Daikan Izakaya Bar in Köln

We were very satisfied. Since we were there in the afternoon, we got a table right away. The edamame appetizer was cooked to perfection, the miso ramen was world-class, and I paired it with the Wagyu Nigri, which was beautifully decorated with caviar and saffron. A true explosion of flavor! All in all, a visit to Daikan is highly recommended.

I couldn't take a photo because as soon as I had my bowl of miso, I ate it right away. The spicy version is the best 🤤 I totally recommend it!!!

We had lunch here on a Sunday and everything was freshly prepared and very tasty. We'd be happy to go back.

Everything I ate was super delicious.

Wonderful location...great service...it was our first time having ramen...they explained it to us really well. The food came quickly. It was very tasty. The portion was generous. A must-try. We're hungry for more and will definitely be back.

The taste is average, a little salty, the attitude of the male and female service staff is very uncomfortable, I will not go there again

The ramen was good. But the prices here are higher than elsewhere. The sushi is pretty mediocre. Still, it's a very interesting and stylish place. I might come again.

Food 7/10 I've been here four times over the years, and I only came for the ramen with some side dishes. Therefore, I'm only rating the ramen. Overall, the ramen was okay, but the broth was never hot enough. Sushi is fusion, which I hate. Sushi is best eaten with fresh ingredients like rice, fish, and wasabi. No spicy, nasty sauce, mayonnaise? WT... The place was nice and always busy, and the food was always good.

My first visit to this small, manageable Japanese restaurant. I arrived around 6:30 p.m. and was seated at the counter as a single person. The food – Tonkatsu Bao, Crispy Chili Gyoza, Mixed Ocean, and two drinks for €54 – was very tasty. However, the portions were a bit underwhelming, so I didn't want to spend any more. The service was very friendly and helpful despite the crowds. I definitely recommend this place for a delicious meal. Thank you very much. I'll be happy to come back.

The ramen was very tasty. We had the vegetarian ramen here, and it was extremely delicious. The edamame was also very good.

Best ramen I've ever had! Unfortunately, you have to wait a bit to get a seat, but this is food you're willing to wait for! Very good selection! Would definitely come back :)

A solid experience with minor flaws The ambiance at DAIKAN Izakaya is appealing, and the service was friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, some items on the menu were unavailable during our visit, which was a bit of a shame—especially if you're looking forward to certain dishes. The food tasted okay, but given the prices, we would have expected a bit more refinement or uniqueness. It was okay for a pleasant evening, but we felt the value for money could be improved. Nevertheless, if you like the modern izakaya atmosphere, you might get your money's worth here—perhaps we just didn't catch the best day.

I've been to Daikan for ramen several times now and have always been satisfied! The appetizers are very tasty and not too small. All three ramen varieties taste great. The service was very attentive and friendly. During peak times, you have to get on a waitlist, but the line always clears quickly.

Very tasty, but also expensive.

The food is truly delicious. There's no other way to describe it. What I ordered (vegetarian) and my friend's (fish) was extremely good, perfectly balanced, and the portions were generous. Service was good, but sometimes a little inattentive. You order a drink, and four waiters stand at the bar, talking and not processing your order for 5-10 minutes. But that's just a minor quibble—otherwise, it's a 5/5.👍👍👍

These days, it seems like there are ramen restaurants everywhere in the city center, but for me, Daikan is the OG among ramen shops. Today, we went there for lunch again. The shoyu ramen tasted better than ever, truly outstanding! I also like the sushi and kimuchi here—always delicious! Service was so-so, but everyone has a bad day sometimes...we'll be back.

Unfortunately, the ramen soup (shio) tasted of very little, and the shallots in the soup didn't help either; it looks better than it tastes. Gyoza were good. The service was also good.

A bit pricey but super delicious✌🏻 I would recommend Yuzu Schoele to everyone.

We ate like royalty, everything was super delicious!

Excellent food in an attractive, modern setting. Prices are in the upper range.

Very good ramen and sushi. The ramen is not stuffed with toppings So that you can enjoy the individual ingredients better.

