Fine Food Days

“No pleasure is ephemeral, because the impression it leaves behind is lasting.” Who said that? Once again, it was good old Goethe. And he was probably referring to culinary highlights such as those you’ll find at the annual Fine Food Days in Cologne. Here, Michelin-starred and other top chefs from every part of Cologne and its surrounding region spend several days showing off their entire gourmet repertoire of fine dining and drinking, accompanied by a special programme.

Cologne’s culinary festival, which is only a few years old, deliberately aspires to soar above conventional gourmet events by offering a festival format that is innovative and top-class.

The final event of the Fine Food Days in 2022 was a gala five-course dinner at the Bensberg Palace, where a Fine Food Days Award and the title Chef of the Year were presented to Eric Menchon, who holds two Michelin stars as the chef de cuisine at the Cologne restaurant Le Moissonnier. Menchon is a compatriot of La Rochefoucauld, who said approximately 400 years ago, “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” That’s the spirit with which the Fine Food Days struts on the annual culinary stage. Bon appétit!

The Fine Food Days are entering their sixth round from 24 August to 7 September 2025. The two-week food event of Cologne's top gastronomy is all about good food and drink. The aim is to bring Cologne's culinary diversity to life. In concrete terms, ‘cooking differently’ means: more regional, more sustainable, more creative and more unusual.