Some of the best inexpensive places to eat (and drink) in Cologne are beer taverns. Come to Bräuhaus Sion, Unter Taschenmacher 5-7 (tel. 0221/2578540; U-Bahn: Heumarkt; tram: 5 or 7), if you want a traditional local tavern where the beer is good, the wood paneling smoky with time and frequent polishing, and the food portions generous. The main courses are traditional and filling Westphalian fare, and the best dish is Kölsch Kaviar (blood sausage with onion rings). On tap is the famed local beer, Kölsch, a light brew with an alcohol content of about 3%. It's served in Stangen (rods) about 18 centimeters (7 in.) tall. Main courses are 16€ to 26€ ($21-$34). No credit cards are accepted. It's open daily 10am to 11:30pm, but closed Christmas Eve.
Früh am Dom, Am Hof 12-14 (tel. 0221/2613211; U-Bahn: Hauptbahnhof), is the best all-around choice. Well-cooked meals are served on scrubbed wooden tables, with a different German specialty offered every day of the week. They have a menu in English. A favorite dish is a Cologne specialty of cured smoked knuckle of pork cooked in root-vegetable broth and served with sauerkraut and potato purée; apple purée and dumplings go well with this dish. Also sample a glass of Früh-Kölsch -- a top-fermented brew with a dry, inimitable taste and a 1,000-year-old tradition. In summer, there's a beer garden. Meals cost 11€ to 20€ ($14-$26). No credit cards are accepted. The tavern is open 8am to midnight; hot meals are served 11:30am to 11:30pm.
Haus Töller, Weyerstrasse 96 (tel. 0221/2589316; U-Bahn: Barbarossaplatz), a 15-minute walk south of the cathedral, has thrived as a brew house since 1876 by selling copious portions of two-fisted Teutonic food and foaming mugs of a local brew, Sion. The menu includes a local specialty, Schinkenhempsel (roast leg of pork), served with sauerkraut and roast potatoes. Main courses are 12€ to 20€ ($16-$26); a mug of Sion will set you back 1€ ($1.30). No credit cards are accepted. It's open daily 5pm to midnight.
