An alcohol fuelled timewarp into the German fifties!
The "Weisser Holunder" (meaning "white elderberry") is a small corner pub in one of the less remarkable areas of central Cologne and looks even less remarkable from the outside. Inside, though, you feel like you stepped through one of those quantum continuummi thingies, er, portals, and find yourself warped back into the Germany of the 1950's: Used fiftes furniture is standing between weird looking lampshades, a (free!) Rock-Ola is standing in the corner, playing rather corny, kitchy German oldies. The lighting is dim, there is a pooltable, and the punters are a mixture of 20 percent students, 20 percent academics and 60 percent locals. The atmosphere is incredibly friendly and relaxed, and the owner and his wife do the honours behind the bar.
The place was bought by the current owners in 1991 and slowly transformed to its current state, although the architectural structure of the pub (which dates back to the forties) was never changed. The food is simple fingerfood of the highest quality, the Kölsch (Sion) is cheap, and as a young lady is circling the place supplying you with fresh beer, your glas is rarely empty.
The owners insist on NOT serving fancy coffees, cocktails, expensive whisky or anything fancy. On the other hand, there is an amazing range of traditional german Schnaps on hand, and a wild variety of hand made elderberry spirits.
The website is absolutely brillant, giving you a great insight into the mindset of the owner and celebrating the guests. As the site says: "The secret of this this bar is its guests".
If there would be a nodermeet in Cologne, this would be the place to do it.
Cheers!
Weißer Holunder
Gladbacherstraße 48
50672 Köln
Tel.:0221-513475
http://weisser-holunder.de/