Chilled

Gottes Grüne Wiese
From Bundesliga and Champions League on TV to table football between friends, the beautiful game is the focus at Gottes Grüne Wiese. But you don't have to be football-mad to fall for this friendly, good-looking neighbourhood bar.

Address: 53 Bismarckstrasse |

Skweeze
Hardened local cocktail fans love Skweeze, which dishes up classic gimlets, fruity mango coladas and lemon daiquiris, and the absinthe-fuelled Absinth 75 in a classic bar setting on Cologne's busiest nightlife strip.

Address: Hohenzollernring 43 | Telephone: 0151 2127 8640 |

Clubbing

Loom
There's house and sweet R&B for a snappily dressed crowd weekends at Loom; and 1980s and 1990s classics for a cost-conscious clientele mid-week.

Address: 92 Hohenzollernring | Telephone: 0221 130 5422 |

Ü30 Nachtspektakel
Club hits meet disco classics at Ü30 Nachtspektakel, an over-30s night in the plush setting of Cologne station's historic waiting room (25 Jan, 16 Feb & 8 Mar at the Alter Wartesaal).

Address: 11 Johannisstrasse |