Früh Am Dom is one of the most popular restaurants in Cologne, and for good reason! Travelers come from all over to taste the delicious Früh Kolsch beer, enjoy traditional German meals, and experience the historic brewery. Here’s what to know about Brauhaus Früh Am Dom and all our favorite things on the menu!
Our First Visit to Cologne
We have made many trips to Germany, including some of its beautiful cities. However, before this summer, we had never been to Cologne!
We started off our time in Germany in the stunning Moselle region. Here we stayed in a small vineyard village on the river, and made our way to so many amazing towns in the Moselle Valley.
After that, we traveled to Dusseldorf and spent 1 awesome day exploring the city. We originally went there to hop on a river cruise, which would take us on both the Moselle and Rhine rivers over one week.
Once we had finished our cruise, we had one more stop to make! Cologne is honestly somewhere that has been on our list for a long time.
Not only is it full of historic sites like the Cologne Cathedral, but it also has some of the best cuisine in the entire country. Be sure to read about our favorite 17 things to do in the city here.
Without a doubt, one of the highlights of our visit was the night we went to Brauhaus Früh Am Dam. While the food and drinks were certainly amazing, it was the overall experience that made it unforgettable!
About Brauhaus Früh Am Dom
If you didn’t know, the Früh Am Dom brewery is over 100 years old! It was founded by Peter Joseph Früh in 1904 and located near the Cologne Cathedral.
For years, it has been drawing in tourists and locals alike, all for a taste of Cologne’s popular Kolsch beer. Unfortunately, much of the city was destroyed in WWII, and the building that housed Früh Am Dom was severely damaged.
It was eventually rebuilt, and has been continuously expanding ever since! Today, it has three floors of seating with room for over 1,500 guests. This makes it the second-largest brewery pub in Germany, behind only the Hofbräuhaus in Munich.
Trying Our First Früh Kolsch
First of all, you should know the rules around brewing a Kölsch are actually very strict. Only beers brewed in Cologne are allowed to be named Kolsch, and they need to adhere to certain guidelines.
The strict laws are called “the Reinheitsgebot” and ensure the quality with traditional brewing methods. Quite simply, you know you’re getting the real deal when you step into Brauhaus Früh Am Dom!
As soon as we were seated outside, the waiter came out with a dozen beers in a unique circular tray that he held from the top. From our very first sip, we were hooked.
On a hot August day, nothing tasted better than a Früh Kolsch. However, there is one interesting part about visiting the historic breweries in Cologne that you should know.
This is that the beers will just keep coming unless you put at stop to it! The only way to end your time drinking is to top of your Früh Kolsch glass with a coaster. Otherwise, the bartender will keep on serving you beer after beer.
This is similar to what we experienced in Dusseldorf at the Altbier breweries. We will say the beers are smaller than what you’d see in other places, and the way they’re served ensures you’re always drinking it cold and fresh.
What’s On the Früh Am Dom Menu?
Now that you know about the delicious Früh Kolsch, let’s move onto the food! We absolutely love German cuisine, so we were very excited when we first glanced at the Früh Am Dom menu.
It was a tad overwhelming, as the had so many great looking options to choose from. Luckily, our waiter gave us some great tips for traditional food to try from Cologne.
We started off with the Halver Hahn, which is an aged dutch cheese you eat with bread and mustard. Next, we tried the Cologne Caviar, a large black pudding sausage.
In true German fashion, these were absolutely massive portions! We didn’t mind though because it allowed us to take our time and enjoy some more Früh Kolsch.
For our main courses, we ordered the Schweinshaxe and Sauerbraten. While we have had our fair share of pork knuckles in Central Europe, the Sauerbraten was such a unique dish to try on the Früh Am Dom menu.
If we’re being completely truthful, we definitely over ordered. One appetizer to start would have been fine for two people. We were so full after this, but our waiter insisted we try their special dessert.
They brought out a homemade apple strudel for us to share, and it was the perfect end to our dinner in Cologne.
Staying Overnight at Früh Am Dom
Another cool part about Früh Am Dom Cologne is that you can actually spend the night! In addition to the 1,500 seat brewery and restaurant, they have the Eden Hotel right on site.
It has 86 spacious rooms and is located close to all the best places in old town. We stayed at NH Collection Köln Mediapark on our recent visit, which you can read all about here.
It was located just outside the main city center. Yet, with Cologne’s great public transit system and our KölnCards, we had no problem getting around.
After taking a tour of Früh Am Dom, we will definitely stay at the Eden Hotel on our next trip! You can also check out the Wasserturm Hotel Cologne, Hyatt Regency Köln & NH Köln Altstadt for more fantastic places to stay.
Is Brauhaus Früh Am Dom Worth Visiting in Cologne?
Absolutely! This was such a unique experience and a must on your own visit to Cologne.
No visit to the city would be complete without eating a traditional meal, and of course trying a local Kolsch beer.
Brauhaus Früh Am Dom is a staple of the city. Even if you don’t go for a full meal like us, stopping in to try a Früh Kolsch should be on your itinerary.
One thing we highly recommend is to walk around the inside and explore the different areas. It’s especially fun during the Christmas market season when you can expect to see all the rooms full of happy patrons.
Planning Your Cologne Trip
✈️ The Cologne Airport (CGN) is best connected by train and can get you to old town in just 15 minutes. Check out Skyscanner for cheap domestic and international flights to Germany.
🚗 Use Discover Cars to find rental cars before your trip (as low as $15 a day!) It’s best to head back to the airport to pick it up before heading off to explore more of Germany. From Cologne, you can easily visit some of our our favorite towns in the Moselle Valley.
⛵️ We covered many of the best things to do in Cologne Germany. Yet, if there was one tour we would book for our next trip, it would be the Old Town Beer History Tour!
☀️ Never travel abroad without insurance. We personally use SafetyWing while away from home.
🎒 If you need help packing for your trip, scan through our Amazon packing lists, electronics and camera gear & long flight essentials.
Have any questions about this article or want to share your own experience at Früh Am Dom Cologne? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
This experience was made possible in partnership with Cologne Tourism. As always, any opinions and recommendations remain our own.
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