Titel: Vendôme - leider nie wieder…read more Wir hatten uns sehr auf den Abend im Vendôme gefreut, wurden aber bitter enttäuscht. Pünktlich um 20 Uhr wurden wir freundlich empfangen und zu einem schön eingedeckten Tisch geführt. Doch schnell fiel auf, dass an diesem Freitagabend nur sechs Tische mit insgesamt zwölf Personen besetzt waren - mehr als die Hälfte des Restaurants war leer. Wir entschieden uns für das 5-Gänge-Menü. Aufgrund der Hitze (über 30°C) verzichtete meine Frau komplett auf Alkohol, ich bestellte nur einzelne Gläser Wein statt der angebotenen Weinbegleitung. Diese Entscheidung stieß offenbar auf wenig Gegenliebe. Alle anderen Gäste speisten bereits, wir waren die letzten Ankommenden. Das Service-Team versuchte offenbar, diesen zeitlichen Rückstand aufzuholen - leider auf unsere Kosten. Der Gruß aus der Küche wurde serviert, bevor Wasser oder Wein am Tisch waren. Die ersten beiden Gänge wurden in rascher Folge serviert - kaum war abgeräumt, stand schon der nächste Gang auf dem Tisch. Wir baten zwei Servicemitarbeiter ausdrücklich darum, das Tempo zu drosseln, da wir die Aromen genießen wollten und nicht zum "Schnellessen" in ein Zwei-Sterne-Restaurant gekommen waren. Leider blieb unsere Bitte weitgehend unbeachtet - nach etwa einer Stunde hatten wir die anderen Gäste eingeholt. Beim Hauptgang überholten wir sie sogar. Als nach nur 1 Stunde und 50 Minuten bereits der Nachtisch serviert werden sollte, wiesen wir diesen lautstark zurück - ein Verhalten, das uns selbst unangenehm war, aber leider notwendig erschien. Der Restaurantleiter, der das mitbekam, kümmerte sich lieber um einen anderen Tisch, wo er sich ausgiebig über Messerschleiftechniken unterhielt. An unserem Tisch war er lediglich zur Begrüßung anwesend gewesen. Der gesamte Service wirkte unsicher und überfordert - von dem, was man in einem Restaurant dieser Klasse erwartet, war an diesem Abend leider nichts zu spüren. Uns wurde tatsächlich versucht zu erklären, dass das hohe Tempo bei uns damit zusammenhinge, dass andere Gäste entweder das 7-Gänge-Menü gewählt hatten, im Haus übernachteten oder bestimmte Arrangements gebucht hätten. Für uns war das keine nachvollziehbare Erklärung - im Gegenteil: Als zahlende Gäste hätten wir dieselbe Aufmerksamkeit und Sorgfalt verdient. Nach Dessert und Pralinen verließen wir das Restaurant mit großem Ärger über einen Abend, der uns 622Euro gekostet hat - und der die hohen Erwartungen leider in keiner Weise erfüllt hat. Zum Abschied meinte der Restaurantleiter nur knapp: "Es tut mir leid, heute hat wohl die Küche das Tempo vorgegeben." Ein Satz mit vielsagender Botschaft: Kunde stört mit Auftrag. Versprochen, wir stören nie wieder.

Just ignore the fact that after years of having 3 Michelin Stars that Vendome was just demoted to 2…read moreStars. We went there with friends who have collectively eaten there over a dozen times and the conclusion after the meal was that nothing has changed, it's just the fickle Michelin Man creating drama. Also, Vendôme closes for a month or so a year, I think it's in August, so check ahead. If you have the time and budget, I recommend to get a room at the Schloss Bensberg so you can just roll your fat self to your room and pass out rather than have to schlep back home or to your hotel after what could end up as a 4-5 hour meal! ATMOSPHERE: Minimalist, no music (until later in the evening when some hallway jazz could be heard remotely), it's just you, your food and your company. We were lucky to have a center table overlooking the the Schloss Bensberg property during sunset, which I really recommend if you can! The bathroom is on another floor and very far away, so just be warned! SERVICE: Flawless and with ease, like they have been doing this forever, which they kind of have been. FOOD: Choose between 6 and 8 course tastings and wine pairings, not everyone has to choose the same. We had several dietary restrictions and they accommodated them, except the modifications were not as great as the original and for the sweets at the end, I was a bit disappointed that instead of having subs for the sweet treats, those with restrictions just got fewer treats :( Overall though, almost everything was delicious. The only dud of the night was their bread! The opening bites and their main desserts were the highlights so the meal, so it started and ended with a bang, which is so nice to have since a lot of tastings we've had elsewhere lately just peeter out with weak pastry, but not here! I think the the food is more traditional and familiar than a lot of newer 2-3 stars, which tend toward more molecular and crazy flavors, which often yield less yummy results. Why mess with it if it just works as is?? Those they had wine pairings thought everything paired well, though there was only one red wine much to hubby's chagrin. Despite this, he though it all worked well with the food. DAMAGE: With adding gratuity, expect 450-650 Euros per person depending on if you opt for the smaller tastings, wine pairings, and if you opt for aperitifs before and after the meal. OVERALL: Vendôme is definitely still a 3 Star experience, that seems to be punished for not innovating enough to keep up with newer trends, even though their food is still absolutely delicious. I do agree that there wasn't a "wow this is new and my brain is on overload" moment but I think it should be enough to walk away with happy taste buds and warm fuzzies about the whole experience. Call me old school, but sometimes old school just works.

