October is the perfect time to visit the North Rhine-Westphalia area of Germany. We spent a week in Cologne last autumn and with the great weather, we were able to make the most of public transport and get out and about from our base to see a bit more of the area. On our last but one day, we jumped on the train and went to Düsseldorf where we had the most surprising day of food and drink.
As neighbours, Cologne and Düsseldorf have quite an interesting rivalry which spans history, football and even beer. They’re quite different to one another and it’s well worth visiting both if you can. We loved the mix of old and new in Düsseldorf, it felt like a big city and we enjoyed wandering its streets. Be sure to get yourself down to the Rheinuferpromenade too for a walk along the river. Peppered with cafes and plenty of places to eat and drink, on a sunny day this is a great place to be!
Where to drink Altbier in Düsseldorf
You know me, I love a bit of history and gossip so our first stop was to grab a beer. One of the most well known rivalries is the difference in the two city’s beers – Cologne for Kölsh which is light in colour, fresh and hoppy – and Düsseldorf for Altbier, a darker, top-fermented beer which tastes closer to an ale. Just make sure you order the right type of beer in the right city or you might end up with a frosty reception! 😂
Head to the Altstadt for your first beer (or three) of the day. Ratinger Straße in the old town is known as “the longest bar in the world” because of the sheer number of pubs on this short road. This is a great place to be when the weather is good as everyone sits out on the street!
We went first to Uerige which is a very famous bar and a must visit. They’ve been brewing Altbier there since 1837 and it’s quite a curious place. The bar itself is a sprawling thing which goes back and back and back with a curious mix of old and new (apparent here on their overall view image) but we loved the oldest areas best, full of dark wooden beams, stained glass and gothic paintings. I discovered this place thanks to Anthony Bourdain’s series and was excited to be there in real life.
We ordered 2 beers which were served in the same way as Kölsh (just 20 miles away in Cologne) in small measures with beer mats for the bar man indicate how many you’ve had. You place the mat on top of your glass when you’re finished and don’t want more beer. That’s where the similarity ends though because Altbier beer looks and tastes completely different . Small glasses, replaced until you put your beer mat across the top to indicate you’ve had enough.
Find Uerige and other places to drink Altbier in the heart of the old town here:
A cake and coffee stop
Being a large cosmopolitan city, we noticed plenty of trendy cafes and places for healthy food, smoothies, cakes and coffees. Of course, being a coffee connoisseur, Dave was keen to check some of these out! Our favourite was actually not a modern, exposed brickwork and glass affair with the moustached and tattooed staff you’d expect actually, a place which felt like it was in its very own era.
Bazzar Caffè opened in 1996 (and it still feels like the 90’s in there!) and was one of the forerunners to the cafe culture you see in the city today. They have their own coffee roasters on site and sell a lot of coffee making equipment in the cafe. They also have a lot of coffee paraphernalia on display including some vintage bits which are really cool to see. The food is reasonably priced, the coffee is great and the setting is quirky. What more do you want?
Find them here:
Food shopping heaven
I always love visiting food markets when I’m away on my travels. It’s a great way to learn more about local produce and get a sense of how the locals eat. Carlsplatz market is a great place to while away an hour. This urban market has flower and craft stalls as well as food and there are also lunch options there too. Being there in Autumn, I loved seeing all the pumpkins and seasonal vegetables including a HUGE variety of potatoes!
Find Carlsplatz market here:
What and where to eat
For traditional German fare, definitely stay in the old town for food. There is plenty of choice and prices aren’t too bad. Stick to the Ratinger Straße area and you’ll find a myriad of places serving dishes like rheinischer sauerbraten (a pot roast traditionally made with horse but now more usually beef) and Himmel und Äd (meat, potatoes and apples).
Something a little different?
If you want something a little different to meat and potatoes, you will find it here too. Düsseldorf is also home to a large Japanese community who mostly live and work around Immermannstraße which is affectionately known as Little Tokyo. This means you can easily find ramen joints and sushi should you fancy that. Download this handy minimap to work out where to go.
As we walked from the train station down to the old town, presumably close to Little Tokyo, we came across an area with lots of Hangul signs and Korean restaurants. We stopped outside a deli, mesmerised by the bowls of delicious looking food and just had to go in – after all, you know just how much we love Korean food. We bought a portion of bulgogi. fried chicken, rice and of course, kimchi, and ate it leaning against the bar as if we were in a CVS right in the centre of Seoul. There was something fantastic about being in Germany, with the owners speaking to us in English (having previously lived in Bristol unbelievably) and us replying to them in stilted Korean. I don’t know who was more surprised!
Vegan & vegetarian eats
After several days of heavy pork consumption, we knew that we needed to eat something other than meat and potatoes (as great as they are) and were keen to find somewhere a bit different for dinner. We actually decided that we didn’t even want meat and so I turned to my trusty Instagram to try and find somewhere vegetarian. I came across Sattgrün, a small chain of vegan restaurants. We located one in the university district and set off walking.
Well, I don’t know where to start. It was fantastic, the best vegan food I’ve ever eaten. If Sattgrün opened in the UK I think they’d find be sold out 24/7 because what they’re doing is just so great. So, if you’re reading this, I implore you to come to Bristol. Our city would open you with welcome arms! The ordering system is simple. Choose from three sizes of plate and off you go. It’s self service and there are salads, grains and bread, soups, stews and curries. We both went for a medium plate and I’m not ashamed to say that I piled mine high!
Find Sattgrünn Mitte (the one we visited) here:
Never been but my husband worked in Dusseldorf for a few days and said it was full of character. Really like the hints of places to eat and drink.
We visited Düsseldorf many years ago. It is a fun city. Loved it there. Will love to visit it again. Definitely full of character.
Oh wow it looks amazing!! I have only been to Germany once before and loved it. I’d love to visit here though!
I have never been to Dusseldorf before, it sounds like a really interesting place to visit. My brother in law goes every year and really enjoys it
It looks amazing, I’ve been to Hamburg but not to here. Will put it on my list
Dusseldorf looks like a fabulous place to visit – so much good food and drink!!