For innovative fine dining there’s Amabile or Ox und Klee; the sumptuous Italian food at Alfredo or Da Damiano; and don’t forget Café Feynsinn, which kick-started Cologne’s slow-food movement. Book ahead to avoid disappointment.

But at his restaurant Ox & Klee in the middle of the three impressive Kranhaus buildings by the Rhine River, the pioneering Daniel Gottschlich is showing that non-alcoholic drinks can also be a sensory culinary experience. To complement Ox & Klee’s nine-course dinner, diners don’t just get a wine pairing, but also have the option of being served non-alcoholic drinks with every course, which either come from the kitchen, are the responsibility of the sommelier, or mixed in the bar one floor below. Tonic with buckwheat caramel and pepper, red grape juice with olive oil and eucalyptus or beetroot with bay leaf might sound unusual at first, but once you’ve tried them, you’ll soon be arguing about who gets to be the designated driver of the evening, happily forgoing wine in favour of more creative refreshments.

For a nice meal, Bourdain heads to chef Daniel Gottschleish’s restaurant Ox & Klee for a creative culinary experience. Over the course of several courses – grilled Scallop with black salsify, consomme of burned hay, lemon gelée, and walnut oil; grilled lobster with eel, marinated algae, fermented kale, and yuzu froth; and braised ox cheeks with marrow, beetroots with mustard, gratin potatoes, black truffle – Tony chats with Irmin Schmidt about Krautrock music genre and the timeless nature of some cultural themes across generations.

Dass Zwei-Sterne-Koch Daniel Gottschlich vom Restaurant Ox & Klee nicht nur edle Menüs, sondern auch Streetfood kann, beweist er mit seiner "Krassen Curry Vurst". Die vegane Currywurst, die ihr mittwochs bis sonntags von 12 bis 16 Uhr im Food Truck vor dem Ox & Klee probieren könnt, wird von vier hausgemachten Soßen begleitet – von mild bis scharf. Sowohl die Vurst als auch die Soßen wurden in enger Partnerschaft mit dem regionalen Unternehmen Remagen aus Hürth entwickelt, um höchste Qualität zu garantieren.

Playing with the concepts of haute cuisine, Ox und Klee is a modern restaurant that reinvents art at the level of the gourmet. On the table stand colorful plates arranged with careful regard for the flavor’s entanglements, such as Dutch mackerel in foamy sauce lined with white asparagus with buttons of avocado, pinches of grapefruit and seasoned with malts and Iberia pork with eggplant and lemon salt.

For a very fancy date night that will change your conception of fine dining, Ox + Klee, the two Michelin star restaurant along the Rhine river, is a perfect choice. This remains one of my favorite meals in Cologne because I loved the way chefs Daniel Gottschlich & Erik Schmitz play with flavor. You can go behind the scenes of our experience with my TikTok video about our dinner here.

Ox & Klee is part of the new dining scene in Cologne, where it offers guests an “Experience Menu”. Here, Anthony Bourdain enjoyed a meal of grilled scallop with a consomme of burnt hay, gelee and walnut oil; grilled lobster with a dashi of eel, marinated algae, fermented kale and yuzu froth; and braised ox cheeks with marrow, beet roots with mustard, baked potatoes and black truffle.

Michelin-starred Ox & Klee started out in 2010 with sauerkraut and bratwurst on the menu. While simplicity is still the focus, nowadays diners can choose from two tasting menus that aim take them on a mind-blowing culinary journey.