Dear team, I would like to express my incomprehension about our last visit to your restaurant. Our orders were sometimes served more than 40 minutes apart, which not only seemed disorganized, but also disrupted our entire process. What was particularly disappointing was that in the end my own order wasn't brought at all, with the explanation that it had been "not taken". The only explanation given was “new, inexperienced staff” - but this was not an acceptable reason for guests. In addition, the behavior of some employees - especially a lady in a beige jumpsuit - was unfriendly and disrespectful. No apology, no accommodation, no understanding of the situation. Unfortunately, this does not correspond at all to the service that you can expect as a guest. I hope to hear from you and find a solution on how you would like to deal with such incidents in the future. Best regards GA

Huge recommendation! We were there on a Sunday evening and we really enjoyed it. We had the space right next to the "show kitchen"...it was very impressive to be able to watch the sushi being prepared. Visually, I think the sushi rolls are little works of art and they also taste great. My recommendation is the vegan roll: Red Pepper. We also really liked the service staff and the dark, clean design of the store :)

Delicious food. Portions a bit small, especially sushi.

We ordered karaage and miso eggplant. The karaage was very dry and the mayo was slightly sour. I didn't think the miso eggplant was good value for money. It was very oily and didn't taste like anything.

The Daikan Izakaya is a real highlight in the Belgian Quarter! If you're looking for authentic Japanese cuisine in an urban-cool atmosphere, this is the place for you. Every dish is prepared with so much attention to detail - especially the Dragon Roll: fresh, creative, simply a taste experience! The perfectly grilled yakitori skewers and changing specials are also impressive across the board. The drinks? Creative, finely tuned, simply wow! 🍶 The service? Super attentive, warm and absolutely on the ball. And the mood? Tokyo meets Cologne – loud, lively, really good. I'll definitely come back - and bring a few friends with me next time. Arigato for this great evening! 💛🙏 #izakayaLove #daikanköln #dragonrollmagic #belgischesviertelvibes

clear recommendation great ramen and Negiri

Delicious ramen and nice ambience (we ate outside) Unfortunately the staff was disinterested and could have been more attentive.

If you come at peak times, you should plan on waiting for a table - but don't worry, it's worth it. The Tan Tan Chicken Ramen was wonderfully spicy and, in combination with the Ajitama egg, a real taste experience. While we waited for our food, we were able to watch the sushi master at work - basically dinner and show in one! Add to that friendly service and the visit is a complete success

Service was friendly, food came quickly. We ordered ramen, gyozas and kimchi. All tasty except the kimchi, which was cabbage mixed with Sriracha sauce, definitely not fermented kimchi!

Sushi is very expensive in terms of price but one of the best things I've eaten in Cologne so far. Ramen was very tasty but the toppings e.g. the chicken meat was unfortunately very dry, but the broth was great

Super tasty! Great ramen and bao bun 🤗 would come back immediately

We were impressed by the store and the experience as well as the cuisine. We enjoyed all the dishes very much and the service was friendly, courteous and attentive.

Asien mal anders. Es gibt eine Auswahl an asiatischen Speisen, die man zwar kennt, aber doch neu interpretiert werden. Die Portionen sind ordentlich und man wird aus zwei Gängen gut satt. Es machte einen frischen Eindruck. Leider waren nur zwei Bedienungen im Einsatz, für den Innen und Aussenbereich. Das ist leider nicht so flott. Aber sie waren sehr nett und höflich. Im Restaurant gab es freie Platzwahl. Teils etwas eng, aber das passt zum Charme des Restaurants.

The food was very delicious and well served. The waiters were very helpful! It's nice to watch the street atmosphere. Prices are average for Cologne. Ideal for a chill evening.

Very friendly and personable staff, very tasty food!

Mega delicious, absolutely recommended. The service was a bit too stressed and didn't have time to explain anything, especially important if you want to try frames for the first time. Even bringing it in was just a matter of putting it down and it was gone, paying by card is not possible. I think it's okay, but I don't think it's okay to just put the device in front of us and we have to do everything, and the fact that no one said goodbye or any of the looks was more than strange. But I assume it's because of stress.

