1876 Daniel Dal-Ben

Rating: 16
Author: Gault&Millau

Grunerstraße 44, 40239 Dusseldorf, Germany

16/20
Remarkable Restaurant

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1 PHOTOS

Chef: Daniel Dal-Ben
Cooking: European | Gastronomic | Italian | Seafood
Services: Terrace
Style: Elegant | Romantic

Gault&Millau's review 2025

"Which is the best Italian in your country?" is probably the most frequently asked culinary question by outsiders when visiting friends in a city. Düsseldorfers rarely answer this question with "The 1876 by Daniel Dal-Ben". This is due to Dal-Ben's vita: he learned in the brewery and in the hotel, in 2002 he opened his own house in the highest-earning Zooviertel area under the name "Tafelspitz" and cooked what he wanted to try out for himself, sometimes Mediterranean, sometimes Asian, sometimes German, but always with craftsmanship at the highest level and with a great sense of harmony. For some years now, however, Venetian cuisine has been in vogue, from this region comes his father, the cruise ship, from which he takes his guests on plate trips to other regions of Italy. This corresponds to the way of thinking of neo-Italian cooking that is currently being promoted in Veneto. It has its branch office in Düsseldorf. A good example is a dive to 750 meters below the Sicilian coast. In front of the guest, a small underwater landscape of three plates is created: A perfectly cooked Gambero Rosso from Mazara wallows in a harmonious radish cream with various herb oils, next to him is a miniature coral reef, and the accompanying seaweed is represented by a wild herb salad that is so fresh and aromatic that its image should appear in a Google search under "What should a wild herb salad be like?" Sounds cerebral – but it never is. Dal-Ben knows that Italian cuisine is loved because it makes you happy. He demonstrates how happy he is with his course "A Bowl of Happiness": Fine tajarin noodles, actually native to Piedmont, are available as a small portion with crustacean sauce and caviar – even emotionally petrified guests will fight back tears with this bowl. In the evening, Dal-Ben and his unobtrusive and attentive team take only four tables with them on a journey through the world of the New Italian in the elegant ambience of the Zoopark (or on the terrace in summer). So if Düsseldorfers are asked about the best Italian restaurant in their city, the answer should be: "The 1876 – but make a reservation in time so that you can get a table."