Easily one of the best "let us cook for you" menus in The Netherlands. There is nothing I love more…read morethan stumbling upon a hidden gem restaurant like Benjamin while wandering around the city centre. I'm not going to lie, since coming to The Netherlands, I have missed the bold, inventive and thoroughly delightful menus at restaurants in New York City and San Francisco. To be honest, I never expected to find this in Arnhem - a small city in the East of The Netherlands, but alas - here I am gushing about it. Tucked away just off one of the main streets in the city centre, The Benjamin is the perfect location for a quiet, central dining experience in Arnhem. The decor is bright, modern and cozy. And the staff were so attentive and accommodating. We went for the 4-course surprise menu. I am a huge fan of letting chefs really put their full creativity on display. And this one was exactly as described: surprising, delightful, delicious! I think in The Netherlands they would say "hartstikke lekker". The 4-Course Surprise Menu Course 1: Duck salad with five-spice mayonnaise The dish had subtle Asian-influenced flavours in a light starter. I loved the play of the different textures with the shredded duck and the creamy mayonnaise, and how it was done in such a way that wasn't too heavy. Course 2: Salmon Soup with Tarragon I am baffled by how the chef at Benjamin was able to put so much flavour into this soup! It was amazing. How a salmon soup with no actual chunks of salmon could be packed with so much flavour.. it was incredible! And maybe I am just too much a fan of Tarragon - but wow! It was such a good pair with the salmon. Course 3: Bavette Steak over sweet potato puree, a stilton butter, and fresh figs and turnips I'm going to be honest, by this time we were a little confused at the thought of having steak after a salmon and a duck dish. And to add to the confusion - I was a little dubious when I heard fig, stilton, sweet potato and steak were in this dish. I don't know what kind of magic they are cooking up at Benjamin, but somehow it all made sense when I took a bite into this course. All the different flavours and textures married together perfectly in this dish. The crunch from the turnips and the freshness form the figs with the unbelievably smooth texture of the sweet potato puree, the sharpness of the stilton butter.. amazing! And to top it all off, a perfectly seared Bavette steak that cut like butter. Course 4: Asparagus Ice Cream with basil oil, roasted quinoa and ginger caramel sauce. Desserts like this are what I live for. I love dishes that completely challenge my understanding of what should be savoury and what should be sweet. I have never had an Asparagus dessert, and yet somehow Benjamin left me in awe of what I have been missing in my life. The ice cream was beautifully bright with this very-present flavour of asparagus; a perfect balance between being too shy and too overpowering. The ginger caramel was amazing, so vibrant, so sweet, and a beautiful texture when combined with the crunchy roasted quinoa. And what a surprise to have this delightful burst of fresh basil flavour radiating throughout this dessert! The menu was certainly full of surprises. All in all, it has been a long time since I have dined at a restaurant that had such a strong grasp of flavour, texture and presentation. So much so that they are able to deftly challenge what should and should not be paired together or made into a soup/ dessert / starter, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed my time dining at Benjamin and strongly recommend it for those foodies looking to broaden their horizons with food. Also, side note: I had one of the best Rose's of my life here. Amazing!

Excellent, The ceviche starter could easily be a signature dish in a Michelin star restaurant. All…read morethe dishes were different, creative and very tasteful. Highly recommended.

What a great find it was for our last night in Cologne before going back to the US…read more If you're looking for a quiet intimate dinner with great wine and food - look no further, this is it. Also, customer service was incredible. The chef made sure that we are perfectly taken care of. We were so impressed with all the dishes, the wine and dessert. I will definitely be back next time I'm in Cologne.

Amazing dinner while on a business trip. You are not always so welcome when you go out for dinner…read moreby yourself but I felt really welcome here. You wouldn't expect such a nice cute place on the Hansaring. Great food, great service - perfect dinner!! Thank you. Will for sure come back

This was the second place I visited while I was in Düsseldorf. The waitress was amazing and she was…read morevery sweet when it came to helping me with my German. She continuously checked in on the table and made sure we were well taken care of. The restaurant itself was lovely. There was really no one else in the restaurant, so I cannot comment on the normal atmosphere. It was very clean and bright. My biggest complaint, and it really isn't just this restaurant, comes from the amount of flies I had to fend off. As for the food, it was tasty. I started with fish soup, which was deliciously salty. For my entree I had ceviche, which I have never had so I tried it out. It was delicious, however the sweetness and the coconut flavor overwhelmed me toward the end and I wasn't able to finish it! I was able to have their apple tart for a dessert and loved it. The tart was soft and applely. No complaints there. Overall, it was a lively experience!

