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Ain Café

Ain Café — cosy café with specialty coffee and vegan brunch in Cologne-Ehrenfeld

Interior of Ain Café in Cologne-Ehrenfeld

Cologne · Ehrenfeld

Breakfast, brunch and specialty coffee in the heart of Cologne-Ehrenfeld — vegan-friendly, Malaysian-inspired. Open every day, Venloer Str. 374.

See the menuOur coffee
Mon – Fri 10 – 18 · Sat/Sun 9 – 18Venloer Str. 374 · Ehrenfeld

Our Why

We inspire to appreciate & connect with yourself and others.

Ain Café is more than a place for coffee. It is a space in the heart of Cologne-Ehrenfeld where you can slow down, breathe and reconnect — with yourself and the people around you, over organic specialty coffee, vegan brunch and Malaysian specialties we prepare with care.

Wall of Inspiration at Ain Café — rattan chairs, plants and warm light in the cosy café in Cologne-Ehrenfeld
Specialty coffee Lion of Judah from the Sheka forest — barista coffee at Ain Café Cologne-Ehrenfeld

Our Coffee

Specialty Coffee from the Sheka forest.

At our café in Cologne-Ehrenfeld you drink specialty coffee that tells a story. We roast in partnership with traditional Cologne roastery Schamong. Our bean »Lion of Judah« comes from the Sheka biosphere reserve in Ethiopia — 100% Arabica, organic, direct trade, no deforestation. Every cup supports local education and health projects on the ground.

  • Organic
  • Direct Trade
  • 100% Arabica
  • Specialty Beans
  • No clearing
  • UNESCO biosphere
Roastery partner
Schamong
Bean
Lion of Judah
Origin
Sheka Forest · Ethiopia

Cardamom or cinnamon?

On request we finish any coffee with cardamom or cinnamon.

Sheka Coffee · short presentation (PDF)

Brunch & Breakfast

Breakfast and brunch in Cologne-Ehrenfeld — every day until 4pm

Sit down, order at the counter, enjoy your time. No reservation stress — just come in.

See the full menu

A selection

Our menu: vegan, Malaysian, house-made.

See the full menu
  • Tropical Sunshine granola bowl with mango and passion fruit sauce at Ain Café Cologne-Ehrenfeld

    Tropical Sunshine

    v opt.

    Granola Bowl

    Organic granola with nuts, yoghurt, house-made passion fruit sauce, fresh mango and chia mix.

  • Gluten-free lemon passion fruit cheesecake — house-made patisserie at Ain Café Ehrenfeld

    Lemon Passion Fruit Cheesecake

    GF

    Patisserie

    Gluten-free. Also available as strawberry cheesecake (vegan).

  • Sesame bagel with herb cream cheese and curry-mango cream — Ain Café Ehrenfeld

    It's a Bagel

    v opt.

    Sesame Bagel

    Herb cream cheese (vegan optional), curry-mango cream, fresh vegetables and rocket.

  • Nasi Lemak with coconut rice and rendang — Malaysian national dish at Ain Café Cologne

    Nasi Lemak

    GF · V opt.

    Malaysian national dish

    Coconut rice with sambal or vegan rendang sauce, organic egg or tempeh.

  • Mango sticky rice with coconut milk and fresh mango — seasonal dessert at Ain Café

    Mango Sticky Rice

    V · GF

    Seasonal

    Sweet coconut sticky rice with coconut milk and fresh mango.

  • Vegan pandan cake with coconut milk — Malaysian patisserie at Ain Café Cologne-Ehrenfeld

    Pandan Cake

    V

    Patisserie

    Small Malaysian cake with coconut milk and pandan.

  • Eggs benedict on sourdough with avocado smash and hollandaise — brunch at Ain Café

    Eggs Benedict

    Brunch classic

    Sourdough with avocado smash, two poached organic eggs, hollandaise on a bed of salad.

  • Freshly brewed barista coffee with cardamom or cinnamon — Ain Café Cologne-Ehrenfeld

    Cardamom or cinnamon

    In your barista coffee

    Available on request with any coffee drink.

Guest reviews

What our guests in Cologne-Ehrenfeld appreciate.

Featured in

  • Lovely people run this feel-good café in the heart of Ehrenfeld. The menu is a dream for vegans. Everything is delicious — sweet and savoury. Great coffee. Cosy interior. Simply wonderful!

    — Jimmi Litschi

  • An oasis for good taste. Excellent coffee and especially great food. A hidden gem for Cologne / Ehrenfeld.

