A well-deserved Michelin Star, but they can do a lot better in service and general ambiance....! Our evening got off to a promising start--we were warmly greeted and promptly seated upon arrival. The ambiance was pleasant, supported by minimalistic yet elegant décor. However, a large and noisy group detracted from the overall experience, though it's fair to say the staff had limited control over this situation, except for a member of the staff who actually promoted the loud conversation, jokes and loud laughters. The dining room is spacious, with thoughtful lighting and soft background music that sets a relaxed tone. Despite these elements, the noise level was surprisingly high, making it less suitable for a romantic dinner and better aligned with a lively gathering or a business meeting. We opted for the 7-course Asian-inspired tasting menu, and it did not disappoint. Each course showcased thoughtful flavor combinations and artful presentations, creating a cohesive and enjoyable culinary journey. Please note, they cook a bit aggressively on the salt. As avid fans of tasting menus, this one lived up to our expectations. Where the experience fell short was the service. While the staff were friendly, the lack of knowledge is noticeable and the fact that they were a bit loud when explaining the menu and not as attentive as one would expect at a Michelin-starred establishment. Plates and glassware were left uncleared for much of the evening, and we had to request their removal. Not once in the evening the table was cleaned from bread crumbs or spilled food. These lapses in service slightly overshadowed the otherwise excellent food. Also, at high level of el restaurant like this one; the servers are usually choreographed and organized when presenting each plate. This was not the case. The wine options are generous but if you want a cocktail, they need to run to another nearby establishment to get it for you. So, they try not to offer that option. In summary, while the food (with the salty taste exception), and ambiance were commendable, the service has room for improvement to match the caliber of a Michelin-starred experience. read more

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We discovered this gem by accident after being denied service at Hanse Stube claiming they were fully booked but only had a few few tables that night as we confirmed walking to the cigar room for breaks during our 7 course meal at Taku. 7 courses. Opted to get wine (3 various bottles) recommended by the sommelier who has personally visited the recommended wine vineyards and can recall the owners ages. Never had filterless wine until now. It's the one with the tractor on the label. I thought it was great. Our waitress from Indonesia (Ayoo?) was a treat. It was like an aunt was taking care of us at dinner which was over 4 hours long. The food? All good. Opted for the 7 course chef selection. Top notch ingredients and presentation. I am not usually an Asian fusion food fan but Taku did impress me. Looking forward to coming back again when I am in Cologne. read more

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Upmarkets Chum Salmon (Keta) Roe, also known as Dogfish Salmon because of its frequent use for pet food as "Caviar." Pedestrian design of dishes, hilariously tiny and overpriced menu, lack of knowledge or understanding of Asian cuisine beyond what you would expect to glean from a particularly lazy romp on Wikipedia; and a fragile-male-ego-chef. About the only saving grace here is that some of the plating doesn't look like it was designed by a child with special needs and a surplus of edible glue. Give this one a pass. You'll find more authentic Asian cuisine at the local delivery place. read more

TAKU is a one star gourmet restaurant in Köln, type of Asian fusion place. They have a chef choice menu and also a special Peking Duck menu which is pretty impressive. This is the best glazed duck I've had in my life. Totally amazing. The rest of the menu goes from nice to very nice. Also a very good sommelier and perfect service. Confortable, esthetic, Modern. Very good place. -- en train de manger Gastronomique, avec Joe Bear et 2 autres personnes, à taku. read more

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I have been to Taku a few years ago and it was quite ok. Now I saw that they got their first Michelin star so I had to try it again. Don't get me wrong, the food is not bad but once you have a Michelin star the expectation is high and I am afraid that there is nothing special about Taku that justifies this award / recognition. The food is neither original nor creative. It is just solid Asian food with good quality ingredients. There are several restaurants in Cologne that can say the same but charge less than half. Sorry, Michelin, but you lost your credibility. read more

Last minute reservation as a hotel guest. Choices are 2 price fix (one vegetarian) or a la carte. Expensive. Nice dinging room. Service seemed good, but sometime inattentive. Asked for a cocktail to start and server said they would need to send out the bar and would take time. Aperitif offered instead which I thought would be complimentary since it was a small glass of champagne (actually not at 19 euros as i found out when the bill arrived), but such was not noted at the time. No wine list provided without asking twice. Good sommilier selection that was a highlight. Wine list is huge and reasonable. Meal over all was good (at least the selections I actually got - see later in review), courses served painfully slowly (add emphasis. "slowly", paced). I had to ask them to pick up the pace (as did others around me). Chef certainly talented and flavors were varied. Dumplings were a miss (hard filling). Early courses were excellent. Service needs work. For a six course meal, it took almost 2.5 hours. But actually they forgot a course, so it was only 5 courses. I noted they charged me 6 courses in the check, and the missing course was removed immediately (not sure how they calculated the value, nor was it explained nor apologies made).. But that begs the question, how does a fine restaurant forget a 6th course of a 135 euro meal with a half empty restaurant? I'm new to the Cologne dining scene, but as a San Francisco foodie, this was a good meal gone poorly with random service and inconsistent attention to simple details. With a bit of work, it could be something special. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt with 3 stars, but 4 for the check, and 2 for the service. read more

Just to be clear. They do not have sushi. This is a high end Asian fusion resteraunt. Great decor and excellent service