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.

Average food, high prices and moody servers…read more We travel a lot with our kids and they are not strangers to Michelin star dining. The staff always comes by and interacts with the kids and does their best to accommodate. This time to my surprise, the staff commented when my 9 year old asked for ketchup. I guess this is too fancy for such requests... The prawns appetizer was band, the atmosphere was stiff yet loud and the main dish (branzino) lacked flavor for an Italian restaurant. The wine list was indeed well equipped. My highlight was the desert, but not worth the hefty price tag at the end. Our family will not be coming back and we will not recommended it unless you wanna spend $$$$ for an average meal.

I was invited to dinner here by a customer and being a Monday night choices for gourmet restaurants…read morein the Köln area were limited so we ended up here. To be honest I have no idea why this place has a Michelin star. Perhaps it's because the Italian waiter only speaks the daily menu and there is no written one or perhaps, it's posh table cloth ? Anyhow the star of the evening, the food, was only ok. I must admit it was slightly disappointing. I had fish as my main and I chose a branzino which at a good Italian restaurant should be perfect. It was pretty average and lacked any kind of flavour. To be honest I can't remember what I had for starter that's how memorable it was. Rarely happens to me but in this case, it did. Dessert was also average. Wine menu here is good with some nice choices with a Michelin price. There was 7 of us at dinner and I think most of them were only slightly impressed with the meal, I was not alone ;-) I don't think I would spend my money here again. There is plenty of good choices in Köln for fine dining.

I love going to this restaurant whenever I'm in Köln. I always go for the #3 which has steak,…read moremushrooms and their baked potato. Their mushrooms are delicious! I could honestly keep eating them all day! The baked potato with the sour cream special is amazing too. Service is fast as well, and the best part is that the prices are extremely reasonable! Looking forward to coming back here

I bought it was very good steak quality for Germany. Nice atmosphere and all food well prepared and…read morebeer as always cold and good.

My friend and I wanted to get some currywurst, so we casually sat down after checking out the…read morechalkboard menu outside-- yeah, the actual course menu was of course different (should have expected that, the place looks pretty fancy, silly us!). I ordered the salmon and my friend ordered the porterhouse steak. The food here is amazing, it's pricey, but I definitely left a happy camper. The salmon here is partially rare, which to me is the proper way to make salmon. It was also perfectly seasoned. Ugh, DELICIOUS. I also liked the touch of the carrots and the sweet sauce that they sat on, yum! My friend's steak was also melt in your mouth fabulous. It was medium rare, but did not bleed-- HOW DO THEY DO THAT? Whatever their chefs are doing, they are doing it right! The price is reasonable in comparison to the quality of food that you get.

I went for dinner my second day in Cologne. Great atmosphere, very nice people, friendly staff! I…read moresuggest to try ANGUS PRIME RIB steak. Enjoy

I just give three stars to this restaurant because of the Food that didnt sweet me.. The restaurant…read moreand lcation is reslly nice... Ich finde der Preis leistungsverhältnis nicht ganz passend. Teuren Hauptpreise und es schmecke nicht ganz gut, mein Lammschulter war meiner Meinung nach zu viel gekocht, sodass es nicht mehr schmeckte ohne Gewürze und die Sauce viel zu viel pickant. Das schönsten dabei war der Eigenspeisen, lecker und gut kombiniert... Ich würde bestimmt empfehlen aber nicht ganz total... Ich bin ganz kritisch von Natur, weil ich selber sehr oft in der Küche stehe also kann sein dass es viele anderen gefällt aber mir war das gerade ausreichend... Der lokale einfach sehr schön, da würde ich dem vollen Punktzahl geben.

