HENNE.Weinbar, Cologne, Germany
Last Visit: Fall 2025
The HENNE.Weinbar is actually featured in an issue of the German Mixology magazine (05/23), even though it's not a cocktail bar at all. That's because it was used as an example of the future of gastronomy as such. This raises some rather high expectations and in turn two questions: Can it live up to them, and why was the wine bar, which opened in the heart of Cologne in 2018, chosen as a prime example in the first place?
The focus in their article was on the simplicity of the concept: open from noon to midnight, there is technically a "lunch menu", but it simply offers fewer dishes than there are later on and, above all, an inexpensive 3-course lunch option. Almost all of the items can also be found on the menu from 3 p.m. onwards though. In particular, there is no division into classic courses, but rather "#sharing", "#cold", "#warm", and "#sweet".
Copyright: KölnTourismus
It really does give you a certain feeling of freedom. You can drop by anytime for just 1-2 glasses of wine without food (or my favorite combination: wine + #sweet...), treat yourself to two cold snacks at lunchtime or have something more substantial. Mix and match your order however you like, share everything at the table with someone else or eat it one after the other as you wish, and all that every week from Monday to Saturday, no special rules. If only it were always that easy. When I think about how often I've had to spend half an hour reading websites, especially in Munich, for example, to get a rough idea of what I can get and at what point in time. Only to find out when I got there that the information wasn't even up to date... it's enough to drive you crazy!
But let's take a few steps back. Before HENNE, there was the Spitz, a traditional restaurant focused on German cuisine of the kind that is (unfortunately) becoming increasingly rare these days. Either you go one step down in price and even more casual, i.e. directly to a German pub/brewery, or you have to go to one of the few more upmarket establishments with 150€+ menus. But well-made, high-quality, yet not overly pretentious, traditional and Central European restaurants are few and far between these days. And classic German-Austrian cuisine isn't even really my thing. Nevertheless, I felt sorry for this already dwindling category at the time, and I was accordingly skeptical when HENNE came along and threw around hashtags (as seen above) and a sharing concept.
At the time, the contrast to what was there before and the project itself seemed a little too artificially modern to me. Today though, compared to their heyday 6-8 years ago, hashtags have almost regained a kind of charming vintage character. Additionally, they are also used here to categorize the wine families for example. Instead of dividing them up in an old-fashioned way according to national borders, they are divided into #classics, #icons, and #freakshow, and I actually find the selected bottles to be very sensibly sorted. The "freakshow" always promised an exciting experience, whether due to the grape variety, the production process, or just an unusual taste.
Let's stick with the wine for now, because after all, HENNE proudly calls itself primarily a "wine bar" (although it's basically a full restaurant) and spoiler alert: it is overall definitely one of the best wine bars in North Rhine-Westphalia, if not Germany, and has been consistently since it opened. They offer a perfect mix of classic wines that go well with food, exciting "niche" wines – whether natural or not – to fantastic little-known gems, and then those "icons". The by the glass selection even changes completely every 1-2 months with around 15-16 positions every time (not including sparkling wines). This mix and the perpetual changes are what makes every visit interesting and is one of the biggest unique selling points of the HENNE. Too often I've felt that wine bars are either very hip and young locations with basically exclusively natural wines or overly serious wine bars with mostly overpriced classics & big names.
I would love to go to many more wine bars in Cologne, for example (a city that really appreciates wine) but unfortunately too many of them offer glasses for €8.50, when I could share the whole bottle with friends at home for just one measly euro more. At HENNE, the mix is balanced in this regard as well. From more casual wines to match your dish, starting at around €7 a glass (then the bottle costs around €14-19 in stores most of the time) to highlights for connoisseurs for only €9 per glass, some of which cost up to €35 a bottle in stores. One of my absolute favorite rosés was the Rosé Dos Villoes 2022 made from Tinta Negra grapes grown on the beautiful island of Madeira. I hardly ever drink rosé because of its often one-dimensional character, so I am all the more delighted when I come across exciting examples (as can be seen/read here). What a character! Intense saltiness of the sea, vegetal notes, depth, complexity, and yet so drinkable. Similarly individual is the Ca'n Verdura Supernova 2024 – Mantonegro, of which I had to buy a few bottles for my own cellar. Grown in tiny plots on Mallorca in the D.O. Binissalem with old vines between 30 and 70 years old and in very special soil. Blood orange, tangerine, cherry tomatoes, fine spiciness and again lots of coastal salt – you can recognize its uniqueness.
