Six open-air restaurants for small vacation experiences 

Everyone take a deep breath! 

Summer is here and it's time to take a break on the terraces, courtyards and sidewalks of outdoor restaurants. We have six places to go for delicious time-outs, from country inns to neighborhood locations, from views of the countryside to see-and-be-seen. Whether quiet or bustling, cozy or authentic, octopus, stuffed eggplant or boiled beef - there's something for everyone here.         

Grafengrün  

The view is one of the most fantastic in the whole of Düsseldorf, and some of you may have already been impressed by it as visitors to the legendary Open Source Festival, which unfortunately no longer exists. This is because the racecourse grandstand, from which you could overlook not only the Main Stage but also the adjacent racecourse and the rich vegetation behind it during the festival, is within sight of the Grafengrün. The restaurant not only has a formidable terrace, it also has a bottle bar on a green meadow - but first things first. First of all, the Grafengrün is a family-run sports restaurant. However, in addition to golfers from the neighboring club, who also have their own clubhouse, day trippers of all kinds also appreciate the ambience. Lush green meadows, backed by old trees - in Grafengrün you can dream yourself into an English county. If you stop off here after a walk in Grafenberg or Aaper Forest, you will also appreciate the regional, sometimes somewhat heartier dishes, and in fine weather you can also enjoy the sunset in one of the deckchairs in the ground-floor bottle bar.           

Country house Freemann  

Another excursion destination, this time in the very north of Düsseldorf: at Landhaus Freemann, close to the Schwarzbach stream and Kalkum Castle, the couple Uta and Ciro Colella serve international cuisine, in the preparation of which the harvest from their own garden plays a not insignificant role: Fruit, especially berries, herbs and various vegetables grow on a former sheep pasture within sight of the country inn. This is also an event location. Up to 400 people can be seated at rustic tables and chairs in the shade of old trees. Beer garden fans like to meet here for a cool drink or order a dish from the varied menu. From boiled beef with bouillon vegetables, potatoes and fresh horseradish to fried octopus with paprika sugo, homemade pasta, capers, parsley and olives to a selection of dry-aged steaks, everything is on the menu. Ciro Colella has already had a hand in Monkey's Island and Malkasten and knows what he's doing. 

So Re  

Lindenplatz in the heart of Flingern is a neighborhood meeting place and urban oasis. For a good 15 years, Nooij held the fort here and provided the square with an outdoor restaurant that was not only popular in the district. Other restaurants followed suit, and since the beginning of May, So Re has taken over the former premises of Nooji and its successors. The location bears the name Bar in its title, and cocktails are indeed mixed in the simple but stylish interior, as well as non-alcoholic drinks such as a super-refreshing tarragon lemonade. But the real departure from the tried and tested lies in the culinary focus: So Re offers Georgian cuisine and therefore a menu that most people are unlikely to be familiar with, but which is definitely worth exploring. This applies to the home-pickled starter vegetables or the eggplants stuffed with walnut paste as well as to the various Georgian stews and, of course, the classic khachapuri, baked pastries with cheese in different variations. Excellent Georgian wines are served with the dishes.

Wyno 

Many people need nature to take a break from everyday life. But the real summer-in-the-city feeling only comes when you can feel the warm asphalt underneath you for half the night after a sun-drenched day. Because that's the case, here's our Flingern tip for balmy hours no. 2: the Wyno. Until last year, Olaf Koelker's wine bar was located in Pempelfort, but the lease expired there. Today, the situation is a little more complicated, but now two people have found each other who understand quality in a similar way. Or rather three, because the premises on Birkenstraße, where Wyno has now moved in, are shared with the Bulle Bistro, run by the well-known Bulle bakery, which in turn has the same backyard as the art spot Sammlung Philara and was also allowed to move into its location, a former glass factory, with its bistro. Complicated? No, not at all. On the backyard terrace with a view of the old, overgrown railroad tracks, you can enjoy the sun and Bulle delicacies such as the homemade cream bread during the day, and when the day draws to a close, you can enjoy one of the biodynamic wines that Olaf Koelker both serves and sells. A perfect match! 

Schillings at the Schauspielhaus 

A portion of truffle fries with honey and mustard mayo, accompanied by a cool drink - and a view of the courtyard garden. Sounds like a time-out with a high feel-good factor, and that's exactly what it is. Schillings im Schauspielhaus opened in December 2019, and it's not just the cool modernity of the interior, designed by Ingenhoven Architects, that ensures the restaurant doesn't have much in common with a conventional theater café. The food is also fitting. There is a lunch menu, an afternoon menu and an evening menu. On it: classics of upscale German cuisine, interpreted in a variety of ways. But the best thing is the terrace. It offers 27 tables, plenty of sunshine and this cozy, almost meditative view of the baroque courtyard garden, which reminds you once again what a wonderful city you actually live in. And should it be too meditative for your taste, you can of course precede or follow your visit to the Schilling with a visit to the theater.  

Bar Olio 

No summer without Olio. And not just metaphorically, because it's hard to imagine that the old brick building on the site of the former Derendorf goods station was ever without a bar. The former railroad depot with its correspondingly rough exterior has retained its charm, or so wicked tongues might say, but that wouldn't make much sense. On the one hand, it is precisely the unpretentious atmosphere that has made the place one of Düsseldorf's nightlife spots since the old days, and on the other, the cuisine is simply mouth-watering. "Spaghetti Vongole (without Parmesan)" is exactly what it says on the blackboard - there is no printed menu - and that's exactly what it means. Steak Tartare Aller-Retour, octopus accompanied by Iberian ham, chorizo, potatoes and broad beans or red cabbage and ginger salad with half-raw teriyaki salmon - the Olio is not tied to any national cuisine, but remains true to itself and its own tradition. This is probably the reason why the bar, which is known to be much more than that, is one of the favorite places of all those who appreciate good food as much as a good atmosphere. Incidentally, there are no reservations, another principle at Olio. What's the point? It's worth waiting for a seat at one of the simple folding tables on the Olio terrace. 

Cover picture: Düsseldorf Tourismus