I went for the second time after a good first experience but this time the service was slow and…read morehalf hearted, we didnt get our welcome bread, herbs and olive oil, the tuna was cooked well but not spectacular and the coffee was cold. The mezze was good as always but on the whole i rate it much lower than my previous experience. :(

What a nice little Italian café! The staff is very friendly and prepares excellent coffee with care…read moreand affection. They speak Italian among themselves and with some of their regular customers. The food and sweets are great. I am so happy that I bumped into this cute little cafe while strolling through the neighborhood.

They just opened recently when i visit this coffeeshop…read more Through the glass window you can see what is happening inside the coffeeshop. Curious of the taste of their coffee, i took time to enter. That is when i was greeted with 'Buongiorno!' The coffee indeed was delicious, it was pretty strong. I also tried their Panini - warm, fresh, and just the perfect combination of salt and pepper. The service is amazing, warm greetings, attentive, and very friendly. They have simple choice of menu, not too complicated. it was not suitable for fine-dining, but it is the perfect place to go when you need a quick lunch or snack - the food and coffee is delivered very soon after the order. No wonder this place is never empty. but dont worry, as it was also never too extremely crowded and loud. customers can choose to sit either in the armchair near the window, in the hocker table near the wall or the one close to the door. It was comfortable, because it is not too exclusive-looking, and thus created a nice ambience for people entering because it definitely speak the ambience of simple and comfortable place to chill out and talk to your friends and spend time here.

I ordered takeout and just so you know there's a six euro cost for the plastic container that they…read moregive you however the food is delicious and worth eating it or taking out. We had turkey schnitzel with mushrooms and a side salad. All were delicious.

Das Essen war ausgezeichnet: Geschmack, Präsentation, Kreativität. Und die Atmosphäre war…read moregrößtenteils ziemlich gut, nicht schlecht. Aber ich verließ dieses Restaurant mit dem Gedanken, 5 Stunden meines Lebens verschwendet zu haben. Der Gottesdienst am Samstagabend begann schlecht, mit kaputten Toiletten, sodass alle Gäste trotz des Winterwetters über die Straße zum Marriott laufen mussten. Die Toiletten wurden nach 90 Minuten endlich repariert. Chefkoch und Inhaber Lorenz verbrachte nach dem vierten Gang 20 Minuten damit, durch den Speisesaal zu schlendern und sich mit jedem Tisch zu treffen, um ein paar Worte zu sprechen. Ich sagte ihm die Wahrheit: Das Essen war ausgezeichnet. Allerdings dürfte ihm nicht bewusst gewesen sein, wie überfordert seine Kellner waren - er war der einzige Mitarbeiter im Speisesaal. Es gab 35 besetzte Sitzplätze, aber nur 6 Kellner, einschließlich des Sommeliers. Das reicht nicht aus, um den Service zu bieten, den man von einem Restaurant erwartet, an dessen Wand eine Plakette mit einem Michelin-Stern von 2023 hängt. Nach 4 Stunden saß die Hälfte der Gäste mit verschränkten Armen da und wartete auf die letzten 2 Gänge. Ich habe das Essen wirklich genossen, aber die extremen Verzögerungen haben mein Erlebnis erheblich beeinträchtigt. -- The food was excellent: flavor, presentation, creativity. And the atmosphere was mostly, pretty good, not too bad. But I left this restaurant thinking that I wasted 5 hours of my life. The Saturday night service began poorly, with broken toilets, requiring all guests to walk through winter weather across the street to the Marriott. Toilets finally repaired after 90 minutes. Chef-owner Lorenz spent 20 minutes after the 4th course, walking the dining room, meeting with each table for a few words. I told him the truth: the food was excellent. However, he must not have realized how overwhelmed his servers were - he was the only staff in the dining area. There were 35 filled seats, but only 6 servers, including the sommelier. That is not enough to deliver service that is expected of a restaurant with a 2023 Michelin star plaque mounted on the wall. After 4 hours, half of the guests were sitting with their arms crossed, waiting for the last 2 courses. I really enjoyed the food, but the extreme delays severely lowered my experience. 2024 01 13. M1.

Upscale restaurant and beer garden which is mostly quite crammed during summer. One can also rent…read morethe location for private events.