From fine-dining eateries to art galleries to concept stores, these are the best places to hit when you're in the German city
1. Assembly
This compact, creative shop-in-shop is a gallery, concept store and secret hair salon all in one. At the front of the sleek, white space, the Ninasagt gallery exhibits contemporary art and illustrations from internationally acclaimed artists such as Sara Andreasson, BD Graft and Olimpia Zagnoli. Behind the gallery, you’ll find curated lifestyle products and fashion pieces from up-and-coming designers – such as DAMUR and Odeur – in Not-a-Shop. To top off your look, make an advance appointment for a haircut at the hidden on-site two-chair salon.
2. Anna Laudel Gallery
After the success of Anna Laudel’s first gallery in Istanbul, where she lived for almost two decades, she returned to her hometown earlier this year to open her second art space. Located close to the river Rhine at Mühlenstrasse 1, a creative hub since the 1960s, the bright, contemporary gallery showcases emerging Turkish and international artists through interdisciplinary art exhibits. On display until December is a solo exhibition – “Einmal ist Keinmal” (“Once is Never”) – by Italian conceptual artist Daniele Sigalot. The three floors of mixed-media installations explore the contrast between the nature of the materials Sigalot uses and the way they are perceived.
“Düsseldorf is a mixture of big city and small town. Shop designer clothes at the fancy Kö and visit a modern art exhibition at the K21. After that, drink a famous altbier (the local beer) at the traditional Uerige pub” – Mareike Peters, graphic designer
3. _blaenk Concept Store
Firmly adhering to the ethos of buying less and choosing well, this spacious, modern concept store in the city centre stocks carefully chosen brands on seasonal rotations or flights. Catering to those with an eye for the innovative and sustainable, the store offers a choice of up to 20 lifestyle and clothing brands that aim to improve their customers’ way of life. Featuring sustainable Cologne-based fashion brand ARMEDANGELS, luxurious silk scarves from Berlin label MOCOMOCO and a range of innovative technological products, the autumn flight runs until 17 November, with the winter flight debuting on 23 November.
4. KYTO Coffee
Just outside the city centre, this small, contemporary café is an oasis of calm amid the noise and traffic of Am Wehrhahn. Order a hot drink and something sweet at the counter then head to the cosy space at the back to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. The excellent coffees come from local micro-roastery Schvarz Kaffee, which creates speciality blends using sustainably sourced fair-trade beans. KYTO’s flat white uses a coffee blend developed uniquely for them – and it’s already legendary among Düsseldorf’s caffeine fiends. Different types of milk are available, and a selection of the sweet and savoury snacks are vegan.
5. Zweierlei
This cosy but stylish fine-dining restaurant in Düsseldorf’s cosmopolitan Pempelfort neighbourhood is the passion project of two long-time friends, Benjamin Arnswald and Hagen Wagner. Zweierlei offers a la carte German and southern European dishes as well as regularly changing menus of up to six courses. Both options feature creative twists on local specialities, such as the mashed celeriac with apple, onions and scallops – a refined version of Himmel und Ähd, a traditional regional dish of mashed potatoes, apple and black pudding. Sorbets, raw-milk cheeses and cocktails such as the classic German Hugo with fresh mint, elderflower and sparkling wine make for a delightful finish.
What's on in November
Pierre Cardin. Fashion Futurist
Visit Germany’s first major exhibition dedicated to the iconic French fashion designer, displaying 80 haute couture pieces from the 1960s and 1970s. Until 5 Jan 2020.
Keep warm with a mug of mulled wine beneath the lights at any one of Düsseldorf’s seven themed Christmas markets. From 21 Nov to 30 Dec.
Singapore Airlines flies to Düsseldorf four times daily. To book a flight, visit singaporeair.com
SEE ALSO: Must-visit museums and theatres in Dusseldorf, Germany
This article was originally published in the November 2019 issue of SilverKris magazine
