Cafe Era Bars & Clubs in Cologne – GayOut Guide
Gay Bars & Clubs LGBTQ+ Friendly

Cafe Era

Google (611) 4.3
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What reviewers say

Visitors often praise the pleasant outdoor seating and friendly service from specific staff members, with some enjoying the coffee and cake. However, multiple reviews mention issues with slow or non-existent service, rude staff, and disappointing food quality or incorrect orders.

86
/ 100
GayOut Score
G4.3
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Address
26 Friesenwall, Cologne
📞
Phone
+49 221 16934430

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About this place Cafe Era

Cafe Era is a gay-friendly mainstream cafe and bar, not a gay venue. It does coffee and food during the day and wine, cocktails and spirits in the evening, and the outdoor terrace is the main reason people pick it in warm weather. It sits on Friesenwall at the edge of the Belgian Quarter, a short walk from Rudolfplatz and the bars around Schaafenstraße, so it works as a first stop before heading into the gay scene. It opens mid-afternoon on weekdays (noon on Saturday) and stays open until midnight, or 1am on Friday and Saturday.

Opening Hours

Closed
Monday 16:00-00:00
Tuesday 16:00-00:00
Wednesday 15:00-00:00
Thursday 15:00-00:00
Friday 15:00-01:00
Saturday 12:00-01:00
Sunday 15:00-00:00

Features

Gay Gay-friendly (straight venue) LGBTQ+ Happy Hour Live music Casual Food served Smoking Area Outdoor Patio Pub/Tavern Wine Bar Community space Walk ins welcome Lounge area Bar (alcohol) Mixed LGBTQ+ Pub Themed parties Outdoor terrace No dress code Outdoor smoking only Day venue Evening venue Year-round Gay-friendly (straight venue)

Insider Tips

Community Reviews

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Google Reviews

Verified by Google
4.3
★★★★★
611 reviews

Based on 611 Google reviews.

Oliver Behnke
Oliver Behnke May 2026
★★★★★

Today I went to Café Era again after a long time, and unfortunately, it won't become my favorite café. The terrace is really nice, and since there are no cars in Kettengasse (the main part of the terrace), it's a lovely place to sit, but that's about it. I tried to order a large bottle of water, but I was already a bit annoyed, which the server immediately noticed. The menu lists a mineral water from the Eifel region and a still water with three letters on it. When I asked for a medium-sparkling water, they offered me a third brand, but unfortunately, it wasn't chilled (in summer, you should ALWAYS make sure drinks are properly chilled). When I then wanted to switch to the mineral water from the Eifel, I was told that they only had small bottles left… Anyway, I ordered the medium-sparkling water, and they offered me ice cubes. Since the next table had a wine cooler with ice cubes, I assumed I'd get the same service… Unfortunately not! I received two glasses of ice and a warm bottle cooler, which was completely useless. That was my first disappointment. The Caesar salad looked very appealing, but now that I'm writing this review and looking at the menu again, I don't remember there being any egg or croutons on the salad. What there was plenty of, however, was dressing and water from the salad cleaning process. So, in the end, I really had a dressing soup in my bowl. When it came time to pay, the bill was €19.30, and I gave the server €52 and asked him to give me €30 back. He seemed completely overwhelmed by the bill. I had the impression he would have preferred to pull out his phone to do the math himself. I even calculated his tip for him so he could keep it separate. I think the owner overheard this whole transaction and found it very awkward, too. I don't expect everyone to be as quick-witted as I am, but if you work in customer service, you should at least be a little more confident in your thinking.

Frank Häusler
Frank Häusler May 2026
★★★★★

I was there today for the first time in ages and had a salad for €12. It was mostly greens, half a tomato – that was it for salad, and the dressing wasn't very tasty. Please change that!

Daniel Nazario Guia
Daniel Nazario Guia May 2026
★★★★★
Cédric Bielen
Cédric Bielen May 2026
★★★★★
L. K.
L. K. Apr 2026
★★★★★

A very disappointing visit: At breakfast, instead of the ordered boiled eggs, scrambled eggs were served. When asked about this, the owner, walking past, was rude and shouted that there were no boiled eggs. Missing ingredients, such as tomatoes, were only brought after we asked for them – and then cut so thickly that they were barely edible. The scrambled eggs were completely inedible, as was the tea. The cucumber was clearly from the day before, and the dry end was served. Overall, everything seemed carelessly prepared and of poor quality. The waitress was friendly and tried her best, but the owner repeatedly and inappropriately reprimanded her in front of all the guests. All in all, a very unpleasant experience.

Lars Schwarz
Lars Schwarz Apr 2026
★★★★★

Extremely friendly service during happy hour 🤗

G M
G M Apr 2026
★★★★★

Great location near the shopping area. Food was very good and reasonable. Friendly staff. Enjoyed the outside seating and watching the crowds go by.

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Last updated on 9 November 2026

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