Düsseldorf heroes: You'll be only too happy to queue up in front of these stores

Rarely has waiting been associated with so much anticipation

It could be a scene from the classic movie "Groundhog Day": There are queues outside some stores with such reliability that you can set your watch by them. No matter when you arrive, at what feels like any time of day, someone is guaranteed to be standing in front of you when you get the urge for fresh bread, a plate of hot soup or a new sweater. And what can we say: make sure you get in line! Because the pleasure that awaits you is worth every linger in front of a boutique or bakery, to name just two examples. And even if you don't know the store yet, just join them. Because hundreds and hundreds of people can't be wrong, can they?

Birdie & Co.

The deli, which now has three branches in Pempelfort (Marc-Chagall-Straße 108, Bagelstraße 130 and Mittelstraße 6), is one of the most popular in the city. Once the aroma of freshly brewed coffee or toasted bagels wafts through your nose, you'll know why. In view of the huge crowds for the delicacies, we understand that you would wait outside the store overnight if you had to. With a bit of luck, however, you'll catch a time when, for once, there are no crowds of people standing outside the café in Bagelstraße to press their noses against the large windows. Which is only logical, because the display is worth every diet break. Be sure to try the apple porridge with cinnamon and walnuts, the homemade hummus and the tahini bars. So good! Tip number two: The "Birdies & Co." cafés are all open 365 days a year. Maybe the queue will be shorter towards the afternoon on Christmas Eve!

LFDY

Starting your own label in the fashion city of Düsseldorf? Certainly no walk in the park. But if the venture succeeds, the customers waving their credit cards are ready and waiting - and how! This can be observed in front of the store of the street style brand "LFDY" (Live Fast Die Young, Ackerstraße 15), whose sweaters, pants and socks find a new home in bulging bags. By the way, a visit to the changing room is not a prerequisite for the big shopping spree. After all, who knows when that coveted item of clothing will sell out again? The fans nod appreciatively at each other with their LFDY caps as they stroll through Flingern afterwards. No wonder: a friendship has probably already developed while waiting outside the store and a joint trip to the other LFDY stores in Hamburg, Cologne and Amsterdam, among others, is planned.

Café Hüftgold

A visit to the Flingern district without a detour to "Hüftgold"? For many, quite rightly unthinkable. The café is located directly at the junction with Ackerstraße (house number 113) and so you can only avoid it for a very good reason (no sugar for a while/calorie counting/strictly healthy eating). In this respect: get in there! A little indulgence should never be neglected, and here you really are well catered for. The fact that there is a separate cake counter for take-away customers says it all, doesn't it? And so, on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon (or any other day of the week, of course), you can sit down at one of the tables to quietly listen to the conversations of those around you or talk to your companion about the high and lowlights of the week. A cup of warm cocoa with extra cream makes many a stomach ache much more bearable. Apart from the aforementioned buffet with marble cakes, plucked cakes, crumble cakes and a number of other cakes, which is probably placed directly behind an XXL window pane ...

Hinkel

French country bread, onion or plum cake, pastries as if by the grace of God: There is hardly a store in the city center where at least dozens of people are so sure to line up. Sometimes you get the impression that there are even hundreds of women, men and children who can hardly wait to enter the store. Getting a loaf of bread from one of Düsseldorf's most popular bakeries on a Saturday is like winning the lottery in the four-digit euro range. Don't you think so? Then take a look at the two "Hinkel" branches at Hohe Straße 31 and Mittelstraße 25 in heavy rain, hailstones pelting from the sky, gale-force winds and snow showers and be amazed. But a bite into one of the crispy baked rolls makes every minute of waiting worthwhile. And if you've already shown so much perseverance, be proud of yourself and treat yourself to a bag of delicious Printen. And a raisin tart. And a little almond cake. And, and, and...

Takumi

No matter how many five-star ratings a restaurant may have online, the surest way to determine whether it really is a good one is to count on two fingers. On the one hand, we clearly rely on recommendations from friends, and on the other hand on a very clear visual indicator: the queue in front of it! And there are so many of them in Düsseldorf's Japanese district of Little Tokyo that you won't believe your eyes. You'll be waiting outside "Takumi 1st" (Immermannstraße 28) as sure as the Amen in church. If you want to get a table to try what is probably the best ramen in the country, it's best to come shortly after breakfast. The restaurant, which now also has branches in Rotterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Milan and Vienna, will really take your taste experience to a new level.

The Cøffe

Disciples of the dark hot drink, without which billions of people cannot start the day, make a regular pilgrimage to "Das Cøffe" (Benrather Straße 6b) on Carlsplatz. The corner store in a former health food store fortunately offers seating in front of the store, otherwise you'd be standing on your stomach. The coffee is also really delicious! Not so boiling that you have to say goodbye to your tongue, not so cold that you're looking for ice cubes in the cup, just right and not to mention the roasted aromas. Whatever you fancy: coffee with latte art, Oatly, Espresso slush or a simple but sensational espresso? In addition to a nice chat with the team, it's always available.

Cover picture: Düsseldorf Tourismus