Excellent gluten-free galettes aux fruits de mer (buckwheat crêpes with seafood)! Pulpo salad from…read moresmall octopus is also highly recommended with a cup of dry cidre. update 2016: still the same high quality tasty seafood!

Amazing diner. Wine pairing was delicious and perfect recommendations for our tasting menu…read more Amuse-bouche through the dessert course perfectly prepared and presented. Service was as wonderful as the meal!

Just plain and simple and great: A great place, very…read morefriendly and attentive staff, perfect dishes and a nice low key atmosphere... this could be one if those awful snobby Düsseldorf places given the neighbourhood but it thankfully its just the opposite...

Wat een fijn restaurant. Uitgebreide kaart, goede kwaliteit eten en een zeer fijne bediening…read more Als de zon schijnt is er een gezellig terras waar je gerust een paar wijntjes kan gaan nuttigen. Zeker een aanrader als in de buurt bent of als je een reden zoekt om in de buurt te zijn.

1910 Restaurant was unusual for a European restaurant, since it was extremely spacious and…read morecomfortable. Good place for a date. Modern art on the walls, clean lines, friendly service as well. It's a bit pricey, but it's OK for a business trip ;) The food was excellent and the service was prompt.

The Tatort-Essen Restaurant opened in March, is more than convincing but has no reviews yet? Very…read morestrange, but anyway, we came here for the first time and had lunch (it seems that dinner requires a reservation due to high demand from patrons) and we were enthusiastic.. By the way: Tatort means Crime Scene and Essen means either Meal or refers to the City of Essen. There is a TV-Show called Tatort and in the seventies it played also in Essen. The series still exists but has moved on to other cities for their crimes. So the name Tatort-Essen Restaurant is a bit ironic (not too much of course, in the end we are just Germans). Coming from Rüttenscheider Stern the restaurant lies a few meters before Möhrchens Eis. The Tatort furnishings are modern and straight but not cold. There are seats for around 30 to 40 people at 9 tables with wooden chairs. There is a small wooden bar in light colors where one can have drinks before or/and after the meal ;-) . It is also possible to have the order served here. Additionally there is a nice outdoor area in front of the Tatort offering seats for around 20 people. Small bay trees separate the seating area from the traffic. Looking at the menu it seems difficult to categorize the restaurant. Asian, French, tasty, diversity may be the right word. By the way, we learnt that there is no standard menu card, instead the different offers of the day are written on a board or given as a printed paper. On advice of the manager we ordered the Duck Teriyaki and the Ox Cheak and without hesitation I can say that we did not regret it. The duck was served on a bed of red cabbage and had a pleasant oriental taste. The ox cheek came with sweetheart cabbage and mashed potatoes. The meat was excellent and although sounding heavy and hearty the meal left a surprisingly light impression. For aperitif we were served a white Lillet and a smalll cold melon soup, the right choice for a hot summer day. Being absolutely satisfied we allowed ourselves some dessert: chocolate soufflé with mango sorbet combined with mixed fruits, a great ending. We had the coffee outside (I know, I know, smokers). It would not be fair to give credit to the chef alone and to forget the service: friendly, sincere, willing to help, quick, at the same time competent, simply extremely pleasant in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. We were pleasantly surprised by this Crime Scene. The whole meal was simply great. We'll come again.

The food and service were excellent. This is a place that locals eat at, so MAKE A RESERVATION…read more The menu is altered each day/week for local products, so can be quite eclectic. I had Spanish Octopus as a starter, and beef cheeks with a bourginone(sp?) sauce, and puree of pumpkin. My wife had Bruschetta with Mushrooms and truffles and a beef duo. The wines/champagne were great, and the staff spoke English and were polite and helpful. Expect 2 people to spend 150 euros for dinner, but this is just under a fine dining experience. They included palate cleansers, amouse bouche(sp?) and many other fantastic choices.