I had been to Daikan years ago. I was so excited back then that I really wanted to come back when I visited Cologne. First of all: the vegetarian miso ramen soup was solid, the raw red onions and lots of them were unusual. Unfortunately, the tofu was cold and covered in sauce rather carelessly. My companion had ordered two seasonal starters and had to wait over 30 minutes! We inquired three times and the waiters gave no information or an apology. When I finished my meal, their food arrived - mega fail. Yes, it was pretty full and maybe too much for 2 employees, but unfortunately the service wasn't working at all. I will not recommend the store.

Just great food and you could watch the chef prepare it

Too bad we couldn't book, because there were a lot of people inside and a queue outside. This wasn't a problem for us as we had take out. The sushi was excellent and the servers were very welcoming. I highly recommend!

I have mixed feelings after my visit to Daikan Izakaya. The service was excellent and I also liked the ambience. However, for me the focus is clearly on the food - and here I was disappointed. The food tastes good, no question about it, and many people will certainly feel the same way. But anyone who knows anything about Japanese or Asian cuisine will quickly notice that they rely heavily on simple ingredients and ready-made sauces. Examples: • Bao Bun: The hoisin sauce (probably from Lee Kum Kee) and chili oil (probably Lao Gan Ma) are standard items that dominate the flavor. Although Lao Gan Ma is tasty, it has a very intense flavor that throws off the balance. For just under €9 per bun I would have expected at least one homemade chili oil. • Spicy Ramen: I ordered it extra spicy and received a bowl of “chilli sauce” with it – unfortunately it was gochujang, a Korean chili paste that has no place in a ramen. The broth itself wasn't complex enough, the toppings were very sparse, and canned corn just doesn't work at this price level. Overall, I found it lacked the attention to detail and freshness that I expect from a restaurant in this price range. For just under €85 for two people, the meal was not satisfactory for me. Since food is the most important aspect of going out for me, I unfortunately only give it 2 stars.

I'll be honest: the pictures and the food look great, but in my opinion there are too many shallots that overshadow the broth or soup itself and the egg (which is usually the best thing about ramen in my opinion) was so salty, not tasty at all. Broth and noodles are great in themselves, as is meat. But for the price it was almost not worth it... (kimchi also a tiny portion for almost 7€...)

Tasty, but extremely expensive with very small portions. Price-performance ratio not balanced. The waiting time was too long and the staff was clearly overloaded.

Quite expensive, a bit small, the toilets outside and very cold. The windows were completely fogged up inside. But the service was super friendly. He explained everything to us in detail and the food was delicious.

Delicious ramen and other Japanese delicacies. Gladly again

Authentic Izakaya experience in the middle of Cologne! On Sunday evening we visited DAIKAN IZAKAYA in the beautiful Belgian Quarter. We tried those - Miso Ramen – strong, aromatic, just right for a cozy evening. - Dragon Roll – perfectly rolled, fresh and full of flavor. - Bao Bun with crispy salmon – fluffy, crispy, simply delicious! You sit at large tables with other guests - so not for date night snobs, but great for anyone who likes social dining. The prices are rather high. But for the quality and atmosphere you can treat yourself.

Very tasty ramen and sushi! There was a bit of a wait involved… Food arrived within a few minutes, almost a bit too quickly. Tastes great!

The best japonese cuisine in koln. Highly recommend the dragon rolls and takoyaki.

The ramen is highly recommended. However, for sushi I would go to other places.

It's not easy to really write about a taste explosion these days. This is my second time here and the food here stands out from many restaurants.

The food is good, the service too. We had the Dragon Roll, Ramen, Gyoza and the Dynamite Shrimp. The biggest reason not to go there anymore is the bad air and the smell. The store is always completely full plus a waiting time of 20-40 minutes. All of our clothes smell as if we had cooked and fried the food ourselves. After that, you definitely won't be able to do anything around people anymore. The store cuts corners. The fact that there is no air inside and you smell like it ruins the whole good experience.

Status: January 2025: Unfortunately, the quality has deteriorated significantly, perhaps due to a change in the chef? Very unfortunate. And now you can only eat 2 go-to meals because the windows are completely fogged up and the moisture is dripping down, super disgusting!

