, we went to pay for the bill the guy (Nexhat) gave himself 4 euros Tip without even asking my friend. She didn’t notice at first but later she said to me she didn’t want to give a tip to him because he wasn’t that friendly either way. We won’t ever go to this place again and of course none of our friends will visit this place. P.s. the other workers were nice but sometimes it takes one person to ruin everything for you.

We had a very good meal and afterwards enjoyed some delicious cocktails and whiskeys.

The food was unfortunately cold.

Very busy, very noisy food acceptable for the type of resturant it is. We did go Saturday night 2 weeks before Christmas so understandable.

Food was good but service was bad and took a long time, many things were out of stock and we received things that we had not ordered

Great service, everything was served quickly, unfortunately my shank was quite dry and tough but I'd still recommend it

What has become of the former EX-Agentur? The food, the staff... nothing like it was three years ago when we were last here. It's a shame; we can no longer recommend this restaurant.

Terrible dry food and then they blame for customer for not enjoying the meal. Do not recommend if you value your money

Wanted to love it here but was really disappointed by the treatment- shortness by staff. Left my scarf here and returned within 10 minutes- it was gone apparently already. However, this is a beautiful restaurant and patio. Would consider coming again to give another chance because I hope our experience was a one off.

I was at the restaurant and had the opportunity to eat the pork knuckle, and it was wonderful. I recommend you try it.

Went there for lunch and left very satisfied 🤗

Yes, it was a Christmas market weekend, but the soup and main course should still have been hot. It was incredibly loud and the waiters were clueless. A shame, we were looking forward to it.

Very poor and arrogant service. Beautiful location, but don't go here for the food and service.

Service here is some of the worst I have ever experienced. It’s too busy and the staff can’t cope. My waiter was also one of the rudest I have encountered. I booked a table 4 months ago but they didn’t take any notice and gave us a terrible table I would not recommend at all, go somewhere where they appreciate your custom

We were a group of six for dinner. Some of the food was cold. We had to wait a very long time for everything. Our dessert never arrived, and the bill only came after we asked four times.

Just been there, and it's no wonder everything in the area is full, even though there's an available table here. The service is, to put it mildly, inexperienced and completely unorganized. It was just a comical chaos. Everything was mixed up, from the starters and main courses to cold food. In short, it's a nice location to have a drink on the terrace, but for the rest, it's better to look elsewhere.

Something went wrong right from the start, due to incompetent staff. Then the main course arrived first, even though we'd already ordered a starter. After finally getting the starter, we received the same plates for the main course as before. Cold! After some discussion, the main course was removed, and we did get the correct one later. Ordering another beer also proved impossible, but it did appear on the bill later. Another discussion followed, and they tried to give us the beer while we were at the ATM. After another discussion, they finally removed it from the bill. The customer is king, no way! Definitely don't go there; it's a waste of time and money.

The cocktails were mediocre, and that's about it. The food wasn't hot, the steak was very greasy, the pasta with scampi was bland. The schnitzel was very dry. Service? From the moment you sit down, they've made a customer, and you can feel it. The waiters aren't interested in who or what's in their restaurant. So, best to skip this place if you're looking for good food and a pleasant atmosphere.

went in to restaurant because we read so many positive reviews, but in reality, it didn’t live up to the hype. the service was not only slow, it was also rude. there were so many times where we tried to catch the eyes of the staff and they just ignored us. when our food came, it wasn’t what we ordered and everyone we spoke to just passed us on to someone else. the food was just okay and the seating wasn’t the most comfortable. overall wouldn’t recommend.

Based on the Google reviews, we thought this would be a cute place to experience German food and atmosphere, but it didn’t live up to the hype. The service was rather disappointing and felt a bit rude. When we tried to pay, the staff told us to wait at our table but didn’t come back for at least 20 minutes. Every time we tried to make eye contact, we were ignored. The food was okay, but overall wouldn’t recommend this place.

I ate there today with my cousin. The atmosphere was great, we felt very welcome, and Daniel, our waiter, was fantastic—he deserves 10 stars! Everyone there was great, and the food was delicious. We'll be back!

The food was okay, but not outstanding; it was mediocre at best. The service was also okay, but again nothing special. Moderately fast, moderately attentive. The ambiance is quite nice.

Very mediocre flammkuchen, and the service was even worse than the food. They forgot to serve the food, then added it to the bill and suggested they serve it anyway. Worthless! Never again.

