Wir waren heute zu zweit zum Mittagessen im Lokal La Grotta: Einmal hatten wir Lasagne (9,90€)…read moreeinmal Pizza Frutti di Mare (11,90€). Für die Lasagne gibt es ein klares Prädikat "OK", wenngleich sie natürlich vorbereitet aus dem Kühlschrank kam und nur noch kurz in den Pizzaofen musste. Dafür einen Stern. Die Pizza war dürftig belegt, gut 4 cm kleiner im Durchmesser als auf der Karte angegeben, also 24 cm statt 28 cm, außen dunkel und in der Mitte matschig. Auf die Größe angesprochen sagte der Wirt, es sei eine kleine Pizza, größere seien möglich. Er kassierte dann jedoch den vollen Preis für die 28 cm Version und behauptete, die Pizza habe 28 cm gehabt. Zum Beweis legte er das bereitliegende (!) Maßband an den oberen Rand der Pizzapfanne und maß 28 cm. Im inneren, da wo die Pizza liegt, maß die Pfanne 24 cm. Die Qualität der Pizza, bzw. des Belages (Thunfisch, viele zähe Tintenfischringe und einige wenige Shrimps) kann mit dem Prädikat "kann man bei sich behalten" ausgezeichnet werden. Das Preis-Leistungsverhältnis ist jedoch - wie der Name andeutet - grottenschlecht. Wir werden nie wieder hingehen.

The Officina is a hip Italian restaurant in Essen-Bredeney. They have a lot of space, 2 floors…read moreinside and a terrace outside if the weather allows. The restaurant is located in a courtyard, which makes it easy to walk by. The decor is modern rustic. Atmosphere is buzzing. Service is in general efficient and attentive, may get slow if the place is packed. The selection of wines is reasonable, emphasizing on Italy. Prices are reasonable as well. The food is very good and portions are not small. Selection is very good including all the classics from Italy. Daily and seasonal recommendations can be found as well. The thin crusted pizza is worth a try as well as all different pasta dishes. The spaghetti are cooked perfectly al dente. Meat dishes include beef, lamb and pork. If you have room go for the classic desserts. Prices are reasonable and they have an excellent set lunch which is really good value for money.

After waiting forty minutes for my meal in what was basically a hot and stuffy room, my opinion of…read morethis place dropped tremendously. However I don't want to write it off too much because, surprisingly, as soon as I queried the waiter as to where our food was it suddenly, magically, appeared before is (which makes me wonder what was keeping them bringing it to us). Well, the carrot soup was actually quite nice, and my brother ended up having a rather interesting dish (not that I could remember what it was). However, I guess a part of me also didn't think all that much of Essen. However, what was really cool about this place was that in the bathrooms the soap is wrapped around a metal rod, so there is no need to mess around with squeeze tubes - you just wet your hands, soap them up, and then wash them off. As for the towels, they were actually small cotton towls that you tossed into a box once you are finished with them.

Firstly, yum! The food here is great and they do have an…read moreEnglish menu. I would definitely try one of the specials! The staff are all really nice and accommodating! Prices are totally reasonable! Stop reading and go eat!

I was pleased to see this high rated Korean restaurant in Essen for my business trip. We made…read morereservations and i took my team, including a German friend, along. I was excited to expose him to Korean cuisine for the first time. What a let down. We ordered the giant 4 course supper, at 30 € a head. The worst thing was that, despiteSa Rang Bang's tiny size (it seats maybe 50), and plenty of wait staff, it took them over three hours to complete our meal! Since we had to drive to Frankfurt that evening this was awkward. We typically had to wait a half hour or more between courses. It cast a pall over the experience. They were not attentive either. They never checked on us, so we couldn't order additional drinks (a problem when our German ate the unaccustomed spicy bits and needed something to quench. The restaurant is only marginally "Korean". Our sppetizer were cigarette-sized egg rolls with ground meat inside . Kind of tasty- reminded me a little of lumpia. Second came a stir fry containing lots of vegetables & some miniscule (but tasty) shrimp. To one side was a tiny splotch of Kimchee. About this time I started to wonder where our panchan was. Turns out the restaurant doesn't offer it - are they worried Germans can't handle free refills? What the heck ? Third was some spicy sweet & sour shrimp with lots more veggies . Definitely NOT Korean. "Ah well," I thought. "The last course is bulgogi. At least THAT should be authentic." Instead of bulgogi, they brought barbecue trays with raw marinated meat and (again ) more vegetables than meat. We had to cook it ourselves . I have eaten at plenty of cook- it-yourself Korean BBQs but why all the zucchini, carrots, and such with my bulgogi? I like plants as food but its okay to have them on the side or as a separate course sometimes. They basically fed us 3 courses of vegetable stir fry (with some meat). Two of the courses were the SAME meat (shrimp), just different spice levels. The bulgogi was nothing like what I've had in the States and was far less flavorful. From the menu i did not see other familiar Korean dishes such as seafood pancake, kimchee soup, bibimbap. I did see jap chae as a side in one dish. we asked the owner, and he said he had "adapted" to German tastes. Well maybe so. Certainly the high ratings given Sa Rang Bang by the German Yelpers indicates he has hit it off with them. However, if you are an American, looking for korean food in Essen, avoid Sa Rang Bang.

