Le Moissonnier

Rating: 16
Author: Gault&Millau

Krefelder Straße 25, 50670 Cologne, Germany

16/20
Remarkable Restaurant

CALL

1 PHOTO

Location: Cologne
Chef: Eric Menchon
Cooking: French | Seafood
Services: Access for people with disabilities
Style: Bistro/Brasserie, Casual, Exceptional setting, With children, With family

Gault&Millau's review 2025

16/20

Remarkable Restaurant

Le Moissonnier, the second: After more than three decades as an absolute top address for French haute cuisine, the Moissonniers and their chef Eric Menchon shocked the people of Cologne in the early summer of 2023 with the news that they were putting an end to haute cuisine. Who could blame them? Hardly anyone has made southern French cuisine as popular in Germany as the trio, and after the place had been packed almost every day since 1987, we wanted to give them all the relief and exhalation from the bottom of our hearts. However, this was nowhere near as radical as we thought: because a few months later, Le Moissonnier was back in the beautiful Art Nouveau building – no longer as a gourmet restaurant, but as the bistro that it had always been visually. Only now with cuisine that is more focused on it, which is served a little simpler, a little less chiselled, but still remains of the highest quality. How could Menchon have suddenly forgotten his profession? Oysters are still plentiful, as are palourdes (sand mussels) – as well as the southern French fish soup with aioli, a wonderful pâté en croûte with gherkins. The winter roasted sweetbreads on gingerbread sauce with souffléed quinoa are wonderful, perfect the sole from the Vendée on Normande sauce. The fact that even the saddle of venison comes from French hunting doesn't make it any better, in our opinion, but the house has always been consistently French-oriented, so why not here. In short: bistro cuisine that is far superior to many a gourmet restaurant. The wine list? The same. So we'll stick to three toques – and after a little thought also to the color, because Menchon actually does exactly what modern cuisine does well: a little less chichi, a little less effort ... – but the very best taste based on the very best products without any compromises. And that's what it comes down to in the end: a beautiful example of the contemporary continuation of top gastronomy.