Welcome to 1883 Magazine’s city guide series, where we recruit our favourite talent and tastemakers from across the globe to plan out the perfect day in their hometown, complete with restaurant recommendations, top menu picks, their go-to places to take in the views, and more.

---

With the release of their new album We Are Here To Make You Feel, infectious indie-electro trio SPARKLING are ready to soar to new heights. The Cologne-rasied, London-based band dance between a myraid of genres, blending together everything from post-punk to rock to pop.

With a tour across Europe starting later this week and as a way to celebrate the release of their new album, SPARKLING takes us on a tour of Germany, answering questions about everything from their favourite spots to their new music.

Favourite spot to get breakfast?

For delicious sandwiches with seasonal toppings, for example mushrooms and pumpkin, you should try Geschnitten Brot. They also serve really good cake. You can also just grab an artisan bread loaf at a traditional German bakery like Hesterbrink or Merzenich. We recommend the Dinkelmehrkornbort at Hesterbrink.

Now that you’ve had breakfast, what store do you like to go to indulge? 

For browsing, Buchhandlung König is a nice artbook shop. If you like food shopping it’s worth a try going to Mare Atlantico – they have amazing specialties and fresh made sandwiches.

You need caffeine — what café are we going to? 

A great spot is Oté at Eigelstein Torburg. The terrace is really nice and the café/bar is next to the old Eigelstein Torburg (City Gate Castle from the middle ages) – you should definitely try the raspberry cheesecake there. If you are up for some super special cakes and grandma vibes you should go to Café Konditorei Wahlen. The small Café Einbrand in the Südstadt serves really good coffee from their own roastery – the roastery is also close by and is open during the weekend so you can get freshly brewed coffee next to the roaster.

If someone was visiting your city, what tourist activity would you do with them?

Visit the Dom cathedral and climb up the stairs. And definitely have a “Kölsch” (Beer from Cologne) at a “Brauhaus” in the old town. We recommend “Früh am Dom” or “Päffgen”.

Where can we go in the city to take in the views? 

The Poller Wiesen at the Rhine is a big natural field from which you have the perfect view of the Cologne skyline (Dom, Kranhäuser, TV-Tower) and wonderful sunsets.

Now that it’s lunch time, where should we go? Best thing on the menu? 

Wallczka with their incredible grilled cheese sandwiches (the best one is the kimchi one) and their daily lunch dish. Chum Chay is also really nice. It’s the perfect place for really nice (only vegetarian) Vietnamese food.

Best music shop to check out?

Underdog Records 

Where is your favourite place in your city?

We love the Poller Wiesen for calming down and the “kölsche Riviera”, which is a beach at the Rhine.

For the evening we need a new look — what’s the best place for vintage shopping?

 We really like Think Twice. It’s nice and cheap.

What’s the best bar to go for a drink before the night begins? Drink recommendation?

For Kölsch you can go to “Kneipe”. These are traditional bars for beer in every district in Cologne. For cocktails we recommend Rosebud and for wine Oté. They serve really nice drinks. Good areas for nightlife are Belgisches Viertel and Ehrenfeld.

If we’re going to a concert, what is the best venue in town?

We love to go to Gebäude 9 and Bumann & Sohn – best venues in town! 

If you could perform anywhere in your city — whether it’s at a certain venue, on a random street or anywhere else — where would it be?

On the TV tower. 

Now that the night is wrapping up, we’re feeling a little peckish — where should we go for a late night bite? Are we having dessert?

In Cologne you don’t have to worry about late night snacks. There are so many places for fries, kebab or falafel which are open late – and they are all pretty delicious. 

Where can we follow you for more city recommendations and music?

Insta: @sparklingofficial

TikTok: @sparklingband