Food & drink

Alt, Kölsch, Bönnsch. The local beers of the Rhine region. But which one is the best? As an online magazine that tries to give an unbiased opinion on all things Rheinish, we'd better not get into that discussion. But what about the glasses? We're with Bönnsch. No other glass combines the aesthetics of a joy-stick with a perfect means of delivery. The curved glass seems to decant the beer to your mouth in a more satisfactory manner than a normal glass.

Great food, great service, a view across the river Rhine to the majestic Siebengebirge, sunset, twilight, candlelight and desserts: if that sounds like the perfect dinner to you - then this is where you'll find it. The Bastei in Bad Godesburg used to be a station for the passenger steamboats that operated on the Rhine. It's now a restaurant and beer garden with a perfect view of the river. It's situated on the slip road that leads to the car and passenger ferry: as you sip a cold beer you can watch the little boat chugging across the river, fighting the current at a 40° angle.

The sun only needs to show it's face for a few hours and the Aachener Weiher is full.  Families grilling, students lounging, lovers kissing, friends playing frisby - the Aachener Weiher is simply "herrlich" on a sunny day.  And it's about to get even better.  The city wants to build a new space to "chill and relax" next to the beer garden.  The "square" will be a place to hang out late into the night, and hopefully, say the city, draw people away from Brüsseler Platz - which at the moment turns into a Madrid style late night hang out in

It's a little earlier than last year, but yes - the beer garden in Volksgarten is open for business and it's only April!  Last year we had to wait till May, this year the folks at Hellers have answered the locals' prayers and opened up early.  The beer garden in Volksgarten is an oasis of calm in the Sudstadt, there aren't many other beer gardens in the city where you're far enough away from a road not to hear the traffic.  In Volksgarten all you can hear is the soft splashing of the paddle boats and the distant shouts of happy kids in the nearby playground, the Weiss beer is

If you feel like a little taste of Spain in Bonn, pay a visit to Der Spanier.  It's a deli, bistro, restaurant and wine store all under one roof.  You can take a seat, order a plate load of delicious tappas and sip a tasty Spanish wine, or help yourself to a beer.  In the evenings it's full of families enjoying dinner, after work get together's and regular stammtische.  The fish tappas platter is utterly delicious, with garlic marinated prawns, deep fried crab claws, squid and white-bait.  Be warned, the garlic fueled Alioli will make your eyes water.

Bonn locals know that Frau Holle serves the best coffee in town. But what local students know is that the mobile coffee stand on the square in front of the the Kreuzkirche, serves the same coffee but for half the price.  The "Cafe-Roller" is always heaving during the week - you'll stand in a queue any time of day - but at the weekend - it's nowhere to be seen: no students, no rolling coffee van.  Three "Barista's" Johannes Romig, Leyla Telli and Matthias Lynders fulfilled a dream with the Cafe-Roller.

If you like freshly made, simple and delicious Italian food then Vapiano is a restaurant you will like.  In this "canteen" style restaurant you can watch your food being cooked right in front of you. Tell the chef what you want and see the fresh ingredients being mixed together in the pan.  There is a menu of sauces at the pasta counter and a choice of freshly made pasta, plus some tasty daily specials like "Vanilla chicken sauce" or "Rafiloi Malaba".

Easter's not all about chocolate - there's a whole load of Easter specialities to be  enjoyed at this time of year - Simnel Cake, Hot Cross Buns, and what about a nice old fashioned rabbit pie?  After 40-days of self-restraint, you've got a right to overindulge. Whether it's chocolate, booze or fried fare you're craving, the Fiddlers have just the thing to soothe your sacrificial woes on Easter Sunday.

The Spoerl Fabrik restaurant is situated in an old factory building near Derendorf.  Outside there's lots of brick and steal but on the inside it's all lovely old wood furnishings, etched glass and warm friendly smiles.  It's just undergone a change of management and has seen improvements in both deco and service: the bread is now delivered by Düsseldorf cult baker Hinkel, and the jam is home made, making a brunch or breakfast at Spoerl Fabrik a must.

When the sky turns cobalt blue and the sun caresses the city with the first gentle rays of spring  - out come the tables and chairs on the pavements of Cologne and the locals take to the streets.  Nowhere else is the advent of spring more noticeable than on one short stretch of Aachener Strasse, starting at Le Büff and finishing at La Palermo.