    — Se Do

  • I was never much into cakes, until I had tried the Passion Fruit Cheesecake at Ain's. (I was sold at first bite.)

    — Ai-ling

  • Great atmosphere, excellent coffee, very tasty vegan cake. The staff is very welcoming and friendly. We will definitely be back.

    — Matthias

  • So much attention to detail in this beautiful café. The homemade chai latte has a wonderful cardamom flavour.

    — Daniela Kluetsch

  • HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! This café is absolutely wonderful! Less than 3 minutes walking from Ehrenfeld station.

    — Krista Mavo

360° view

Step inside for a moment.

Before you actually come by — here are two 360° views of our café in Cologne-Ehrenfeld. Drag, scroll, zoom.

Main room & counter
Wall of Inspiration

Frequent questions

Frequent questions.

Dogs are welcome at Ain Café — just drop by. We always keep a few tables free for walk-in guests.

  • Do you have vegan options?

    Yes, lots of them. Our granola bowls, the pandan cake, the mango sticky rice and the strawberry cheesecake are fully vegan. Bagels and Nasi Lemak can be veganised — just ask at the counter. Oat, soy, coconut and lactose-free milk for all coffee drinks at no extra cost.

  • Do I need a reservation?

    At the moment we don't take reservations: just come in, find a free seat and order at the counter. We always keep some tables free for walk-in guests.

  • Is there Wi-Fi and can I work with my laptop?

    We don't have Wi-Fi. Laptops and tablets are not allowed on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

  • Are dogs allowed at Ain Café?

    Yes, well-behaved dogs are welcome. We're happy to put down a bowl of water.

  • Where is Ain Café and how do I get there?

    We're at Venloer Straße 374, 50825 Cologne-Ehrenfeld. From Ehrenfeld S-Bahn station (S6, S11, S12, S13, S19) it's under 3 minutes on foot. KVB tram lines 3 and 4 stop at Venloer Straße/Gürtel right in front of the door.

  • Do you have gluten-free options?

    Yes, almost everything: alongside our naturally gluten-free rice bowls, the lemon passion fruit cheesecake and mango sticky rice, you can order all bagels and sourdough breads in a gluten-free version. For allergies or intolerances just ask us at the counter — we'll give you precise information.

  • Is your outdoor terrace sunny?

    Yes! Our outdoor area faces south and is sunny all day — like a little holiday in the middle of Ehrenfeld.

  • What kind of coffee does Ain Café serve?

    We work exclusively with specialty coffee. Our bean »Lion of Judah« comes from the Sheka biosphere reserve in Ethiopia (organic, direct trade, 100% Arabica) and is roasted in Cologne by traditional roastery Schamong. On request we finish any coffee with cardamom or cinnamon.

  • What makes Ain Café a hidden gem for breakfast in Cologne-Ehrenfeld?

    Our breakfast and brunch combine European brunch classics like eggs benedict and granola bowls with Malaysian specialties like Nasi Lemak and mango sticky rice — much of it vegan or gluten-free. Add specialty coffee from the Sheka forest in Ethiopia, cosy interior and no reservation stress. This mix earned us a place among the 12 best cafés in Cologne-Ehrenfeld according to Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.

  • Where exactly on Venloer Straße is Ain Café located?

    We're at Venloer Straße 374 in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, right at the Venloer Straße/Gürtel KVB tram stop (lines 3 and 4). From Cologne-Ehrenfeld S-Bahn station it's a 3-minute walk. House number 374 marks the stretch of Venloer Straße between Gürtel and Subbelrather Straße.

Come by

Venloer Str. 374, 50825 Cologne.

Come by

Venloer Straße 374 50825 Cologne · Ehrenfeld

Opening hours

Mon – Fri · 10am – 6pm Sat, Sun & public holidays · 9am – 6pm

Check Google for today's hours.

Contact

Just drop by — we always keep a few tables free for walk-in guests.

Open in Google Maps

How to get here

By S-Bahn
From Cologne-Ehrenfeld S-Bahn station (S6, S11, S12, S13, S19) it's under 3 minutes on foot.
By KVB tram
Lines 3 and 4 stop at "Venloer Straße/Gürtel" — right in front of the door.
By car
A few paid parking spots in Venloer Straße (weekdays 9am–6pm). We recommend public transit or bike — there are bike racks right in front of the café.
By bike
We're right on the cycle route through Ehrenfeld.