A little more expensive food, but fresh and very tasty! Nice and courteous service and a nice, minimalist atmosphere! :) clear recommendation

Everything is delicious and prices are ok

Ramen and ambience great. Inexpensive with not too big portions

Very tasty and very nice service!

Awesome shop. Everything tasted very good and the service was also great

Totally delicious food. Nice atmosphere and super friendly service. Highly recommended 😋🤜🤛

Very nice, extremely tasty, attentive service...gladly again.

A real experience! The Daikan in Cologne not only offers fantastic food, but also an overall package that inspires. I would particularly like to highlight the bartender with the long blonde hair. Not only are his drinks crafted at the highest level, but he also brings an incredibly positive energy and professionalism. He manages to perceive each guest individually and offer a special experience - something like that is rare! You can immediately tell that he puts his heart and soul into his work and enhances the entire ambience. Such employees are worth their weight in gold and definitely deserve recognition, including financially. If anyone deserves a raise, it's him! I will definitely come back – an absolute recommendation!

The ramen was lukewarm and the dumplings were cold. There is still a lot of potential for improvement.

The ramen was the best I have ever eaten in Cologne. Unfortunately it's not really "spicy" but that's no different in Germany. Sushi and gyozas were also very good. Yuzu cheesecake tasted great too. Service was very friendly. The only point here was that we only got the edamame after the main course, even though we specifically said that we would like it in advance. The ambience was probably brought out the best possible, which is feasible in this building and not too expensive. I found the price to be a bit too expensive but it was still within the range. Definitely coming back.

Not a bad restaurant in itself. However, none of the dishes were convincing. I had the DryRamen. They weren't bad but not particularly good either (6.5/10). My girlfriend had the miso ramen which didn't taste like miso :D Nevertheless, they were tasty but nothing special here (7/10). The Tonkatsu Bao was a disappointment. Way too sweet sauce that drowned out almost everything. The other flavors didn't go together at all. (2/10) Especially for €8.50 it's cheeky. Aperol was delicious, However, “triple filtered” tap water (0.75L) for €6.90 is also a disgrace. Don't understand the hype about the restaurant. Maybe we had a bad day. Definitely won't eat here again.

I was there for dinner today, even though it was full, we didn't have to wait long. The atmosphere is very cozy, the food is prepared quickly and the service is attentive and friendly! Successful evening!

Daikan is certainly not a bad restaurant. The food tastes quite good and is presented in an attractive way. But in my opinion the hype is overblown and the ramen is definitely not the best in town. The miso ramen was okay, but the shoyu ramen was not balanced in taste and neither was “spicy”. Unfortunately, when it came to starters, only the takoyaki were completely convincing. The (German?) mayonnaise didn't go well with the karaage and we were totally disappointed with the Wagyu. That could have been completely "normal" beef... Other tapas such as the Dynamite Shrimps were out (shutdown at the supplier?!?). The service seemed a bit overwhelmed by the number of guests, which unfortunately had a negative impact on attentiveness and friendliness.

Something wonderful. Very tasty food 🍱 I ate Ramen here for the first time 🍜 and I see that I will order more often. But the best of all are the gyoza dumplings 🥟. Both those added to the menu of the day and those baked. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

+ very tasty starters/sushi + fast and friendly service + many vegetarian options (including ramen) + Sweet chili brownie with ice cream really good - a bit expensive, especially the ramen, which is at least €16, quite expensive

Schön und super lecker. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Persönliches Highlight - Miso-Ramen 🤤 Geheimtipp - Schrimp Dumplings (unschlagbare Soße) Und sehr freundliche und zuvorkommende Bedienung. Auf jeden Fall eine klare Empfehlung für alle Ramen-Fans und mehr.

Die Speisen sind sehr lecker gewesen,doch für den Preis war die Portion Sushi etwas zu klein. Die Mitarbeiter waren sehr freundlich und kulant.

A very nice atmosphere. Very tasty food 5/5 would come again!

Not my style, but I can see other people enjoying the food there.

An interesting and tasty place. I advise you to visit.

The flavors must be tried, if you do not have a reservation, take into account the waiting time of 15-20 minutes, the only minus is the poor ventilation, after leaving the restaurant mu clothes smelled of oil, but this will not change my score, the prices are affordable

The ramen and bao buns are incredibly delicious. We always come here and leave the restaurant happy. You can order most things vegetarian without having to compromise on the taste.

