Six fine-dining restaurants where heavenly delights await you

Great culinary moments

Düsseldorf is a top culinary destination, and last year it rained stars for the city's gastronomy scene. No fewer than ten Düsseldorf restaurants received a Michelin star in 2022. In addition, the renowned Michelin Guide recommends 19 other Düsseldorf restaurants that also stand for the highest culinary delights. But where to start with the culinary heaven trip? We have filtered out six restaurants for you, all of which are in the top league, but with different gastronomic approaches.  

In the boat

Jean-Claude Bourgueil has been at the helm of the Im Schiffchen restaurant since 1977. In a baroque brick building on Kaiserswerther Markt, just a few steps from the banks of the Rhine, Bourgueil and his kitchen team have dedicated themselves to creative French cuisine. One of the house classics is the small Breton lobster steamed with camomile flowers. Fine fish and crustaceans in bouillabaisse broth also evoke the spirit of fine dining à la française. However, Bourgueil, who comes from the Centre-Val de Loire region south of Paris, has been at home on the Rhine for more than 50 years. This is reflected, among other things, in the first-class Düsseldorf mustard roast, prepared with fillet of beef from Irish breeding. The ingredients in general: Whether from the sea, the meadow or the field - they are always of outstanding quality. The culinary experience is rounded off by an impressive selection of wines, attentive service and the decor: the restaurant on the first floor boasts a maritime look.

Phoenix

The modern location is unparalleled in the city. The first floor of the listed Dreischeibenhaus is home to the latest addition to Düsseldorf's Michelin-starred restaurants: the Phoenix received the coveted award for the first time in 2022. Even the interior is a feast for the eyes: petrol-colored upholstery harmonizes with the green marble floor, walnut wood sets warm accents. Here, the team under the direction of Philipp Wolter conjures up its classic dishes in the open kitchen. In the evening, you can choose between the "Flora" and "Fauna" menus. The latter is purely vegetarian, but a course such as the nutmeg pumpkin and lemon cream ice cream with redcurrant, linseed, blue cornflower and Styrian seed oil will also win over non-vegetarians. If you would like to dine à la carte, there is a larger selection here at lunchtime, and a "quick lunch" is also available as a plated meal or 3-course menu.

Nagaya

In his restaurant, Japanese star chef Yoshizumi Nagaya combines elements of Japanese and Western cuisine in a sophisticated, bold and meticulous way. Traditional Japanese purism, which Nagaya learned from Toshiro Kandagawa in Osaka, meets innovative European haute cuisine. A balancing act that probably no one in Germany has mastered like him - and which has earned him a Michelin star. Yoshizumi Nagaya's style thrives on the excellent ingredients and his flair for aesthetics: our tip: choose the Omakase menu. Here, the order of dishes is left to the master. Need another dose of insider knowledge? The exceptional chef runs another starred restaurant in Düsseldorf: Yoshi by Nagaya. This gives him two of the four Michelin stars most recently awarded to Japanese restaurants in Germany.

Berens on the quay

The classic has a new face. Since 1998, Berens am Kai in the Medienhafen has stood for modern European cuisine with its high-quality products and intense flavors. The fact that patron Holger Berens has vacated the post of head chef and handed over the reigns to sous-chef Michal Slawik does nothing to change this. He remains at the helm of his restaurant as managing director and continues to ensure that classics such as oysters, foie gras and Black Angus fillet do not lose their appeal even after repeated consumption. In short: every dish at Berens am Kai, of which you can get an unusually large number à la carte for a Michelin-starred restaurant, is still a poem. But it's not just the menu that's impressive, the location is too: the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows give you an unobstructed view of the harbor, and in summer there is a terrace for particularly relaxed gourmet pleasures.

Le Flair

What do Holger Berens and Dany Cerf, chef at Le Flair, have in common? Both run a Michelin-starred restaurant with a terrace - and both initially cooked under Jean-Claude Bourgueil (Im Schiffchen) before setting up on their own. Dany Cerf, a native of French-speaking Switzerland, took this step in 2014, together with his partner Nicole Bänder. He opened his restaurant of the same name in the newly developed "Le Flair" district on the former Pempelfort goods station site, initially as an upscale bistro. Three years later, he and his team had earned themselves a Michelin star - and they are still successfully defending it today. The small gourmet temple with 25 seats has remained true to its charming purism. The 4- to 6-course menus are well thought-out, simple and focus entirely on the product. You can choose between the "Menu du Moment" and the "Menu Veggie", and Cerf's preference for classic French cuisine is not only evident in the names. From foie gras terrine to milk-fed lamb from the Pyrenees - lovers of haute cuisine won't miss a thing at Le Flair.

Pink Pepper

The Pink Pepper in the Steigenberger Parkhotel on Königsallee only opened its doors in February 2022 and is already being showered with praise by fine dining enthusiasts. This should come as no real surprise, as Benjamin Kriegel is a deserving Michelin-starred chef. The restaurant, which is housed in the Steigenberger's conservatory extension, boasts an extravagant yet warm interior. Elegant floral wallpaper and azulejo-style floor tiles meet golden details, velvet and powder tones. Seasonal and regional ingredients, interpreted in a refined way and with a great deal of openness to international inspiration - the chef de cuisine continues his characteristic culinary concept at an exceptional level. And so it is certainly no mistake to extend the 5-course menu to up to 7 courses. You can enjoy the matching wines and there is also a nice bar for aperitifs or digestifs. Incidentally, the Pink Pepper is named after the Brazilian pepper tree, which stands for the spice of life. A perfect match.

Cover picture: Yoshizumi Nagaya