Seven roof-top bars with great drinks, creative cuisine and fantastic panoramas
Cologne’s latest roof-top bar: Bar Botanik
Jungle meets cocktail bar – and truffle fries.
On the eleventh floor of the Wasserturm Hotel, the barkeepers serve inspired cocktails, selected drinks such as locally produced whiskey and nibbles like salted caramel popcorn with rosemary. Over the course of 140 years or so, this cylindrical building with its 360° views has developed a charm all of its own, which has now been combined with indoor plants and jungle decorations on the walls.
Bar Botanik is open to anyone aged 18 or over – not just hotel guests. A great place to visit, especially at the weekend when there’s a DJ.
Bar Botanik, Kaygasse 2, 50676 Cologne
Cologne’s highest beach: Sonnenschein Etage
Fourteen floors up, this is a city beach with a view to die for. With its sand, palm trees and deckchairs, Sonnenschein Etage almost feels like you’re at an outdoor pool. It’s completely exposed to the elements so it doesn’t open in bad weather. But you can check beforehand on Instagram or Facebook. If it does rain, you can still get in the mood for next time by listening to deep house and chill-out music on the beach stream, compiled by the Sonnenschein Etage team.
Sonnenschein Etage, St. Agatha 19-25, 50667 Cologne
Cologne’s roof-top bar for connoisseurs: Monkey Bar, with food by Neni
Located on the eighth floor of the 25hours hotel, the Monkey Bar boasts a fantastic view of Cologne Cathedral – and lots of seats to enjoy it from be it on the terrace or around the fire inside. The bar menu features drinks like Mad Monkey Mai Tai or Zombie Colada, and delicious snacks from the hotel’s Neni Restaurant (falafels, sweet-potato fries, humus and more) are available until 11pm.
Monkey Bar, Im Klapperhof 22-24, 50670 Cologne
Cologne’s highest roof-top bar: Osman30
It’s not often you eat this high up. The Osman30 roof-top bar in Cologne‘s Mediapark is on the 30th floor, 110 metres above the ground. With an area of 280m² and a panorama view, it serves brunch, lunch and dinner options featuring international gourmet dishes and select cocktails, long drinks and wines. The view from up here includes the cathedral but also the TV tower and the famous Kranhäuser buildings in the old harbour district.
Osman30, Im Mediapark 8, 50670 Cologne
Cologne’s most sophisticated roof-top bar: Sky Lounge
Sky Lounge on the roof of Cologne’s Savoy Hotel is the ideal place to spend a balmy evening. Wooden flooring, exquisite furniture and an ornately decorated bar with indirect lighting make for a cosy lounge atmosphere on the 350m² roof-top terrace. From here, guests have a panorama view of Cologne Cathedral and the entire city.
BBQ lovers should come between Thursday and Saturday, when there’s a special barbecue menu. From Sunday to Wednesday, you can tuck in to one of various types of tarte flambée.
Sky Lounge, Turiner Straße 9, 50668 Cologne
Cologne’s most offbeat roof-top bar: LAB12
At LAB12 in Cologne’s Friesenviertel district, they’re BIG on style. For the team at this roof-top bar on the twelfth floor of Hotel Pullman Cologne, mixing cocktails is like creating perfumes. They take flavours and fragrances and blend them in ways that evoke emotions and memories long thought lost – just like perfumes do.
A vintage design concept in dark colours lends extra style. And if you start to get hungry while working your way through the LAB12 cocktail menu, there are various dishes to choose from. The menu features cuisine from all round the world, with vegetable curry, potato soup, salmon filet and crème brûlée. LAB12 closes for a summer break and re-opens on 13 October.
LAB12, Helenenstrasse 14, 50667 Cologne
Cologne’s most Christmassy roof-top bar: Rooftop Xmas
Summer isn’t the only time when great views are to be had. From 21 November to 23 December, the roof of the multi-storey car park on Brückenstraße hosts a pretty special Christmas celebration, Rooftop Xmas.
A wine bar serves mulled wine straight from the grower. And groups of six or more can book the Domview Restaurant for family or corporate get-togethers. There are also stalls selling handicrafts and home-made sweets for those looking to do a spot of roof-top Christmas shopping. Festively decorated with thousands of fairy lights, Rooftop Xmas is a winter wonderland above the city.
Rooftop Xmas, Ludwigstraße 1, 50667 Cologne
Afraid of heights or prefer your alcohol in cake form? Then this selection of traditional Cologne cafés might be more your thing.
0 comments on “Grand heights: Cologne’s finest roof-top bars”