Whether you are looking for great gourmet eats or just fast food restaurants, the city of Cologne will surprise you with diversity. From the Japanese and Chinese cuisines to Italian and French Cuisines; the city's restaurants have carved a name for themselves on the German's culinary market. Below are some of the top rated restaurants in Cologne.

1. Lommerzheim

The locals fondly refer to this restaurant as 'Lommi'. It has served great German cuisines to generations of Germans since it was established in in 1959 by Hans and Annemie Lommerzheim. Its down-to-earth approach to serving guests has indeed endeared it to its patrons. Its signature dish is the Lommi’s Koteletten, a dish made of fried onions and huge pork cuttings.

2. La Vision

This is the kind of restaurant you take out a girl on the first date in order to impress her. It is a reservations-only restaurant with great food on the menu including Veal cutlet with chanterelles and ragout of asparagus; crispy slice of suckling pig haunch with marinated rhubarb, chickpea fritters and rocket salad; cream of café Arabica with young peas and coffee oil among others.

3. Hanse Stube

Which restaurant can you have the best marinated asparagus, sautéed gambas and scallops and such like exotic dishes? Visit Hanse Stube and your gourmet dining experience will get a new high.

4. Le Moissonier

Like all things French, this restaurant is classy, aristocratic and borders on snobbish. The staff go to great lengths to maintain this exclusivity and that's is why you are going to find only classy French cuisines such as Pigeonneau rôti and Foie Gras Maison and Coquilles Saint-Jacques on the menu.

5. Brauhaus Malzmühle

Just to let you know the stature of this hotel, you need to know that former US president Bill Clinton chose this restaurant as one of the places to dine when he visited Cologne. The restaurant's signature dish - the Heaven and Earth - sound poetic, and indeed it does not disappoint. Its basic ingredients include; black pudding, fried onions, mashed potatoes, and stewed apples.

Cologne is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Germany and you will get to sample delicacies from virtually every corner of the earth. Make sure you get this culinary tour in the right restaurants.