Best ramen I've had in Germany so far. Not without price, but top quality. Absolutely recommend Miso Ramen.

Super tasty, nice staff always happy, it tasted so much.

Perfect for dinner. Good ramen and a wide variety of side dishes. Maybe not the best ramen in the city but it has a perfect ambiente for slow dinner & cocktails. Unlike typical asian vibe, this place is nice to dress up and enjoy the environment.

The food was very tasty. There were many vegetarian options and you could sit outside. Gladly again!

Nice place and lovely service. Got the shoyu ramen (with spice) and veggie gyozas. Would skip the onions next time but overall very good!

I have been eating regularly at Daikan during the last 4 years and especially after Covid, the food became average, while the service became significantly worse: -With plenty of tables in the back free, they make you wait in the street for the ones close to the window, so that the place looks “busy”. -When you ask to be moved to the table in the back, they make you wait 10 minutes extra - the food is not served at the same time to the diners, so when one has finished the other has not even received the food. - I would not even call it a restaurant, since they sit you in the same table with other people. Only in a Biergarten I have seen that you share table with people you don’t know. Good thing is that you can find Ramen and Sushi under the same roof, but you can find better Ramen in an “only Ramen“ place and better Sushi in an “only sushi” place.

Had a Shoyu ramen (chicken), it was delicious. I have attached a picture in the review. The price was around 17 Euros. I came on a Saturday at 15:30 there was no place available at that time but you can talk to waitresses, they will tell you the wait time, you can walk around until then. The place is accessible by wheelchair in case you are wondering. All in all I would recommend checking it out.

Very tasty ramen (miso chicken), a dream! ☺️ Very nice and quick service. A bit noisy, clothes smell after a visit as part of the kitchen is integrated into the restaurant as a show kitchen. All in all, highly recommended!

Very authentic, delicious food in a cozy but noisy, cramped atmosphere. We were allowed to sit directly at the sushi counter. The work was done very cleanly. You just sit very close to each other. The sushi was very tasty. Everything else we ordered was really good too. Gyoza, chicken, kimchi, etc. We were a little disappointed with the wagyu nigiris. They were a little tougher than we thought and had a strange aftertaste. The ramen is also delicious, but unfortunately our order was taken incorrectly. The ramen is just too expensive - €18. Price-performance ratio is not right. All in all a really nice restaurant.

Daikan offers a variety of small dishes which are prepared very well. Our favorites are Eggplant with miso, Spinach with sesame sauce, Chicken Karaage, Gyoza and cold Ramen just to mention some. One dish stands out because we have never had them this good. The Bao Buns!!! Especially the ones with mushroom are just unbelievably delicious. Consider trying the Ice Tea variations. We liked the Maracuja aroma. The interior is well designed and you are seated comfortably. The place is located in the most popular neighborhoods of Cologne so it’s quite busy. Before or after your visit you can go discover little Boutiques or Cocktailbars.

Food was very tasty (Mesu Ramen) and the ambience looks very nice. However, the food is a bit expensive.

Hello everyone! We recently went to Cologne for a short trip and visited the restaurant thanks to the recommendation of friends. As a starter we had two different bao buns and the TONKATSU BAO with crispy chicken. Both were incredibly tasty, but I liked the TONKATSU BAO with the chicken much better. Afterwards we decided on a delicious SHOYU Ramen, which particularly impressed us because of its intense flavor and spiciness. It wasn't just salty, it was really lovingly prepared! Even though we were already full, we took sushi with us because we were sitting right at the bar and could watch the chefs preparing it. We chose a special sushi with Wagyu. It looked and tasted amazing! Personally, I couldn't taste the Wagyu that much, but my companion could. That's why I recommend you try it yourself and form your own opinion. Overall the restaurant was busy, lively and the music was playing, but that didn't bother us. Even though the seating was tight, everyone somehow still had their own space and it was easy to have a conversation. Despite the hustle and bustle, we were able to enjoy the whole atmosphere and the food to the fullest. The waitresses were very friendly and attentive. The chefs cooked with a lot of calm and passion and impressed us with their creations. A big thank you to the team! I hope my contribution helps you with your decision. Kind regards and have fun!

