The Officina is a hip Italian restaurant in Essen-Bredeney. They have a lot of space, 2 floors…read moreinside and a terrace outside if the weather allows. The restaurant is located in a courtyard, which makes it easy to walk by. The decor is modern rustic. Atmosphere is buzzing. Service is in general efficient and attentive, may get slow if the place is packed. The selection of wines is reasonable, emphasizing on Italy. Prices are reasonable as well. The food is very good and portions are not small. Selection is very good including all the classics from Italy. Daily and seasonal recommendations can be found as well. The thin crusted pizza is worth a try as well as all different pasta dishes. The spaghetti are cooked perfectly al dente. Meat dishes include beef, lamb and pork. If you have room go for the classic desserts. Prices are reasonable and they have an excellent set lunch which is really good value for money.

Traveling solo and on a budget in this part of suburban Essen, I had a hard time finding satisfying…read moreplaces to eat. The more communal beer hall-style establishments tended to ignore my party of one, and the more quaint traditional German restaurants tended to be too pricey for my daily quota. On my first night I finally landed in this neighborhood pizzeria for a takeaway. The two men behind the counter could not have been friendlier, welcoming me with kindness even though I was obviously not from the area and didn't know the ordering routine. They go the extra mile of sauteeing your pizza toppings to order, prior to putting the pie in the oven. My delicious mushroom, onion, and chicken-topped pizza tasted more substantial and high quality than a mere fast food pizza. They also threw in some complimentary bread sticks with my order--another nice gesture. The restaurant has a dining area, but many more people seemed to flow in and out for picking up meals. This would be a good place to bring kids, as they not only offer pizzas, but also pasta options. The refrigerated drink case is stocked with beer and soda, as well as kid-friendly Capri Suns. Pizzeria Bei Salvatore exceeded my expectations, producing solid pizzas with above-standard customer service. Should you find yourself hungry in Essen-Borbeck (who knows?), give this place a try.

Probably a good place if you don't have high standards. The food was a good average, service on the…read moreother hand was miserable. While sorta friendly, they would keep asking if our food was good - like 4 times. My pizza came pre cut - like my kids's. I'm clearly not a child and capable of cutting my own food. When trying to leave, we had to pay at the counter because our repeated orders for the check stayed unanswered. I kinda expect places like this in the suburbs - not in the hip parts of a major city. Maybe they just had a bad day.