Em Golde Kappes
A tradition-steeped Kölsch pub in Nippes since 1913, a listed building and carnival guardhouse, relaunched under Cölner Hofbräu Früh after a 2009 insolvency.
Em Golde Kappes is a tradition-steeped Kölsch pub in the Nippes district, whose name means "In the Golden Cabbage" in Kölsch (the Cologne dialect). Since 1913, this listed beer house on Neusser Straße has embodied a slice of living Cologne tavern culture.
At a Glance
- Opened
- 30 August 1913 by Nippes publican Matthias Becker
- Address
- Neusser Straße 295, Cologne-Nippes
- Heritage protection
- since 23 June 1989 (No. 5095)
- Size
- around 300 m², up to 350 guests, beer garden with about 120 seats
- Service
- classic table service by the Köbes (the traditional Cologne waiter)
- Carnival
- guardhouse of the Nippeser Bürgerwehr of 1903
- Relaunch
- 5 November 2009 under Cölner Hofbräu Früh
Origin of the Name and History
When Matthias Becker opened his "top-fermented beer house" in 1913, he advertised for "kind patronage." The unusual name goes back to the Florastraße opposite, which before 1864 was still called Kappesgasse — "Kappes" being the Kölsch word for cabbage. In 1989 the building was placed under protection as an architectural monument, and in October 1995 the name "Em Golde Kappes" was secured as a registered word-and-figurative trademark.
Décor and Carnival Tradition
Above the main entrance hangs a gilded head of cabbage with a brewer's star, and a second adorns the entrance area as a fresco; on the north façade, four masks represent the four temperaments — choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine. Inside, polished wooden tables, wood carvings and small leaded-glass windows shape the atmosphere, along with the preserved bar cabinet known as the "Beichtstuhl" (confessional). A "kölsche Fooderkaat" (Kölsch menu) lists the dishes in dialect together with a Standard German translation. The "Kappes" was never a true brewery, however: until 2009, Mühlen-Kölsch flowed here under a supply contract from the Brauerei zur Malzmühle. As the guardhouse of the Nippeser Bürgerwehr of 1903, the pub is firmly rooted in Cologne's carnival, and since 2000 it has awarded the "Goldene Kappes" medal named after it.
Insolvency and 2009 Relaunch
After several generations in the ownership of the Becker family, the business fell into difficulty: on 1 September 2008 the Cologne district court opened insolvency proceedings, and at the end of January 2009 all 17 employees were let go. In June 2009 the property passed to a company connected with the management of the Früh brewery. After extensive renovations — right down to re-gilding the "Kappes" — the establishment reopened on 5 November 2009 under Cölner Hofbräu Früh. Despite the complete overhaul, its rustic character was preserved: across 300 square metres are a large ground-floor taproom and two halls upstairs, plus the beer garden right in front of the house.
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
Address
Neusser Str. 295
50733 Köln
Hours
Mo: 11:30–22:30
Di: 11:30–22:30
Mi: 11:30–22:30
Do: 11:30–22:30
Fr: 11:30–00:00
Sa: 11:30–00:00
So: 12:00–22:00
Contact
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Official website (retrieved 2026-08-19)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-08-18, rev 263848378)
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-08-18)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-08-18
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