The food was cold except for the pork knuckle (mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, and also the bratwurst). We had to wait a very long time for the food and also had to pay the bill. Eating was okay.

We ordered six bottles of water at this restaurant and they brought us six glasses of tap water. We assumed it was free water, but when the bill arrived, they asked for €3.90 per glass.

Worst service ever food was cold and everyone was rude. We asked for mayonaise and the person said SSSSTTTT. I have never ever had service as bad as here. The food arrived before the drinks, no table wear was giving and everyone’s food was cold!!!!

The restaurant didn't meet my expectations. The lasagna was cold and served lukewarm. That shouldn't happen with a main course. We immediately asked for cutlery, but it took a long time to get it. We finally grabbed cutlery from another table. Only when the food was almost finished did we officially receive cutlery. A glass also broke. We asked for a new one, but it took three requests before a replacement arrived. The staff was slow to respond and not attentive. The service felt disorganized. The pace was slow, and that affected the entire experience. The overall impression was subpar. The quality of the food was poor. The service was frustrating. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend this restaurant.

No thanks. You have to beg for a beer, the waiters are completely overwhelmed. The fried potatoes were swimming in grease 😕😞

We didn’t eat here other than some chips, however, we stopped off for some drinks and loved the atmosphere. The outdoor tent was lovely, very pretty and calm to get away from the rain. Lovely cocktails, I had a pina colada. My partner loved the beer and I also tried their rose wine which was great. Lovely place to stop for an afternoon drink break & to play cards. Out waiter was amazing, very kind & helped us steady our table as the legs were short and we were on a slight decline. Highly recommend! It’s also located by a great souvenir shop if you come out and go right, past the colourful buildings

Great atmosphere. Impeccable service 👍

We had booked breakfast for 17 people, but there were actually 19, which wasn't a problem. However, instead of a large selection of cold cuts and cheeses, as well as scrambled or boiled eggs, we only received several plates of cooked ham, cream cheese, and a selection of sliced ​​cheeses, along with boiled eggs and jam – that was it. When we asked if we could have more cold cuts, we were told no. It was very pathetic and disappointing to present such a meager offering. There was no response to my emails.

Unfortunately, zero stars isn't an option. We were there today at Rhein Zeit. We were completely ignored. One waiter sat there smoking, while the other stood directly behind us and completely overlooked us. After waiting for 10 minutes, we got up and left. That's a surefire way to drive customers away!

Review (November 16, 2025, Table 40, approx. 5 p.m.): I deliberately chose this restaurant, which actually looks very nice, to impress my guests who were visiting Cologne for the first time. Unfortunately, it didn't work at all. We were there on November 16, 2025, at table 40, around 5 p.m. with 16 people. Instead of a normal greeting, a waiter (I think he was from Kosovo) snapped at us and told us to "fasten up with our drink orders." That's completely unacceptable, especially in a restaurant of this caliber. The food tasted good, but the portions were far too small for the price. We even went to a chip shop afterward because no one was really full. After the meal, we had to wait an extremely long time before we could pay. Only when we all got up and went to the front of the room did we finally receive any attention. Paying separately wasn't possible because the waiter was visibly overwhelmed, turning around in circles several times and almost having a nervous breakdown. I felt so embarrassed in front of my guests that I ended up just paying the entire bill to speed things up. Then it got even more embarrassing: The waiter practically begged for a tip. When I refused, he went out, muttering loudly to himself and saying things like, "Ugh, 16 people and no tip." Absolutely unprofessional and inappropriate, especially in a high-end restaurant. Beautiful location, but the service, the way things were run, and the staff's behavior were completely unacceptable. For us, it was definitely our first and last visit.

We were a large group of 16 people from several countries: Poland, England, Turkey, and Italy. We were invited for dinner, tempted by the location. At the beginning, the waiter started rushing us to choose drinks. Choosing dishes took longer because the menu had to be translated into other languages. The service was consistently unfriendly. The dishes were good, but the pasta portions, for example, weren't adequate for the price. After clearing our plates, we waited a very long time for the bill. At other tables, the waiter smiled, took photos, and immediately came over to settle the bill. I don't know if the group of foreigners intimidated him. After a long wait, we approached the cashier, wanting to each pay for our own family, but the waiter started scratching his head and spinning around. Finally, he issued a single bill and demanded a tip. When we refused, he started making comments and muttering under his breath. I don't recommend it and I won't be back. It's a complete lack of respect for the guests.

