I was really looking forward to this report! Well, actually to all of them so far. I find it incredible how many pubs there are in Cologne, but they are all so different from each other. This article is also about a pub that is very special - and that you absolutely have to visit: The Casino-Eck!
Wolfgang and Josef - the angels from the Casino-Eck
The Casino-Eck on Kasinostrasse has been around for over 65 years. There was no gambling casino here, but we can imagine that an officers' mess, which we also call casino, once stood here. Even in the days of the previous owner, Wolfgang worked as a temporary worker in the cozy corner pub. His main job, however, was not in the catering sector, but in nursing. Josef, on the other hand, worked as an information electronics engineer for a well-known Cologne company that no longer exists. When the tenant slowly started thinking about retirement, Josef and Wolfgang were quickly found as two new landlords who fit perfectly into the neighborhood!
The two have been together for 35 years and married for 10 years. The takeover of the pub almost 16 years ago came at the right time, because shortly after Josef left, the era of his former employer also ended. A coincidence? According to the regulars, certainly not. The Casino-Eck is their living room, and they feel in the best hands with Wolfgang and Josef. Incidentally, Wolfgang still works in nursing on the side and has perhaps already looked after one or two of you - if you ever end up in the accident surgery unit at the hospital Severinsklösterchen! If so, then you certainly know what to expect from Wolfgang!
Changing highlights throughout the year
To ensure that things don't get boring in the living room of the Kapitol quarter, the two have come up with a nice schedule throughout the year. Whether a May Queen is chosen for the May dance, Santa Claus comes, New Year's Eve is a glittering ball night or the King of herring is crowned for the "Holland Evening" theme, there is always something going on in the Casino-Eck! The idea for the Holland Evening came from a friend of the two, Paul from Rotterdam. At the theme events, you can expect not only the usual, great service, but also a unique show program with music, singing and drag! The two have come up with something very special for this year's Oktoberfest, but I can't reveal what it is yet!
Wolfgang, Josef and their alter egos
Wolfgang discovered his penchant for travesty over 20 years ago. Since then, he has been known not only to his audience in the Casino-Eck as the grand dame Linda Dior! If you haven't had the pleasure yet, then make sure you change that! And what is Josef's alter ego? Well, Josef doesn't even have to dress up. Because it just so happens that our Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks exactly like Josef! However, we assume that fewer people address Olaf Scholz because of his resemblance to Josef than the other way around.
Josef reacts very coolly to this. He appeared on the show taff!, where his double qualities were assessed by an expert. There often are guests sitting at the bar who approach him after their second drink: "Can I ask you something?" And mix-ups often occur on the street too. As he tells me mischievously, he can't resist playing along, taking photos and signing autographs! In real life, however, we'd rather not swap roles - it might not be bad for politics, but what if our host forgets our drinks? ;-)
Our conclusion about the Casino-Eck
And we'd rather leave the original Josef to Wolfgang too. How else would we feel at home here in the neighborhood living room? We highly recommend a visit to the friendly couple! And of course we'd be delighted if you'd join us on one of our entertaining and informative brewery tours. Have a look around our site, we present other pubs in our blog! And also some activities in and around Cologne. And don't forget to follow us, share, like, recommend and so on!
By the way: We are already planning our first themed tour: Krätzjer op Tour! We won't reveal any more than that yet, so stay tuned and, above all, stay true to us. We look forward to seeing you!
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