Restaurants in Düsseldorf

Nagaya

This fashionably understated eatery was one of the first Japanese restaurants in Europe to find itself recognised with a coveted Michelin star. Fused with European influences, the superb dishes here are given a modern artistic twist by the award-winning chef Yoshizumi Nagaya. Sushi, tempura and sashimi are all honoured on the menu, but they’re finished with flair and panache not usually found outside of Museum Kunst Palast.

Agata’s Restaurant

This Michelin-starred restaurant offers a chic and welcoming atmosphere for its guests. Named after its owner, Agata serves delicious modern European dishes with Korean influences. This fusion can be seen and tasted in dishes like the oberbergische rainbow trout and duck liver.

La Luce Due

This gourmet Italian restaurant is often fully booked and for a good reason. Run by two brothers, La Luce Due offers high-quality authentic Italian meals including various pasta dishes and pizzas in a warm and cosy atmosphere. Furthermore, the meals are freshly prepared, and diners can choose from a wide variety of wines. Guests are recommended to book in advance to secure a table at La Luce Due.

Fischhaus

This traditionally decorated, black-and-white tiled fish restaurant in Düsseldorf is smart and welcoming with lots of outdoor tables. It serves the best fish and seafood dishes in the Altstadt with specialities that include salmon soup and salad with sole and prawns. In the summer, try to bag a table on the terrace, where you can soak up the atmosphere of the Old Town. Be warned: it’s nearly always full, so book ahead if you can.

sattgrün hafen

For those prepared to leave the meat out of the ‘meat and two veg’ equation, sattgrün offers a mouth-watering array of vegan fair-trade choices. Main courses are served up buffet style – patrons select from a dozen or so hot dishes, plus salads. It’s the perfect antithesis to all those pork-based local classics, and the concept is clearly catching - there are now four branches across the city. This one is in the trendy MediaHafen district.

Sila Thai

This beautifully decorated Asian restaurant evokes a charming atmosphere of the East even before you’ve sat down to eat. And happily, those feelings of well being are easily maintained once the food starts to arrive. Most agree it’s the best Thai cuisine in town, and the duck dishes come particularly recommended.

Brauerei Zum Schiffchen

Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have visited this venerable old Altstadt brew pub - a bust of the Little General still marks ‘his corner'. No doubt he partook of the kitchen's superior brand of Düsseldorf comfort food, which is served here in large quantities. Try the homemade liver dumplings or the Rhineland herrings which come with boiled potatoes, apples and onion in a light, creamy sauce. There is also an attractive outdoor terrace here for the warmer months.

Gosch - Der Sylter Fischkutter

With superb fresh North Sea fish, and serve-yourself seafood at bargain prices, the riverside promenade restaurant-cum-stall, Der Sylter Fischkutter, is always packed. Grab yourself a front-seat view of the Rhine and tuck into everything from salt water eels to steaming stacks of mussels. Ideal for a cheap, tasty belly-filler; the wine list punches above its price tag as well. With 4,500 outdoor seats making a reservation isn't necessary.

Naniwa

This friendly and bustling ramen bar proves that great Japanese food does not necessarily require a bank loan. Naniwa serves a wide range of noodle soups, fried noodles and fried rice dishes, and while all of them are good, it’s hard to beat the Gomoku - vegetable fried noodles with pork belly, prawns and squid. The diminutive dining area means you may have to queue for a table, but the wait will be well worth it.