Yeah this place is great. Staff really friendly. Pork knuckle was amazing.

A very nice restaurant right on the Rhine. I had a schnitzel with mushroom cream sauce and fries, while my companion had tagliatelle with tomato sauce. Both dishes were delicious.

First German first Cologne, Beer and sausage, I feel great!

The food was good; I had a steak with a baked potato. That was good. The service is very good, and the location completes the experience. All in all, I recommend it. Although there's room for improvement with the food.

I was at the restaurant last night. It was an average experience. The food was okay, though not outstanding in my opinion. The server disappeared after the first drink, I have no idea why. So the evening ended rather quickly. I didn't find the service particularly friendly either. It felt more like they were processing me. It's doable, but for me it's more of a solid 3 stars, definitely not 4 or even 5.

I highly recommend it. The coffee is delicious.

We can't comment on the food, as we only stopped for drinks. The terrace with its patio heater was lovely to sit on. The staff was quick and friendly. Prices are higher due to the location, which is a matter of personal preference. For example, the owner should really consider adjusting the price of a bottle of water. Despite this, we felt comfortable there on both occasions, and we're happy to accept the prices. However, we're deducting one star for that reason.

We were there on a Friday evening wanting to have a cocktail. For €12, I got the worst mojito I've ever had. The Swimming Pool and Sex on the Beach also didn't taste as good as usual. Really disappointing, I wouldn't recommend it.

It's outrageous that this bar offers drinks. Just ice cubes and a 50/50 mix (if that) without any flavor or care. Save yourself the time!

This is a place I’ve already returned to three times — and for good reason! The food is absolutely delicious, and the meat is cooked to perfection. The steaks are simply fantastic — juicy, flavorful, and tender. The waiter even remembered our previous orders, which made the experience feel personal and special. Highly recommended for anyone who loves great food and warm service!

We sat here because of the location, but what a terrible choice. My wife had a schnitzel that was cooked tough and the breading was soggy and disgusting. I had spareribs that were simply impossible to bite off the bone. We didn't finish either dish, but we did pay. NEVER AGAIN!

Unfortunately, our tarte flambée was cold, and the salmon one had very, very little topping. When the waiter asked if everything was to our satisfaction, I told him it wasn't. No one asked, so there was no tip. Also, there are mice running around outside 🫣 The only bright spot was another waiter who gave our screaming son some beer coasters to play with (:

Amazing food. Lovely service. The lumberjack pork, the Schnitzel, the Weißwurst were all outstanding.

Very quaint and the service was fantastic. The man knows his craft. Always has a joke on his lips. We'd be happy to come back next time.

The atmosphere was okay. The food was good, but the fries weren't served nicely, like they were in a dog bowl. The reason I'm writing this review is the service. It was very ungrateful and unkind, with no "please" or "thank you"! The food was brought to the table while we walked, and they kept walking! We won't be back!

Worst service I have ever had. The waiters didn't even care to give us a table. The food took so long to come and It wasn't good. Also a waiter didn't let me change my dish just after I ordered it and at the end he wanted me to pay 2€ tip without even telling me

Enchanting location on the riverfront, welcoming inside. (Bathrooms poorly maintained and for tiny people) Distant and rushed service. Average food, above-average prices. Once and never again.

The toilets are a disgrace. Filthy, broken, and completely filthy. It really ruined my stay here, no matter how delicious the cocktails were. The food was nothing special.

We stopped there after a stroll through town. They had paprika schnitzel and Kölsch beer. The schnitzel was great, and the service was very friendly.

Location is nice and that's all positive I can say about this place. Stuff was slow and harsh. Food was burned and when we let them know (politely, just for them to know), they laugh at us. :-) I don't know if they just have a bad day or whatever, but this experience was not very nice for us.

Prices were overpriced, the Aperol Spritz was missing, and service was slow. All in all, not recommended.

No, unfortunately not. The food was cold and unseasoned. When I returned it, there was a hair in the sauce. Disgusting. Also, way too expensive...

My son and I were washing our hands in the bathroom as one of the workers came out of one of the bathroom Stahls and proceeded to not wash his hands. We walked out of the bathroom and that same worker was sorting the knives and forks. Pretty disgusting.

We ordered a Kranz (a German beer). Beware of 3-liter beer glasses. Service was truly abysmal. Time to chat, but no desire to serve.

