Whilst on holiday in Köln we ended up here 3 times for frühstück (breakfast). Bit of an odd place but wholely enjoyable. The business is divided into two halves. The large every nice cafe where you order your coffees, teas and some patesserie and the deli next door where you order your food. They bring the food to you at the table but you pay the two bills separately. I've not experience this before and felt like a very European way to run the business. I can understand some people not liking this though as in the depths of Winter the prospect of having to go back onto the street and next door to order seems annoying. The locals obviously look at the menu and order before coming into the cafe. The cafe itself is very nice, bare bricks walls with eclectic collected furniture, ranging from couches to what look like old school chairs. High ceilings, lots of mirrors and art for sale hung on the walls makes it a pleasant spot to while away a few hours. The coffee is good although there is no middle ground, the lattes and cappucino's are very milky and the macchiato's or black coffees very bitter. I like a middle ground coffee like a Flat White which is has milk but still retains the depth of a shorter espresso, this cafe doesn't achieve this but it is something I noted through our trip so it's obviously a German preference. I had the Strammer Max one day and liked it so much had the Strammer Käse Max the second time. A very simple but tasty breakfast of bread, cold ham, dill gherkins, and fried eggs with a dill yoghurt on the side, the Käse (cheese) is the only addition to the Strammer Käse Max read more

Salon Schmitz - Strammer Max - Bars Near Me - Cologne, NW

So this place is probably in one of the hippest part of town, the Belgian quarter. This place is narrow and deep and looks charming. We were able to find parking right in front of the door. The crowd is generally also young and hip... my god I feel old saying these terms. But that's about the end of the positive experience we had here on Sunday morning for breakfast. The breakfast was way overpriced for what it actually included. The service was a bit forgetful (but friendly). And the tea was a disappointment. I assume their ice cream selection is better than their breakfast... So for breakfast if advice you against this place. Check out my other recommendations instead (like Römerpark). Would I go back? Only to be hip. read more

My review is only for the "bistro/deli/metzgerei" side of the business (I haven't tried the coffee next door). I had a quick lunch there that was pretty decent (even if a bit over-priced), we had two quiches (potato-leek and grilled veggies-feta) and two side salads (lentils, red beets, tabbouleh plus mystery salad), and a bottle of water for 27 euros ca. The food was served quickly and it was tasty and (looking) healthy. There is a good choice for vegetarians (less for vegans but still there are some options). Good for a quick healthy lunch. The waiters spoke English. Crowded on weekends. read more

Poor service and overpriced drinks (Ginger Tea for 3.50 must be a joke). If you want to eat something you have to order food at the place next door read more

In the metzgerei, you can have the best chocolate cheese cakes in Cologne. The bar, on the other hand, is a place for yuppies; still a nice place to hang out. read more

The ordering of food is a bit weird; having to go next door and order. But the coffee is great and the food is tasty. Great spot for a bite and a drink! read more

This place is great. It's low key for beverages, or walk next door to the metzgerei and order some awesome food. They Will bring it to the cafe when it is ready. I would recommend to anyone. read more

What a disappointment this place turned out to be. Enough people have written about it already to avoid going into details. The food is mediocre but actually not something I'd complain about. Yet, and this is where it all fails, the service is a complete joke. I thought Berlin had arrogant hipsters serving tables. This place tops their lack of sense and style. Yes, if you can sit outside as we did, it's a wonderful place to people-watch and in theory, the idea is smart. At the same time, a bunch of useless hipsters as waitstaff really makes no sense. It seemed to me like the majority of the people around us weren't all too impressed with this either. We heard multiple tables complain about mixed up orders or the wait times plus warm drinks, etc. I'd avoid this place unless you absolutely have to experience the see and be seen crowd. Again, the food is not that bad and the location is super nice, especially with the proper weather. Servce......eh...skip it! read more

Service is unprofessional and very rude. Last Saturday we went there with a group of 8 in order to have coffee and some cake. Before one of us decided spontaneoulsy to get a small cup of frozen yoghurt. Instead of waiting the others decided to sit down at "Metzgerei Schmitz" to get a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. Since we wanted to rejoin the group we went there and sat down, too. First thing that young waitress said in a very unfriendly tone was. "Do you see those white stripes on the floor? Don't put them over those lines." How about a "welcome, nice to have you here"? Well, after she brought the first drinks, she realized that the frozen yoghurt has not been finished completely she startes her ridiculous act. Instead of making her point in a friendly way she started attacking us in a way I have never experienced before and she wouldn't stop talking down to us, all paying customers btw. We stayed calm and friendly and asked her to make an exeption so we can finish that damn yoghurt. Just to be clear: just ONE small cup. We all orderd something from their shop, which doesn't not sell any ice cream. However, we accepted her point and even apologized. She kept going and got really mad. That is THE way to talk to your customers! After we decided to order to more drinks, the others just received theirs and we wnated to avoid ruining the mood, another waitress came out and started IMMEDIATELY attacking us again in a even more ridiculous and rude way. And that is when WE offered her to pay and leave immediatly even though we haven't finished our drinks and cakes. She said: "Now that is not fair. You are putting a gun right on my chest!" We STILL stayed calm, but everybody thought WTF!?! We offered her a solution and still she wanted us to stay. They clearly were untrained staff having a bad day and looking for confrontation. Coming from a service oriented company I would have handled this situation in a more professional way instead of making everybody uncomfortable. We went inside in order to pay and talk to them again saying that their were quite unproffessional. Another waitress listened and was friendly but the other two tried to ignore us. And when they made a comment their turned their back towards us. Conclusion: Sure brining your own food is not the way to go. But is was only one half eaten cup and we wanted to join our group again. Sometimes it is wise to make exceptions especially when EVERYBODY is ordering food and drinks anyway. And next time train your staff, at least a bit. Offering good food is not enough, excellent service is part of a product! There are other places people should check out. We all will not come again. Worst thing is knowing that Metzgerei Schmitz will be happy to hear that. read more