Guten appetit! Food trends coming to the table in Düsseldorf in 2023

Sugary treats, produce fresh from the field or water with a shot? There’s something here to suit every taste!

The quality of the food or freshly prepared dishes is simply outstanding! But we don’t just need food to keep us alive. It can also comfort us (hello chocolate!), promote good health (hi, ginger and chicken soup!) and help reduce stress (coeee, you wonderful glass of wine!). Naturally, it tastes even better when enjoyed with others, with your significant other over a candlelit dinner for example, or in a larger group. Why not turn your next get-together into even more of a special occasion by inviting your friends or loved ones to discover the latest food trends. Whether you prefer regional, vegetarian, vegan or Asian food, whether you’ve got a sweet tooth or are counting calories, looking for something freshly prepared or trying to discover your next favourite tipple, you’re definitely right on the mark in Düsseldorf.

Selling like hot cakes!

While bubble waffles have enjoyed much hype over recent years, there’s now a new sweet treat in town: cinnamon rolls! Traditionally, these are enjoyed by Scandinavians with their afternoon tea or coffee break (known as fika in Sweden). Now Germans too simply cannot get enough of these sweet buns made of yeast dough. Decorated with cinnamon and plenty of icing, they now feature on virtually every breakfast table, but they’re also ideal as a tasty snack as you stroll through the city centre. In Düsseldorf’s Old Town, or at Flinger Strasse 52 to be exact, there is always a regular queue outside Cinnamood. They have twelve different varieties for you to try out, including ones with blueberry, hazelnut and chocolate filling. At Bulle bakery (Birkenstrasse 55, Oststrasse 113) another pleasurable experience awaits: their flaky pastries with cinnamon simply melt in your mouth. At Seven Sundays (Lorettostrasse 7) you can enjoy the same great taste, but in the form of a pancake, smothered in frosting, cinnamon sauce and caramel cookie crumbs.  

Food is there to be shared 

As already mentioned, eating your favourite food surrounded by family and friends makes it taste twice as good. That’s why people are such fans of dishes like fondue and raclette. If you want to dine together outside of the holidays and can’t be bothered to fetch your raclette grill out of the cellar, why not try one of the food highlights of 2023: table grilling! This is less about the specific food you want to eat, and more about the method of preparation. In Asian restaurants in particular, such as Ah-Un (Hansaallee 246), Gogi Matcha (Bismarckstrasse 33) and Benkay Teppanyaki (Immermannstrasse 41), you are invited to skewer pieces of meat or vegetables of your choice and set them to sizzle on a grill at your table. It’s a fun experience, if a little fiery! After devouring plenty of tasty morsels, your faces are sure to be glowing – and not just from the warmth of the grill, but from sheer joy.

Not fish, nor meat, nor plain old pasta

While many generations only enjoyed meat on a Sunday, currywurst, minute steak and doner kebab are now part of most German people’s everyday food choices. However, over recent years, people have started to rethink their attitudes. For various reasons, ranging from high prices and food intolerances to animal welfare, people are now increasingly opting for non-animal products. If you really don’t want to feel you’re missing out on one of favourites, you can even try vegan or vegetarian non-meat options such as pea schnitzel or rice-flour gyros. In Düsseldorf too, many restaurants are already experimenting with alternatives: the menu at Fleischfrei (Oberbilker Allee 256) features Vegharita with vegan cheese, pizza rolls with plant-based ham and dairy-free tiramisu. Wilma Wunder (Martin-Luther-Platz 27) does a great courgetti spaghetti, while Rosie’s (Adersstrasse 21) is famed for its vegan burgers.

The hype of hyper-local

Since the pandemic, the benefits of local produce are something that we’ve all started to discover, or rediscover. People have started putting up seasonal calendars for fruit and vegetables like their grandmothers once did, and they’re no longer lying in on a Saturday morning, as they have to get up to go to the weekly food market! In addition to buying fresh produce that has often only travelled a few kilometres from field to market stall, they chat with the farmers, find out how to prepare the perfect beetroot and meet up with neighbours raving about mushrooms "with dirt on them". Throughout the city, there are plenty of local markets to visit nearly every day. One of the most popular is the Rhenish farmers market in Pempelfort (Kolpingplatz, Wednesdays and Saturdays), the weekly market in Bilk (Fürstenplatz, Wednesdays and Saturdays) and the one in Oberkassel (Barbarossaplatz, Tuesdays and Fridays).

Sparkling water with a shot 

Have you heard of hard seltzer? This trendy drink, which like many culinary fashions has come over from the US, combines mineral water with a shot and a fruity flavour. The alcohol content is between four and six per cent. Back in 2021, the first German manufacturers launched their products onto the market, but they didn’t really take off at the time. 2023 appears to be a better year for this easily digested drink. A small selection is already available in well-stocked supermarkets and off-licences. Incidentally, the Japanese and lovers of their culture have known about hard seltzer for decades. There they have a very similar drink called Chuhai. With a bit of luck you might spot this on offer in the food stores and restaurants of Little Tokyo.

The title image and this article are supported by REACT-EU.

Title image: Düsseldorf Tourism