We had the schnitzel, which was so tough we couldn't cut it. The rest of the food wasn't great either. The fries were cold, even the Coke tasted like it was carbonated. The prices were exorbitant and didn't match the quality. The restroom also left much to be desired. I don't recommend it.

Never had such a bad grilled dish. 26 euros for three small pieces of meat that were indistinguishable from a shoe sole. The side salad didn't even come with dressing. The baked potato was okay.

Great terrace for a drink in the sun! Superb and tasty food. Excellent beer and fast service.

The food is very tasty, the beer is good

I've rarely had such bad cocktails. Every bartender has their own twist, but to mess up a Manhattan or a Long Island like that is truly a spectacle. Neither drinkable, not to mention the prices. A "high-quality" Remy Martin is cheaper than a Veterano? A bottle of water for 9.90? This has to be a bad joke. The service was okay. They at least brought us a glass of Coke to make the Long Island bearable. The ambiance was okay, but nothing exceptional. All in all, definitely needs improvement.

Service was terrible, the food took forever and arrived lukewarm. The staff constantly stood with their backs to the guests. Absolutely not recommended! A typical tourist restaurant!

It's nice to sit outside. The service was friendly, quick, and attentive. The women's restroom needs some love. Of the three toilets, one was clogged, the other was ripped from the wall, and one, used by many women, was usable. Verdict: OK

We ate here on Tuesday evening this week. Food was ok, but it was let down after the waiter told us they’re ’not allowed’ to offer tap water for the table (despite us all buying food and other drinks) but we could get a bottle for €3. We said that’s fine then when we got the bill they added a €10 water charge! Yes for one bottle of water! We queried this with the person who brought the bill and he said we ‘must have misheard’ which is not the case at all as I even double checked. They also forgot to bring our desserts then we had to order them again 30 minutes later, no apology or anything. I therefore recommend you eat elsewhere and avoid this restaurant.

The location is nice and the food is okay, but the service was disappointing. The staff didn’t speak proper English and got our order wrong. When we pointed it out, they questioned us in a very informal and unprofessional way. At payment, we were only shown the total amount without any details, and they asked for a 15% tip, which we refused. The whole experience made us very uncomfortable, and we would never go back

Food was decent but service was horrible. My server demanded 15% tip. I tipped 15% and later realized it was not customary to tip that much unless service was exceptional. Service was 4/10 at best so i just wasted 5 Euros for no reason. I want to say stay away from this restaurant but location is pretty good. If you are a tourist, be sure to read other reviews and order good food and dont tip 15% (unless service was actually exceptionally good). My experience was very unpleasant so hope people read my review before visiting this restaurant.

Guys asking for more tip, giving €15 euro and even asking to give €50 tip. Greedy and wouldn’t recommend to go. Food was raw and no smiles at all.

I came here with my friends. The first thing you notice walking into the place is that it reeks like the sewers, disgusting. The food was undercooked, the waiter wasn't nice and on top of that, he didn't agree with a 20 euro tip. Don't make the mistake of coming here.

We didn't like it at all! We were there as a group and sat outside - the location is beautiful, but that's where the positive aspects end. My Wiener Schnitzel wasn't tasty, and the side dish was very mediocre. Others of us had ordered salad, but the pine nuts listed on the menu weren't included (though they were brought upon request). The bottle of white wine was completely warm - but at least they came with a cooler with ice. I found the surprise on the bill particularly shocking - the water bottles cost €9.90 each for 0.75 liters. We hadn't checked that beforehand - definitely check the menu beforehand. At the end, we were served a shot on the house because of our complaints. However, that couldn't salvage the overall bad impression.

The beer was good, but the service was abysmal. The waiter didn't come to the table (even when we tried to pay). He also charged a tip without asking for it beforehand. I wouldn't recommend it. I'd rather go back to Früh next time.

A real disgrace. They didn't have any arugula and had grated some kind of lettuce on it without prior agreement! Even worse was that the pizza base was charred. No pizza exchange or refund was offered because only a portion of the pizza was eaten.

Disastrous service. The waiter was very unmotivated and clearly didn't understand us. The beer was warm and tasted stale. We had to wait a very long time for our food and, in some cases, for our drinks as well. The bill wasn't correct either...

