Nagaya

Rating: 16
Author: Gault&Millau

Klosterstraße 42, 40211 Dusseldorf, Germany

16/20
Remarkable Restaurant

BOOK

1 PHOTOS

Chef: Yoshizumi Nagaya
Cooking: Gastronomic | International | Japanese
Style: Elegant | With friends

Gault&Millau's review 2025

After the sushi course at the latest, the question remains: How does Yoshizumi Nagaya manage to get this quality of fish so reliably inland over the years? A clearly comprehensible gradation between sea bream, yellowtail mackerel and two parts of the tuna - including the, yes, creamy, fatty belly meat Otoro - is a joy in itself. Both menus are titled omakase - which roughly translates as "I'll leave it to you". Guests do this safely, and tried-and-tested dishes such as the foie gras lollipop in beetroot lead an eternal life there - fortunately! You can choose between six and nine courses and if financial aspects are of secondary importance: Don't be afraid of the full sequence. Nagaya's cuisine is light as a feather - but aromatically determined. He shows this right at the beginning with the first course, which is a crockery ensemble with seven culinary sculptures - whether wagyu tartare under broccoli or squid chip with nori dust - everything is carefully balanced and varied. The careful handling of the temperatures of the dishes reveals itself with every bite. Nagaya gives the fish, which appear several times in the menu, their own character in the respective course. Kobe instead of Angus in the main course with an extra charge? Nice, but not necessarily. The dishes, which are powerful in their elements, result in enough astonishing things when combined. This is true despite all the loyalty that Nagaya shows to his creations. The service, wired with earphones, acts attentively and diligently.