Roses Restaurant – Bonn, Germany

I was in Bonn for a couple of weeks on business and was quickly working out that the centre of Bonn is not very big.  One lucky colleague was with me on this trip and we needed some beer and if time, some food to go with it.

We found Roses a short walk from Bonn central station and after a quick glance in the window, decided to go in.

This is a funky place; a bar with comfy seats and a real fire to the right, and tables for the restaurant to the left.

We were greeted almost immediately and offered a seat of our choice.  We sat next to the fire in the bar and looked at the drinks menu.  It was fairly extensive with the normal beers that you would expect but also a good selection of wine.  Had I not already decided on beer before entering, I may well have had a bottle of Argentinian Mendoza Clos De Los Siete (33 EUR), which looked yummy.  I did have a little glimpse at the Rothschild too… and then at the 298 EUR price.

We looked at the beer and didn’t really have much a clue.  The server came over and offered some assistance – he explained where the beers were from, and what they tasted like.  He also told us of his personal favourites.  I ordered a Kölsch (3.70 EUR), which is brewed in Bonn, my colleague had a darker Dunkeles Hefe (3.80 EUR); both tasted good.

This is a really nice place to relax by the fire and have a few drinks; there was some real atmosphere here unlike anything else I had found in Bonn.

We had a few more drinks and having watched the servers cut and deliver fresh crusty bread to diners, we decided we needed some and made our way to the restaurant.  The restaurant is on two levels and the funky theme continues here.

My colleague enjoys steak and there was plenty of it here.  He opted for an Argentinian La Morocha (19.95 EUR) and was given a choice of side dishes and sauces.  Rosemary potatoes and home-made herb butter won.

I prefer chicken to steak, and in Bonn I had found it difficult to obtain.  Roses were no exception; they didn’t have a single chicken dish on the menu.  I opted for Penne Alla Arribiata (8.80 EUR), which was served with Parmesan.  We had already been given some of the crusty bread that we had wished for so much.

Our meals didn’t take long to arrive.  The steak was described as being cooked “just right”, the potatoes were as crispy as they should have been.  My pasta was fine – not really very spicy but I don’t think spice is a big thing in Bonn; I did see bits of chili in the dish, they must have just been mild!

Service throughout was excellent – apart from the very last task of obtaining the bill, which took a little longer than it should have.

We really enjoyed the atmosphere of Roses and we will definitely return for a few drinks.  My colleague is happy to have the steak again, however I would look for something other than the pasta.

Please remember – the fires are all real.  That means they are hot.  Do not touch.  You have been warned…

Roses, Martinsplatz 2a  53113 Bonn, Germany.  Website