Düsseldorf has the highest concentration of Japanese restaurants in Europe and they are all supposed to be very good although I have only tried a couple. If you like Japanese food then head for Immermanstrasse or Klosterstrasse, and stock your wallet beforehand.
| Bar/Restaurants (Düsseldorf area phone code: 0211) bold = recommended |
| Balthasar | Hunsrückenstrasse 29
T: 32 27 70 | Popular, lively, standard menu (upstairs is eating only). A young locals' place in the Altstadt |
| Beethoven | Ackerstrasse 106
T: 6 79 09 73 | In Flingern, handy for the offbeat Theatre Flin crowd, also attracts students with a decently priced menu |
| Bossa Nova | Neusser Str. 121
T: 9 17 93 32 | Brazilian cocktail bar with live music every night, interesting menu and fresh-fruit cocktails. Best value cocktails in town |
| Brauerei Schumacher | Oststrasse 123
T: 32 60 04
www.schumacheralt.de | Famous local brewery. Altbier (the local tipple) brewed on the premises. Has become pretentiously "German" |
| Buck Mulligans | Bolker Str. 23
T: 3 23 80 52 | Roomy Irish bar, live music of varying quality. Closed Mon-Wed. Very quiet early evening |
| Café Bernstein | Oststrasse 158
T: 35 65 20 | Friendly, good Italianish menu, but great for a drink too. Breakfasts also excellent |
| Café Liebevoll | Belsenplatz 1
T: 58 85 53
www.cafe-liebevoll.de | In Oberkassel (with a small offshoot on Ratinger Str.), this is a busy bar restaurant, with an extensive menu |
| Citrus | Grünstrasse 5
T: 3 23 93 24 | Cocktail bar with Californian menu. Service is usually appallingly slow. Lively late with some of the beautiful people |
| Deck | Graf-Adolf-Str. 83 | Near the main station, decent pizza-oriented menu. Chilled out atmosphere (plus backgammon!) |
| G@rden | Rathausufer 8
T: 86 61 60
www.garden.de | Bar and Internet café on the Rhine promenade. Everyone sits outside, inside is a club that never seems to get going |
| Goldener Ring | Burgplatz 21-22
T: 13 31 61 | Good traditional German food. Touristy, but locals come here too. If you want a taste of German food at decent prices, this is as good as anywhere |
| Goldenes Einhorn | Ratinger Str. 18
T: 13 12 83 | Everywhere on Ratinger Str. is lively in the evening, this place is also good for coffee and cake in the afternoon |
| Güzel Voyage | Konkordiastrasse 85
T: 3 98 28 55 | Excellent Turkish food in this small bar/restaurant. Limited menu but superb food, friendly service and great atmosphere. Only problem: getting a table |
| Il Mercato | Friedrichstrasse 59a
T: 9 94 56 16 | Busy Italian restaurant at lunchtime, house special served very quickly. Quiet place for a drink in the evenings |
| Malkasten | Jacobistrasse 6
T: 17 30 40
www.malkasten.net | Read all about it here |
| Marcels | Rathausufer 10
T: 3 23 80 28 | French style bar/bistro on the Rhine. A little more expensive than the others. Comfortable inside |
| Metropol | Bismarckstrasse 96
T: 16 11 21 | Greek trendy bar near the station. Big screen for football. Serves light food, and nuts with beer! Don't confuse with cinema of same name |
| Minol | Wupperstrasse 3
T: 3 03 56 41
www.minolbar.de | Tiny in winter, outside seating in summer. Curry is the specialty here, and it's very good |
| Modigliani | Wissmannstrasse 6
T: 3 98 34 84 | Walls littered with posters, jazz in the smoky cellar every Monday night, hard to get a table. Food reputedly good |
| Ohme Jupp | Neubrüstrasse 1
T: 32 64 06 | Part of the Ratinger Str. collection. Squeeze in at weekends with the fashionable locals. Food sounds more interesting than it is, but it's still decent |
| Op de Eck | Grabbeplatz 5
T: 32 88 38
www.op-de-eck.de | Read all about it here |
| Pian Polvere | Grünstrasse 15
T: 86 22 88 80 | Italian restaurant on one side - popular for business lunches - bar on the other. Fairly mellow in the evenings |
| Schiff Ahoi! | Sonderburgstr. 27
T: 55 50 64 | Fashionable Oberkassel hang out where glaring glamour and dressed down drinkers mingle happily |
| Soja Lounge | Bilker Str. 3
T: 32 41 05 | Friendly, low-key place with interesting menu. Eat upstairs in the bar, or down in the large restaurant |
| Sutton's Irish Pub | Hunsrückenstrasse 5
T: 13 39 51 | My choice for football night! Avoids the Oirish syndrome in favour of being warm and friendly |
| Tangente | Kronprinzenstrasse 52
T: 37 69 79 | Out of the way (but opposite a 725 bus stop), good food in modest setting |
| Zicke | Bäckerstrasse 5a
T: 32 40 56
| Cosy poster-clad café/bar with great food, including sushi, and a good atmosphere |
| Zwölf Apostel | Bilker Allee 87
T: 34 26 89
www.zwoelfapostel.de
| Classic German food and the restaurant gets packed with locals. Friendly, local bar |
| Food courts / Misc. |
| Schadowarkade on Schadowstrasse | Downstairs for everything from Lebanese food, top-quality sushi, Asian food and coffee and cake |
| Sevens on Königsallee/Steinstrasse | Also downstairs for: bagels, Lebanese, Italian, soup, currywurst, sushi, fish and champagne bars. Gets the work crowd at lunchtime |
| Deutsche Bank on Königsallee | Believe it or not, the best coffee and cake on the Kö is right here |
| Restaurants (Düsseldorf area phone code: 0211) bold = recommended |
| a Tavola | Wallstrasse 11
T: 13 29 23 | Friendly Italian restaurant in an Altstadt back street. A little more expensive but worth it. Good wine list |
| Benkay | Immermanstrasse 41
T: 8 34 26 20 | Top price Japanese restaurant in the Hotel Nikko |
| Daladan | Friedrichstrasse 132
T: 31 82 29 | Large Turkish restaurant with excellent menu at reasonable prices. Beware the live belly dancing on Fri/Sat! |
| La Terrazza | Königsallee 30
T: 32 75 40 | Pricy Italian restaurant frequented by the cream of Düsseldorf and their small yappy dogs. Food and service excellent |
| La Pasta | Kirchfeldstrasse 120
T: 3 88 58 78 | Lively, focuses on pasta and fish. Good value, and am in danger of being called a regular |
| Rosengarten | Karlstrasse 76
T: 35 47 71 | Popular Chinese restaurant near the station. Efficient service and decent food |
| Tandoori | Immermanstrasse 32
T: 32 34 50 | Top quality Indian food, priced as such. Reservations useful |