As you can see in the photos below, there is a changing selection of family-owned champagnes too for example. Fabrice Thumm is responsible for this always changing little treasure trove of a wine menu. He has been the sommelier responsible for the selection since the beginning of the project. You can find an interview with him here at Meininger Verlag (sadly only in German). When it comes to special wine bars like HENNE, I always think of the words of Justin Leone from the award-winning Sticks & Stones when I visited Munich again last year and we talked about the abundance of simply uninteresting wine bars and restaurants with a supposed focus on wine. Many play it too safe, from the selection of the wines by the glass to the pricing istelf. Yes, it's simply more work to offer something special, to find guests for it, and to keep it running at that level consistently. You have to put passion into it, and Fabrice undoubtedly has that.
But not only him, chef Hendrick Olfen himself as well. Despite his young age, Hendrick already had various positions under his belt before opnening HENNE seven years ago. From cruise ships to two different Michelin-starred establishments, namely La Societé in Cologne and La Vision in the famous Wasserturm Hotel, which has since closed. In his first venture as founder, HENNE, he and his team cook whatever they feel like, as long as it's fresh, seasonal, and high-quality ingredients. Never too pretentious, but also never too simple. A little playful at times, but never with that extra overly fancy nod to Michelin that you sometimes see in "ambitious" restaurants. They are listed in the world's most famous restaurant guide nonetheless, even with a Bib Gourmand (i.e., for particularly good value for money), which I can only agree with.
The menu range resulting from their spontaneity is so wide that in most other restaurants with less than let's say two stars, one would be immediately skeptical. On a single one of the frequently changing menus, you might find yourself transported from France with duck liver terrine to Asia with pork belly, back to Spain, and then to local German cuisine (the veal schnitzel interpretation is also the only permanent fixture on the menu, maybe a nod to the former Spitz?). There is always at least a small or big twist on the classic origins of their dishes. This "global approach" always works thanks to the craftsmanship, the relaxed atmosphere, and, of course, the underlying quality of the ingredients. Most dishes are in the €10-20 range, with meat and fish at around €20-30.
It's no coincidence that three of the four photos below are from the "#sweet" category. Do I perhaps like sweet things a little too much? Possibly. But to present my completely rational defense: Just a few months ago, I watched a video on the well-known YouTube essay channel Vox that addressed the question that all dessert fans like me probably ask themselves: "Why does every restaurant have the same desserts?". If it didn't already dawn on you a long time ago, then it probably will when you read their video title for the first time. In fact, just last week, for example, I made a reservation at a Michelin-starred restaurant with an otherwise great menu, but the desserts put you right back to sleep: crème brûlée, 2-3 types of homemade ice cream, and probably something like a chocolate mousse/cake to top it off, sigh… At HENNE, it's the exact opposite, always something new, interesting, seasonal, and smart. Glazed pear in vermouth foam with almond-coconut-kaffir lime ice cream (perhaps the longest ice cream name in the world?), perfectly ripe strawberries with basil oil, deep frozen goat's milk, ganache, and a housemade praline - you get the idea.
I have already listed many of the things I like about HENNE, but there are still many more to mention. Such as the always pleasant atmosphere and attentive staff, the cool mix of guests ranging from young to old, details such as offering a Manzanilla long drink with lemon balm instead of the standard spritzes, or the rare sight of Banyuls as a sweet finish to the wine list. We haven't even mentioned the stylish interior design yet. The beautiful old wood and the exciting architecture and layout of the Spitz have been retained, from the large entrance area to the small corridors around an inner courtyard, including the wine bar counter. There is a lot to see, and in several places the "old" has been complemented by exciting design elements on the walls and ceiling (see above). Here, just as with their food, a real eye-catcher, but without seeming too artificial. As you can see, I could go on and on, but as we all know, it's best to stop when you are at the peak. So I'll simply end with the strong recommendation: head to the HENNE.Weinbar when in Cologne!
/rds
