Five cool tips for Ehrenfeld

I was thrilled to hear that Kleiderei has been in Cologne since May 2015, having already been a frequent visitor to this “clothes library” back in Hamburg, where it used to be. “Kleiderei” is a treasure trove of clothing, from casual, everyday outfits to distinctive designs and crazy creations. The library manager is Lena. She’s been living in Cologne for 11 years, studied fashion design and now has her own label, “Trinkhallen-Schickeria”. She’s also delighted to be running Kleiderei – a fashion store that just couldn’t be more sustainable.

There was another reason for me to be happy too – Kleiderei is in my favourite district of Cologne, Ehrenfeld. I lived there for a good two years myself and am still completely in love with the place. It’s totally hip and multicultural and “bored” is a concept that just doesn’t happen here. Lena agrees with me so she was glad of this chance to introduce you to her favourite places in Ehrenfeld.

It’s no surprise that Kleiderei itself is one of Lena‘s favourite places in Ehrenfeld. The idea behind the concept is that you can borrow garments until you’ve had enough of them and want to try something else. If, however, you develop an intimate relationship with a particular piece of clothing and don’t want to let go, you simply buy it. They all have prices marked on them. So it’s sort of a library with a shop built in. And Lena oversees around 1,500 individual garments, most of them second hand or vintage, but some from her own collection and from those of other young designers. All you have to do is become a member and then you can start borrowing to your heart’s content. Just like in a normal library.

Kleiderei Köln
Address: c/o Trinkhallen Schickeria, Venloer Straße 459, 50825 Cologne
Web: www.kleiderei.com  |  www.facebook.com/kleidereikoeln/

At Madame Tartine you can feast à la française – right in the middle of Ehrenfeld. There’s breakfast or lunch or simply just pop in for a café au lait. Lena comes here a lot and is a great fan of the cheese. The speciality here, however, is tartine –  a slice of bread with a yummy topping. It might sound a little mundane at first but it can actually be quite exquisite. For example, how does tartine with dried tomatoes, rocket leaves, ham and sesame seeds sound?

Madame Tartine
Address: Venloer Straße 432, 50825 Cologne
Web: www.madame-tartine.de/

If cosy living rooms are your thing, Café Fridolin is the place for you. It’s almost like being at your gran’s house in the 60s or 70s – only the coffee is better! The café is full of attention to detail, be it in the local designers’ works adorning the shelves or in the meals, cakes and drinks on offer. Another plus factor is that they’re clued up on food intolerances so even the gluten or lactose intolerant don’t have to go hungry (or thirsty!). Once you’ve settled into one of the comfy armchairs, you won’t want to leave.

Café Fridolin
Address: Venloer Straße 425, 50825 Cologne
Web: www.facebook.com/fridolinehrenfeld/

Of course, you can’t spend all day sitting around eating cake or cheese and drinking coffee. So how about popping in to “Ich, Du & Es”? This exhibition/work/sales space, at Alpenerstraße 21, is the brainchild of designers Inga Kraayvanger and Sybille Lehnen. They make jewellery and accessories with a modern, uncluttered look and everything is produced under fair working conditions. Customers can also order the gorgeous items in the online shop.

Ich, Du & Es
Address: Alpenerstraße 21, 50825 Cologne
Web: supr.com/ichdues/

Schamong has a history spanning 50 years, making it Cologne’s oldest coffee roasting house. The shop sells a diverse range of blends – classic coffees alongside special interpretations of the coffee bean. But Schamong is also a café, which means you can stay and enjoy one of the delicious compositions in house. Plus, if you want to learn how to make excellent coffee, Schamong – home to Cologne’s first coffee academy – can help.

Schamong Kaffee
Address: Venloer Straße 535, 50825 Cologne
Web: kaffeeroester.de/