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.
