Our Reviews

Pros

French Bistro Atmosphere. Daily menu based on fresh available ingredients, resulting in great tasting meals.

Cons

Cramped dining room, often requiring the sharing of tables with strangers. Daily changing menu. A tad too noisy.

Review

Kontor is a bistro located on Hohestrasse in Düsseldorf’s Altstadt area of town. It’s a little south of the more touristy areas of Burgplatz and Karlplatz, tucked away in a quiet neighborhood walking distance from Koenigsallee. Parking may be difficult as this part of the city is usually busy during peak hours, but driving around the neighborhood usually yields results.

Kontor is part of the Muenstermann store that is famous in these parts for the fresh gourmet ingredients it sells. These ingredients are the basis for the menu in Kontor. I have visited Kontor thrice now, every time for lunch and have not been disappointed. Their menu changes every day, probably based on the ingredients that are freshly procured that very morning. Here are the dishes I have tried:

Penne Pasta with Arrabiata sauce: Great presentation topped off with fresh Arugala. The pasta was perfectly booked and seasoned with a supposedly spicy vodka/tomato type sauce. Of course, for my palate, it was very mild but extremely flavorful nevertheless. Portion size was not as large as what I am used to in the U.S. But it was just enough to fill me up.

Baked Salmon with a Citrus Glaze: Again, fantastic presentation (the skin of the fish was crisped separately and then placed on top of the fillet allowing the diner to choose whether to remove it or eat it), along with peppers and baby potatoes. The fish was clearly extremely fresh, but overcooked just a little bit. No matter, because the sauce and side vegetables were delicious and complemented the fish well.

Country Soup with Sausage and Duck: I ordered the large portion and was not disappointed. It was large and I struggled to clean my bowl. But, being my favorite of the dishes I’ve tried, I had to finish it all. This was a very hearty barley soup that was complemented with fine diced potatoes, carrots, celery along with a generous helping of sausage and dark duck meat. I was not able to discern the components of the flavoring, but suffice to say that I loved it!

The atmosphere at Kontor is great, if you’re okay with a fair amount of noise; and if you’re okay sharing your table with strangers. It’s a small dining room and the tables are routinely shared by multiple parties. Also, I don’t think they take reservations. Since the menu changes every day, you can’t be certain what you’re going to get when you head there. This, to some people, could be a negative.

Summary

A restaurant with great food, tucked away in the Altstadt. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Münstermann Delikatessen – Kontor
Hohe Straße 9-13, 40213 Düsseldorf
Tel: 0211 – 13004-30
Fax: 0211 – 13004-50