While walking around Cologne, I kept seeing locals with the most delicious looking Berliner donut…read morepastries. I saw they were getting them at Merzenich, a popular bakery chain in Germany. I decided to get one because the pastries looked so good and sweet.
This location has a sit down area inside as well as an exterior takeaway counter. It took a little while to jostle the crowds to order (and busy locals had no problem shoving in front of us tourists), but eventually we were able to place our order. The staff here isn't the friendliest around, and the woman behind the counter's tone quickly changed when she learned that we weren't from Germany. No matter, I really wanted that pastry!
Behind the counter you could see lots of tasty looking pastries, breads, pretzels, rolls, cakes, pies, and sandwiches. You could easily make a quick, filling, and affordable meal here. Prices were reasonable (my donut was less than a dollar). Inside, you can also get coffee and espresso-based beverages.
I wouldn't go out of my way to stop here again, but it was a great detour for a bit of afternoon pick-me-up energy.