ITO Japanese Cuisine — Restaurant in Cologne

I recently visited this restaurant in Cologne after a friend’s recommendation, especially since he compared it favorably to Nagaya in Düsseldorf (one of my favorite Japanese fine dining spots within Germany). Given that, I came with high expectations.

The experience, however, fell short for me in several ways.

Food & Flavor • The first few courses were fine, but from around the third course onward, the seasoning was consistently too heavy. Several dishes were overly salty, while the dessert leaned excessively sweet. Fine dining usually emphasizes balance and letting the ingredients speak for themselves, which I felt was totally missing here. Many ingredients felt like thrown in together, without putting thoughts into what they’re trying to complement. • The quality of the wagyu and fish was not what I’d expect at this price point. Both were at times chewy instead of melting in the mouth, and the wagyu in particular was uncomfortably fatty and paired with an overly salty sauce. • Nigiri was served pre-seasoned (with soy sauce in the rice and wasabi already added), yet surprisingly tasted rather flat. We even found ourselves dipping into the soy sauce provided at the table, which is unusual for fine dining sushi. • The one highlight was the tuna tartare on warm crispy bread with truffle – this dish stood out for its thoughtful balance and layered flavors.

Service The service was attentive in terms of speed and refilling water, but explanations of the courses were inconsistent, and interactions felt somewhat mechanical rather than engaging.

Overall Impression I wouldn’t say the food is horrible. But if they want to label themselves as fine dining, there’s still a very long way to go because the value simply wasn’t there. At this level of dining, details matter – both in ingredient quality and refinement of flavor. Compared to Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants in Europe, it was clear to me why this restaurant does not yet hold a star.

As someone who treats such meals as a special indulgence, I left feeling that the experience wasn’t worth the journey or the calories. While the evening wasn’t “bad” by casual dining standards, I would not recommend it to those looking for true fine dining...

A somewhat upscale Japanese restaurant promising a memorable dining experience for a high price that will leave you UNSATISFIED and very hungry 😩

Although the food was fresh and tasty, I was not remotely impressed by their dishes or their presentation 🫥

I’ve had better omakase in North and South America, Spain and France. As far as omakase experiences go, this has got to be at the very bottom👎🏻

For 55€ you get the same amount of food that you could get at a regular Japanese restaurant for nearly 1/3 of the price 💸

Omakase was composed of: Dish 1: a fish tart with Mayo and some veggies plus bonito flakes. Literally, one per person.

Dish 2: a decently flavorful dish of 4 sashimi cut pieces of white fish with a soy/ponzu mix on a bed of stripped seaweed, scallion and sesame seeds.

Dish 3: 9 pieces of sushi = 3 nigiri, 3 white fish uramaki and 3 avocado veggie maki. Def not impressive.

Dish 4: a meager slice of yet another white fish half cooked, served with a flavorful sauce and ornamentation.

Dish 5: a cheesecake dessert you can literally eat in 3 bites on some strawberry syrup with a half of a scoop of a citrus ice cream.

Drink portions are also very small. Do not get the yuzu sake. It is just a shot.

Service is friendly and attentive, but food prep takes longer than the wait is ultimately worth.

This restaurant experience is the equivalent a good looking date that takes forever to gets ready, has expensive taste, but leaves much to be desired 😬

In conclusion: SKIP IT ⛔️

Go spend your money in any of the many other great Japanese restaurants throughout the great city of Cologne where you’re bound to get a bang for your buck and walk out more satisfied than we did leaving here…

If you want to try it, get a reservation. Be disappointed, and throw some money away here so you can go get a snack somewhere else right after.

Bike and paid parking available across the street.

Service available in English, German, French and Japanese.

Can pay in cash or credit.

Indoor or outdoor seating available.

Wifi locked, presumably available upon request.

Ambiance is casual, no music, can get loud depending on the...

I'll tell you about my negative experience visiting:

1. It turns out that if there are four or more of you, you're required to order the tasting menu for €109 per person. You simply can't order à la carte; no one warned us about this when we made our reservation for six people.

2. The main course was fried bread, followed by tuna tartare. Our waiter dropped one sideways on the table and then returned it to the plate with his hand.

3. In the first room, a sushi chef prepares dishes. He has a burner that he uses regularly, but there's no exhaust hood, so you're stuck with the smell.

4. Of all the food, the only good ones were the sushi...