I love to start the day by heading over to the Emma kiosk at the Südpark in Marienburg in my flip-flops to pick up croissants. It’s a wonderful little place where you can buy freshly squeezed juices, crusty bread rolls with various fillings and a wide range of magazines and newspapers. I usually only manage to go there at weekends, unfortunately, but when I do I can pretty much guarantee that I’ll bump into a neighbour or two.
Whether during the week or at the weekend, hardly a day goes by when I don’t cycle along the Rhine, either to the Museum Ludwig or into the city centre. Unsurprisingly, my favourite café/restaurant is the museum restaurant, Ludwig im Museum, which has a terrace where you can soak in the wonderful view. But the very best view – which only a few people know about – can be enjoyed from one of the rooftop terraces of the Museum Ludwig. Whenever I’m not having lunch at the museum, I like to go to Lebanese takeaway and restaurant Beirut. Or, if I really want to push the boat out, I’ll dine at maiBeck. Both restaurants are close to the Museum Ludwig and the Rhine.
A lot of my favourite shops are right in the heart of the city centre, such as the Walther König bookstore, where I can browse for hours in a friendly and informal atmosphere. If you are into older books, you should make a beeline for antiquarian bookstore Antiquariat Buchholz. In the rooms to the rear of the store, you will also find Galerie Buchholz, which not only showcases artworks by classic artists like Isa Genzken and Wolfgang Tillmans, but also regularly exhibits work by aspiring young artists.
Another insider tip is the Heimat store on Mauritiuswall, which Andreas Hoyer and Andy Scherpereel have been running for almost 20 years now. There you’ll find fashion collections by Bernhard Willhelm and Walter Van Beirendonk, as well as many other designers.
If you appreciate experimental art formats, I certainly recommend visiting the Akademie der Künste der Welt (Academy of the Arts of the World), whose exhibitions are always in tune with the times.
And in the evening, you will often find me at Hallmackenreuther on Brüsseler Platz or the MD Bar on Marsilstein, which is run by artists and is famous for its whiskey.