Naniwa Noodles & Soups — Restaurant in Dusseldorf

FOOD & DRINKS Naniwa offers plenty of ramen options and typical Japanese snacks. If you are vegetarian though, you are limited to a few items and I would not recommend the only vegetarian ramen they offer. I have been here several times many years ago. Not much has changed. The ramen was the meal of choice the first four or five visits. Later on I switched to the crab & shrimp Omelette over rice (they call it Tenshinhan here) and Karaage. I never felt the crab was a thing in their version and this time I even feel they barely put shrimps into the egg. Got a few super tiny pieces. The taste though was good as usual. They do a pretty decent job on all the things I had so far.

SERVICE I have to say that the service was better many years ago. They were always packed but it has gotten worse over the years. Even though they expanded their restaurant, service has gone worse. Not to a point that its bad but everything feels rushed because they don't want people to wait too long.

ATMOSPHERE The whole restaurant is nicely decorated. Even though they have been around for so long, the place doesn't look outdated.

RATING There is one simple question? Is this restaurant worth the hype and wait time? Simple answer: no. I think its overrated. The food is good. Absolutely. But is it better than so many other options in Düsseldorf? Nah, I don't think so. Everything they offer here I had better in another Japanese Restaurant in Düsseldorf. Especially if you are vegetarian I would give this a hard pass unless you just come for some appetizers. Still, if you are lucky and can manage to get in front of the line, give...

The food was averagely good. I mean, it was okay. The service, however, was terrible. I understand it was a busy Sunday evening, but the waiter totally forgot my friend and I. We waited outside in the queue for about 40 minutes. It was cold and windy. Finally the waiter let us and two other pairs of guest in front of us in. He gave us a number which is three, and asked us to wait at the corner of the staircase. The two pairs before us was then called and got their place and we waited there forever. We were in the very front as he let a few other guests in. Then I was shocked when he ignored us and seated two girls who was after us at a table, though we showed him the ticket. It happened very quickly, like within 5 to 10 seconds, the table which meant to be ours was taken. And it was the waiter's fault that he forgot us and ignored us. To my dismay, he did not give the table back to us when we made it clear to him, and did not even apologize. Ugh... After a few minutes we eventually got our seats, yet it was at the door and the wind kept coming in. It was definitely an unpleasant experience. Should have given a two because of the service, but the noodle is a three....... Do not worth the waiting though. No manner...

I was nervous coming in as a tourist, but the experience was perfect! Here's how the restaurant works:

There is always a queue, but it moves very fast. While you're in the queue, you take a menu (available outside) and make your selection. Once you get to the front of the queue, you tell the staffperson the size of your party and your order; they tell you your order number. You go inside, tell the person at the counter your order number and pay. They only took card, which was fine with me. They point you to a table where you can wait. I came to the restaurant hungry, so it was almost torture to wait among all the incredible smells. If you sit at the counter close to the entrance, you get to see the food being made through the glass into the kitchen. You get served quickly (and the portions are enormous!); once you're done eating, you are free to get up and leave.

The atmosphere is noisy because of how busy the place is and how close it is to the street, but it is not overwhelming. The waiters moved around the restaurant very smoothly and quietly. Pleasant music, kind and flexible staff, and incredible food. Highly recommend this place to anyone...