Six times star cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere

Magic word Casual Fine Dining

You love fine dining at the highest level? But do you feel most comfortable in a casual atmosphere? That's no contradiction in Düsseldorf. Because the selection of restaurants that have earned and received a Michelin star is so large here that there is something for every taste. If your taste buds are spoiled, but you still feel like a relaxed meal without a tie and collar, these six restaurants are the right place for you.  

Setting box 

The Setzkasten has achieved a sensation. In 2020, Chef Anton Pahl and his 19-member team became the first restaurant in a German supermarket to earn a Michelin star, which they were able to maintain in 2021. Granted, it's not just any supermarket, but Edeka Zurheide, known as a gourmet temple, where this miracle was achieved. The extended evening pleasure trip with French impact has nine courses. With many accompanying dishes one comes on twelve to 16 taste experiences, whereby the small greetings from the kitchen are generated from the different departments of the supermarket. "This collaboration always creates new exciting symbioses," says Pahl, explaining the wealth of ideas. "In addition, we are a young, creative team. Everyone is allowed to contribute, from trainees to sous chefs." Despite the highest gastronomic demands, there is no trace of stiff behavior. The interior in the Setzkasten is clear and cozy thanks to warm colors and natural materials. Are you new to haute cuisine? Then try the midday business lunch, the culinary short trip, so to speak, which offers four courses and three greetings from the kitchen. But you should bring two hours with you.   

Dr. Kosch 

"We are a restaurant away from attitudes," explains Volker Drkosch, who gave the restaurant on Roßstraße its name and put his culinary stamp on it. "You won't find starched tablecloths and shallow elevator music here," says the 52-year-old restaurateur. Rather, he and his sworn-in team of five convey an urban, cosmopolitan attitude to life. The experienced chef had already won Michelin stars for other establishments in 2000, 2002 and 2009, before taking the plunge into self-employment in 2015 and succeeding here as well. Together with his partner Susanne Schmitt, star-studded Volker Drkosch has been creating "culinary poetry" ever since. The Chef's Choice menu has four, five or six courses; there is no à la carte menu. The "Precious Little Diamonds" are particularly delicious: scallops glazed with lemon peel marmalade, nestled in quinoa and lathered with almond milk. A poem! 

1876 Daniel Dal-Ben 

While Dr. Kosch's is a bit like a nice bar, Daniel Dal-Ben's restaurant has a living room atmosphere. The establishment on Grunerstrasse in the Zoo district has just twelve seats. You sit in an intimate circle in upholstered armchairs and enjoy the impeccable service in 1876, whose name derives from the opening year of the Düsseldorf Zoo, which was located right across the street until 1943. Daniel Dal-Ben is the son of an immigrant family from the Veneto, and he has two hearts beating in his chest: He sees himself as a border crosser between the local, regional and Italian cuisine, but also helps himself to the larder of the seven continents. Fish and seafood are the main ingredients of the evening menu - vacation feelings included.   

Yoshi by Nagaya 

A clear thing. The genuineness of the product, the clarity of flavors and textures are the focus at Yoshi on Kreuzstrasse. That was worth one star in the 2021 Michelin Guide. Whereby chef Yoshizumi Nagaya is not an unknown quantity in Düsseldorf. Nagaya just around the corner on Klosterstraße is also starred. "Traditional kaiseki cuisine is the focus at Yoshi," says Yoshizumi Nagaya, who returned to his roots with this concept in 2015. Kaiseki is the Japanese answer to French haute cuisine. The evening omakase menu, where the chef makes the selection of dishes, impresses with absolutely product-oriented and extremely precise preparation. Tip: Come at lunchtime, too - there's a cheaper menu. By the way, the third restaurant of the exceptional gastronome is quite casual. The newly opened Roku in Derendorf is a mixture of bistro and wine bar.  

Agata's 

The location is unspectacular, but the food is by no means. In the shadow of St. Peter's Church - on the south side of Kirchplatz in Unterbilk - another gem of upscale cuisine awaits you. Agata Reul, a native of Poland, welcomes her guests here in an interior characterized by warm earthy colors and lots of plants. Philipp Lange is responsible for the culinary delights on the plates. The experienced chef celebrates modern, international cuisine with Asian influences, in which the particularly creative interplay of flavors stands out. 

Anthony's Kitchen 

Energetic and yet deeply relaxed. With his open-heartedness and varied cuisine, 39-year-old Anthony Sarpong doesn't fit into any pigeonhole. In 2017, the chef with Ghanaian roots received his first Michelin star. In 2021, he also received the green Michelin star for sustainability, the only one in the region. "We are the first restaurant in Germany to operate our own certified organic farm. Our suppliers come from within a five-kilometer radius, including those of the plates and cutlery," Sarpong explains. Of the two menus offered at the Meerbusch restaurant, one is completely vegan. His own favorite dish, he says, is rice with melted butter, and his favorite shopping street is Kölner Straße, a multicultural shopping street in Düsseldorf, where he finds plenty of inspiration. The atmosphere is correspondingly relaxed: "We invite you into our living room, so to speak, with a view of the kitchen," Sarpong says with a laugh, describing the ambience of his star restaurant. So if you're in the mood for the finest sustainable cuisine in a cozy place, Anthony's is the place for you. 

Cover picture: Dr.Kosch ©Moritz Peters