Incompetent waiters, dressed in whatever, not attentive, not particularly eager to serve. Once upon a time there were various international restaurants in this place, it was nice to order drinks and food, what now - no comparison. They forget to bring drinks, bring the wrong thing, poured (or rather doused) the same sauce for meat for everyone, although our orders were all different. It seems that the waiters do not understand German. Food - steak and French fries were brought cold. I do not recommend this place to anyone

A poor welcome and unprofessional service... When we asked for water, we were told 1L for the large bottle, resulting in a 75cl bottle costing €9.90!!! The requested blue rump steak arrived ribbed and fatty, cooked rare. The meat was still good despite everything... When it came time to pay the bill, we were almost forced to pay the tip, with a server insisting that it wasn't included... "How much?" That's normal; it's a reward for GOOD service! Communication in English was also difficult... In short, a major disappointment given the generally positive reviews.

The food was okay, but the service was abysmal. Long waits, and the feeling of being ignored as a guest.

very unpleasant. The waiter made fun of my friend"s accent while he tried to ne polite and order in German. The curry wurst was just ok, and the waiter 'charged' us a tip of 30%. We had to bargain down the tip. anyway: To avoid at all cost...

No stars, unfriendly service. Cocktail warm and disgusting... Overpriced... never again

Got three cocktails to go. The employee misunderstood three times, sent us to the bar to pick them up ourselves, and then got annoyed that we wouldn't tip. The cocktails themselves were worse, though. €12.50, neither of us enjoyed them, and they barely tasted alcoholic. By far the worst cocktail I've ever had—and for that price, too.

Very good and delicious food.. I'd gladly go back..

Prices are ok, but food was unfortunately cold but still tasty

We weren't served after 15 minutes, even though the waiters walked past our table several times. We then walked a few meters to the next restaurant and received excellent service.

Maybe we were unlucky... The food was presented without enthusiasm, and the waiters were equally unenthusiastic. What a shame about the evening.

The food and drinks were okay, but the service was abysmal. Inattentive, unfriendly, and so aggressively begged for tips that I wouldn't eat there again.

After a stroll through Cologne, I stopped here for lunch. The service was good, everything was served quickly, and the terrace seating was very pleasant. However, the sea bream with potatoes (a fish dish) is not recommended at all, and I wouldn't eat there again.

A beautiful, rustic restaurant on the Rhine. The outdoor area is highly recommended in nice weather. The dishes were all averagely good and the value for money was reasonable. The service was prompt and attentive despite the large number of guests.

We had made a reservation in advance for two people. We were able to choose our seats. The staff was very prompt and friendly. Drinks were also brought very quickly. We both ordered meat, which was high quality and cooked very well. Unfortunately, my side dish (fried potatoes) was only lukewarm, and my companion's baked potato was cold. The salad was also really good.

I don't understand an average rating of 4.4 stars. The food is relatively expensive, probably because of the supposed view. First, the wrong dish was brought. Instead of apologizing, they told me I'd have to pay double. It was meant to be a joke, but it didn't go down well. Overall, it didn't taste that good, and the mushroom cream sauce had exactly 4/4 mushrooms...

Unfortunately, it was rather negative on two different days. The cocktails were unfortunately far too strong and barely drinkable. The spare ribs were unfortunately very tough and cold when they arrived at the table. Curry ketchup was smeared all over the bratwurst and fries, which was neither discussed nor noted on the menu. The bratwurst was also cold. Soft drinks are also available in 0.5L, which unfortunately weren't on the menu either. The staff has little overview of the guests, so the food arrived before the cutlery. The drinks were brought in advance. The only positive thing is the location on the Rhine and the heaters outside under the umbrellas.

Tricky for tourists. The food is certainly good, however: 1) 0,75 lt bottle of water €9,90 (even more costly than Montmartre in Paris) 2) at the moment of payment they strongly push for tipping (see the attached picture, it's in English, not German). Being European myself, I think that tips should be granted for outstanding service of if the customer is particularly picky. Differently from the US where tipping is mandatory, in Europe we have fair wages and welfare support. I felt like the aggressive request for tipping was reserved only for tourists, but I may be wrong. Since the service was normal and the water was soooooo expensive, we didn't tip. Needless to say, the waiter was visibly upset and he did not even reply to our "thank you" and "goodby".

I've never eaten so badly. The sirloin steak was a disaster. The fries were cold and unseasoned. The goulash soup was just water and oil with tough, bad meat. The baked potato was cold and unseasoned. The salad tasted stale. Never again.

The food was good and tasty. Nothing particularly special. My red wine was really warm, making it difficult to taste. The staff was downright rude, snappy, and only interested in attracting new guests instead of serving us. And they asked for a tip.

The flammkuchen and the lasagna are very good.