
Six top spots for French cuisine – from tartare de boeuf to crème brûlée
La vie en crevette rose
A celebration of all things French, Düsseldorf’s annual Frankreichfest is the ideal event for fans of French food and drink as there are of course plenty of oysters, crevettes roses, champagne and crêpes suzette on offer. French cuisine has many facets, and you will find all kinds of delicacies at Frankreichfest. But there’s no need to miss out on that savoir vivre in Düsseldorf during the rest of the year. Across the city, whether in Flingern, Carlstadt or Oberkassel, you can enjoy a whole host of eateries with a bistro vibe. We have chosen six restaurants for those of you who just can’t get enough of bouillabaisse, seafood towers and crème brûlée.

Bistro Fatal
Surrounded by handsome old buildings and Flingern’s usual hustle and bustle, Bistro Fatal is situated on Hermannstrasse. Stalwarts of French cuisine including oysters, crevettes roses, Burgundy snails and tartare de boeuf can be found on the menu, alongside innovative dishes such as open ravioli filled with Swabian-Hall pork. Seasonal specials also feature. On Mussel Wednesdays in late autumn, for example, you can enjoy moules de bouchot. A delicious rhubarb dessert is served in spring. It’s always worth checking out the current menu, which offers some fantastic vegetarian specialities. The bistro is run by Sarah and Alexandre Bourgueil. The surname will be familiar to locals as Alexandre is the son of Düsseldorf’s very own Michelin-starred chef Jean-Claude Bourgueil. Fatal’s high-end cooking is paired with a welcoming and laid-back atmosphere. If you are hoping for some savoir vivre in Flingern, please note that it’s best to make a reservation.

Café de Bretagne
Café de Bretagne is a charming bistro on Benrather Strasse known for its Breton specialities and seafood. Galettes are a firm favourite. These wafer-thin buckwheat pancakes are similar to a crêpe but usually stuffed with hearty ingredients. Lobsters, mussels and oysters, sourced directly from France, are presented on ice in the chiller cabinet. One of the menu’s highlights is choucroute de la mer, featuring fish medallions, potatoes and mussels on a bed of sauerkraut. But it is not just the food that attracts people to Café de Bretagne. The ambience is one of holidays in France, especially in the summer. It’s a great place to sit outside with a café crème and watch the world go by on Carlsplatz.

La Bouillabaisse
La Bouillabaisse always seems to have been a hidden gem. Yet the French restaurant has been at home on Neustrasse in the Old Town for 20 years now. The menu has barely changed in that time. And we wouldn’t want it any other way. Seating just 15 diners, La Bouillabaisse is the hot ticket in town and reservations are essential. The signature dish on the menu is the southern French fish soup that gives the restaurant its name, accompanied by a stunning selection of fish and seafood. Grilled sea bass, moules frites and a modern interpretation of sea bream carpaccio come highly recommended. The menu may be small but is packed with expertly prepared fresh ingredients, ensuring a gourmet experience par excellence.

Robert.
This French restaurant, which opened on the Rhine promenade in 2018, was conceived from the outset as the final project of Düsseldorf’s legendary chef Robert Hülsmann – as emphasised by the full stop in the name (pronounced as ‘Robert Punkt’ in German). The punctuation signified that this was it, that he’d had enough! This turned out to be more of a prophecy than we would have liked. Although the restaurant hasn’t changed its motto, which translates roughly as “The old man still does the cooking himself here”, Hülsmann passed away in May 2021. Nonetheless, his memory lives on, as owner and head chef Michael Geisner has been running the brasserie ever since. He hasn’t changed much on the culinary front. Highly recommended are the small bouillabaisse with aioli, gruyère and croûtons, original Provençal leg of lamb with flageolets, and glazed pork belly with coquilles St Jacques, king prawns and black bean purée. The dessert menu is just as exquisite, consisting of delights such as mille-feuille with berries and cream. You will also enjoy the brasserie’s authentic décor. And if the weather is nice, you can soak up the fine views over the Rhine from the tables outside.

Münstermann Kontor
Münstermann Kontor has been an institution on Düsseldorf’s restaurant scene since 2004. It is a hive of activity and all the tables are usually occupied, yet the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The business began as a simple market stall selling eggs back in 1885. Then in 1921, the first delicatessen opened in Hohe Strasse, where eventually Münstermann Kontor opened its doors. The regularly changing menu features traditional bistro choices such as Provençal fish soup, steak frites and crème brûlée. Dishes from other cuisines also appear alongside the mainstays of French cookery, including Andalusian gazpacho, vitello tonnato and Düsseldorf’s very own senfrostbraten or mustard roast. This breadth of European classic cuisine, coupled with the excellent standard of cooking, resulted in the restaurant being awarded a Bib Gourmand for best value for money in the Michelin Guide. So it’s certainly worth a visit. Just remember that opening hours are 12 noon to 8pm, and lunchtime reservations aren’t possible.

Brasserie Hülsmann
Brasserie Hülsmann is situated on the other side of the Rhine, on a corner on Belsenplatz in Oberkassel, and offers an accomplished blend of French cookery and regional specialities. Sophisticated cuisine meets down-to-earth, rustic fare. France’s cuisine is represented by andouillette, a French sausage made from intestines, while the restaurant’s regional flair is exemplified by chicken fricassee and rice – just like grandma used to make. The brasserie is run by Jennifer Hülsmann, the daughter of Robert Hülsmann, who died in 2021. The expertise gained over decades of gastronomical experience is evident in every last detail, even down to the tables arranged in long rows and covered with traditional white tablecloths. You’re likely to fall into conversation with the people at the neighbouring tables as there’s only a small gap. It’s not possible to make a reservation, which can lead to queues at certain times of the day.
Text: Visit Düsseldorf
Photos: Visit Düsseldorf/Duy Tran; except for the Bistro Fatal photo: Bistro Fatal.
Main photo: Robert. on the Rhine promenade.
(While we endeavour to provide correct information, we are unable to guarantee its accuracy.)