retiredmartin

4th November 2022.

On our last morning in Cologne we left the bags at TRYP and walked over the Hohenzollernbrücke to the east bank. I think we got our money’s worth from this budget Wyndham hotel outside the station, but I took a fistful of sweets to make sure.

Mrs RM did some energetic walking today, spurred on by my telling her that Gaststätte Lommerzheim was one of the must-visit bars in Cologne, even though I had no idea why. Paul Bailey had mentioned it, Ron Pattinson too, and it sounded a bit like Lemmy’s, which is a great bar in Lubeck.

Worth the walk for the views back, which makes it sound like a German Gateshead.

I’m getting fed up with these lovebirds leaving locks to rust on bridges now.

So, what is this place, closed on the retirement of a septuagenarian owner and re-opened a decade or more ago to concern it would be ruined like the Sun in Leintwardine was.

Well, it’s an unchanging classic, confirmed by a queue of a dozen blokes at the door at 10:50. Pub crawlers, not foodies.

Mrs RM eyed up the cute corner table. “No, that’s a table for four” said the Kobe, politely.

and placed us in an identically sized table by the door. Great views from here.

Perhaps you tire of it after a week, but the sight of the tray of Kolsch glasses being filled from the barrel is a joy.

And the Paffgen was, I reckoned, the driest of the trip, but the beer was secondary.

I’d assumed this was a beer only bar, but the blackboard told a different story,

and the look on these two young fellas faces as a meat heavy brunch was plonked on the table next to us was quite something.

More customers under 30 than over 50, and Mrs RM the only non-bloke, but she outdrank them all. 3 in 20 minutes and we were gone, after admiring the tree outside the Gents (so not quite the Combermere).

Honestly, it was perfect, like your favourite Sam Smiths if it wasn’t run with lunatic rules.

But if you visit, take your phone call outside like the nice Germans do. And get there early.