"It's fun to help drive urban development forward"

The exceptional restaurateur Walid El Sheikh reveals what drives him and what he dreams of.

In just five years, restaurateur Walid El Sheikh has shaped the nightlife landscape in Düsseldorf's old town. It all began in 2016 with the opening of the Elephant Bar. This was followed by the club bar Sir Walter, the radical conversion of the former Anaconda Lounge into the electro club Oh Baby Anna and finally the Boston Bar. El Sheikh's concepts are sharp, detailed and elaborate, promising sensual experiences and encounters in a special atmosphere. His recipe for success: he listens, feels the pulse of his guests and senses the zeitgeist. The proof is his latest baby, a gastronomic chord of restaurant, bar, bistro and club: The Paradise Now, which opened in the harbor in late summer. There, El Sheikh gives us an insight into his gastronomic world and a glimpse of what is yet to come.

We sit here in an elegant interior that exudes the aura of an urban place of longing with palm trees, eucalyptus and rattan. How was the idea for The Paradise Now born? Can you explain the concept to us?

The concept that I developed with Moritz von Schrötter and Charles Bals from Parasol Island arose from a need that wasn't being met in Düsseldorf. I was looking for a place where I could dine in peace and then perhaps switch to a bar that was also a full bar. And that I still have the opportunity to visit a club that is 100 percent club. We wanted to achieve this in a single location without catering to the clichés that exist in Düsseldorf, i.e. without being overly chic and posh. We wanted to create a new lightness, to fulfill the longing for an unpretentious place where you feel just as comfortable in jeans as in a cocktail dress. This idea is reflected in the interior design we developed and implemented with local craftsmen - in the bright colors, organic shapes and natural materials.

You have already realized some very different gastronomic concepts. What was your career like?

About twenty years ago, I worked in the Anaconda Lounge while studying performing arts at the Folkwang University in Essen. It was then that I realized that the design of a space plays a decisive role in the quality of the encounter. I wanted to incorporate this insight into my own gastronomic projects. In 2016, I opened the Elephant Bar in the former Q-Stall, a classic American bar with the ambience of an English gentlemen's room, where we only play old school hip-hop. Shortly afterwards, I opened Sir Walter on Heinrich-Heine-Allee, which already has a cosmopolitan feel due to its huge size. A little later, I continued with the Anaconda Lounge, which I completely redesigned and is now the Oh Baby Anna. I opened the Boston Bar, Düsseldorf's first sports bar, with my partner Andreas Apostolakis in summer 2020.

"Reconquering the old town by the young people of Düsseldorf"

As different as the concepts are, what they all have in common is that they are not exactly typical of Düsseldorf's old town.

Yes, that is indeed a concern of mine. Of course, we also demanded a little courage from our guests. With the Elephant Bar, I wanted to make a public statement and create a reason for a discerning audience to go to the old town. Kurze Straße, for example, has now experienced a renaissance thanks to the Elephant Bar, the Kürzer brewery, Bar Cherie and the Knoten. There has been a reconquista, a reconquest of the old town by the young people of Düsseldorf. It's fun to help drive this kind of urban development.

Where do you see the future of gastronomy?

I think places like Bouillabaisse on Neustraße or San Leo are great if they focus on their core competencies, such as bouillabaisse or pasta. If you want to please everyone and offer bowls and pasta as well as burgers, you will become too arbitrary. Today, a sharp profile and authenticity are more important than ever.

Where do you go out yourself?

I like going to the Münstermann Kontor, the Saitta in Oberkassel or for a drink at the Bar Ellington. 

What are your plans and what are your dreams?

My personal dream after these eventful and intense years would be a moment of peace and quiet. However, I have many ideas that I would like to implement. I'm currently working on two specialized concepts for the old town. I want to establish even more high-quality gastronomy there. I won't reveal what exactly is being created there, but there will be two new restaurants: One will open in six months, the other in eight months.

We are very excited! And will talk to you again when the time comes.

Cover picture: Club owner Walid El Sheikh in Sir Walter © Tourismus NRW e.V. Photo Holger Hage

Gallery 1: Robert Riege

Gallery 2: © pureX Event