EIN WIEDERLICHE, schmutziger und stinkender Ort! Ich habe so eine Wut schon lange nicht mehr erlebt! Die Teller hatten Abplatzungen, die Tischlampen verstaubt, der Boden war schmutzig - was für ein Horror-Laden! Wir warteten 45 Minuten auf unser Essen, und die Leute, die nach uns kamen, erhielten sofort das Essen und das Gleiche, wie wir es bestellt hatten! Auf die Frage, was das Problem ist, 2 Suppenteller zu bringen, antwortete uns ein Kellner (ein großer, dürrer blonder Sprössling) unverschämt: "Wenn sie nicht warten wollen, können sie gehen." Ich lasse diese Unverschämtheit einfach nicht zu! Ich werde mich bei dem zentralen Sanitätsdienst der Stadt Köln beschweren! Ich werde keinem raten, dieses schmutzige und überteuerte Loch zu besuchen!

The food was okay! The location is included in the price, but a 0.2l Kölsch for €3.50 is already steep! A bad habit that is spreading in the catering industry is the sale of "SodaStream" water at overpriced prices!

Food is really recommended without exception. The only criticisms: 1) The store is always packed, so the seating is very cramped, 2) We sat in front of the door that leads to the toilets, and they can only be reached via an inner courtyard. That means it drafts quite a bit in winter. The door was also broken and didn't close automatically. Therefore there are 2 points deducted for ambience, otherwise everything is 5 stars, great!

I recently went to Daikan Izakaya and all I can say is: an absolute pleasure! We each had a miso soup and a shio soup - both were really excellent. The taste was authentic, the ingredients were fresh, and you could tell that the cooking here was done with great attention to detail. We were also impressed by the ambience. The restaurant is located in the middle of Cologne city center and offers a super cozy and inviting atmosphere. Perfect to relax and enjoy good food after a long day. I can really only recommend the Daikan Izakaya and will definitely come back here again and again!

Überteuert, dreckig, ewige Zeit auf Essen gewartet,ein Klo ohne Pissoir für hunderte Gäste,auf dem Hinterhof wie Baustelle, vollgepisst, Sperma an Spiegel und Fliesen.Eckelhaft aber hip.

Super Personal, super Essen. Sehr empfehlenswert! Kamen mit hohen Erwartungen hierhin und es wurde nicht enttäuscht. Personal kam direkt auf einen zu. Essen war schnell da und sehr lecker.

Miso Ramen was too salty and lacked flavor. Kimchi was good and salmon teppanyaki was as expected. I was hoping for a more rich and tasty ramen…maybe it was just an off night? First time here and just in town for a few days …

Wow! That was just great! Fantastic sushi with super unusual creations, great ramen, delicious cocktails and such great service! We'll be back! Thank you for the great afternoon!

Super tasty ramen. In combination with delicious sushi. It's nice to sit outside and the service is very attentive. Free music from house number 11 ;)

We ate very well again. At the counter, with good cocktails and great service. We would be happy to come back next time we are in Cologne.

It was very good! It's quite expensive but frankly, the dishes are good and the servers are very nice. I will definitely go back!

Always worth a visit on a trip to Cologne!

Our long-awaited visit to Daikan finally took place. I had been wanting to visit this restaurant for 3 years, but something kept coming up. This time, however, it succeeded. What should I tell you? Every minute and every bite of ramen was extremely worth it. A powerful and flavorful broth. I ordered the miso ramen in spicy. It could have been a lot spicier for my taste, but the broth has a wide range of different nuances. The texture of the noodles and the pak choi was very convincing. Corn was unusual for me, but it fit extremely well. The meat was spicy. The soy sauce pickled egg was perfect. Both the note of soy sauce and the texture. Perfectly cooked. Will definitely visit Daikan often. A manageable map, but that doesn't necessarily have to be interpreted negatively. Even positive for me. The other two ramens on the menu should be careful of me soon. The bao buns and sushi also looked outstanding.

Went here spontaneously today, the sushi and bowl were super tasty and very nice service.