Tourist information - Dusseldorf
Dusseldorf, the regional capital of Nordrhein-Westfalia, is a vigorous metropolis brimming with culture, media, shopping, fairs, and service industries. It's actually a city befitting of the 21st century. The gastronomic choice here is as diverse as the international character of its visitors. If you are after local specialties like Düsseldorf pork ribs in mustard sauce or scrumptious Oriental dishes, whether it be Sushi or Peking duck, or maybe light Mediterranean snacks - your desires will definitely be satisfied.
If this is your first time in Düsseldorf, make sure you take a look at one of the breweries or traditional taverns. These are concentrated in a narrow area of the Old Town, which forms the nerve centre of the city. Particularly recommended are Im Füchschen, Zum Uerige, En de Canon, and Zum Schiffchen. Locals and visitors wallow in a typical Rhineland ambience as they start to sit cozily around the wooden tables or stand at the counter chatting and sipping their dark, aromatic 'Altbier' - a top fermented brew from Düsseldorf - while they wait for the blue-frocked "Köbesse" (waitresses) to serve hearty regional food. Even if you have a very good command of High German, you may well have problems comprehending the menu. The 'Halve Hahn', by way of example, is nothing related to chicken (as the name might suggest); it is in fact a portion of cheese studded with caraway seeds and served on a piece of dark rye bread. This specialty emanates from the Harz Mountains. 'Ähzezupp' denotes a thick, creamy pea soup, while 'Flönz mit Ölk' is a blood sausage made of freshly slaughtered meat served with onions. If you feel uneasy about some of these options, a visit to the Köbes should reassure you. The austere charm of this beer cellar could be off-putting to the uninitiated; however, the waiters will be more than glad to serve you the great little beer which this establishment took its name from - unless, after all, you will be making the faux pas of ordering a 'Kölsch' (Cologne’s best-known lager). For, since that time the Battle of Worringen (1288), the two rival communities have held chauvinistic and contemptuous attitudes towards one another.
During the winter months, the Rhinelander can take you to large plates of mussels in onion sauce to warm up. The conventional Benders Marie is the city's oldest mussel restaurant and features twenty different ways of preparing them. In recent years, a younger generation of cooks has attempted mixing traditional local dishes with international influences. The tasty result has been dubbed 'neudeutsch' (neo-German), and fine examples of this phenomenon can be found at Hecker or Flachskamm. A gem of Mediterranean fish cuisine is La Bouillabaisse. Marmoud Marnoui, the owner of this restaurant, has cooked his way into the hearts of Düsseldorfers along with his imaginative scaled fish dishes. You can, without doubt, also get fish from the Rhine within its original state, particularly raw - in the form of sushi. Düsseldorf's restaurant view benefits greatly from the city's large Japanese community. Legitimately prepared Japanese specialties in varying price ranges can be found across Düsseldorf. (Fai Sushi, Kikaku, Ohno-Ja, Nippon-Kan and Edo) are just some of the notable examples. But Japan's neighbours also have their culinary representatives here, including Thailand (Baan Thai), China (Peking Enten Haus) and also Korea (Seoul, Shilla).
If your finances are well heeled, try one of the most city's renowned and consequently costly gourmet establishments. Star chef Jean-Claude Bourgeuil (Im Schiffchen, Aalschocker) has delighted even the most critical gastronomes over the years along with his culinary creations. Other legendary chefs include Peter Nöthel (Hummerstübchen), Günther Scherrer (Victorian), Ingo Köthschneider (Canonicus), Guy de Vries (Himmel und Erde), Thomas Wilden (Thomas) and Franz-Josef Schorn (Schorn).
Mediterranean specialties present you with a cheaper means of quenching your hunger. Unfussy Portugese food is available from Luso, tapas from La Copa or Las Tapas, and tasty Italian classics at unbeatably low prices from Casa Luigi or Osteria Terracotta.
Or perhaps you have a soft spot for Lebanese Meze? In that case, Libanon Restaurant is the best choice. This opulent levantine establishment has become one of city's most popular gastronomic destinations. The Indian subcontinent is also well represented, with aromatic and spicy tandoori dishes and various delicacies on offer at Tandoori and Chanakya.
Should you still be undecided at this point, here are a couple of final tips: authentic African cuisine is served at Okra; traditional French sit-down meals at Robert´s Bistro, and also US-style fast food at State Side.
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