Sadly, this is the only Korean restaurant in Essen, so I'm extra thankful that it's good…read more I've never been to Korea nor do I have Korean heritage, so my expertise in Korean food is limited to what I've had in California and my Korean American friends' tastes. I was a bit sad to see my usual favorites absent from the menu: seafood pancake (pajeon), fried chicken, sweet potato noodles (chap chae), or the usual assortment of side dishes (ban chan). However, I fully understand that the business had to make certain decisions to be successful in Germany. The staple bulgolgi is always a good choice. We chose the beef with milder seasonings over the pork with a spicier marinade. We also opted for the sizzling, hot stone rice (dolsot bibimbap), and kimchee soup. All of them were good choices. The bulgolgi is prepared right at your table, so it's nice and fresh. Just keep your eye on it as it cooks and as you socialize. We let ours stay on the grill too long and it overcooked, but that's our fault. Verdict: I'd go again. It's authentic, run by nice Korean staff, they speak German, their English is limited, and their menu is accommodating to local tastes. They were also quite busy when I went in on a Sunday evening, so it seems to have taken off.

Dear Pasta e Gamberoni,…read more Unfortunately, I live on the other side of the world but I will visit you next time I am in Essen (hopefully this year!) Your truffle spaghetti is out of this world yummy, with huge chunks of shaved truffle, Your spicy tomato sauce is also one of my favorites. Also, your panzerotti in cream sauce. Your gambas (giant shrimp prawns) appetizer is delicious as well as your mushroom beef carpaccio and the prices are more than reasonable. I love how intimate and cozy your atmosphere is. + how sweet all the people who work and dine there are. Your bread is like crack, and I could swim in your balsamic and olive oil selection. Don't ever change. xo Sincerely, me.

Worst customer service ever. Reserved a table upfront. But when we arrived, all tables were taken…read more It took forever to get some attention from the staff. Then they were extremely rude and told us to go for a walk (in icy conditions in December!!!). We were told maybe we would have more luck later. Don't even try to make a reservation, it does not help. They also don't seem to appreciate your business at all. I was never ignored so much or treated so rudely in any other restaurant before in the entire world. Would not try to go back, if they paid me to do so...

This is one of the very best restaurants I've ever been to in my life. It's an experience that few…read moreplaces can rival because it's about the people and the food and the atmosphere. The food is exquisite! Frau Uli is a fantastic chef and the meals are prepared and presented simple and perfectly. There is no pretense, it's wonderful steaks, beautiful tasty salads and potatoes to die for... All in good proportions and at a very fair price. Uli is a perfect host! Wonderful stories and friendly, he is an expert at putting his guests at ease. He knows his Rums and Scotches (and all liquors I'm sure), it's a real treat to have him select an after dinner digestif. Without Uli this would just be a fantastic place to eat but it's so much more! The restaurant is in a wonderful old German building, I'm assuming an old guest house. I could write a 1000 words and I still could not do it justice, go and enjoy!

This is one of my favorite dining experiences anywhere in the world, much less Germany!…read more Our host (though I forget his name) was one of the most genuine people I've ever met and has a beautiful skill at establishing rapport with his customers. The food was delicious and I felt that I was dining in the house of a longtime friend who took great care in her offerings.

From the owner: Das Hudson's bringt Manhattan ins Revier! Die stylisch-rustikale Location mitten im Szeneviertel…read moreEssen-Rüttenscheid vereint Restaurant und Bar ganz nach New Yorker Manier. Hier genießt man abwechslungsreiche Drinks und hochwertiges Essen mit Freunden. Das moderne Bar & Dining Konzept lädt einen ganzen Abend lang zum Verweilen ein. Euch erwartet eine einzigartige Auswahl an hausgebrautem Bier (Craft Beer), Whiskeys, coolen Cocktails und leckeren Menüs.