Daikan Izakaya Bar in Köln

⭐️⭐️ (actually 5, but based on my last experience, only 2) As a regular customer, I really enjoy going to Daikan because, in my opinion, the ramen there is simply the best in town – the taste, quality, and atmosphere are usually always on point. Yesterday, however, I had a situation that was quite disappointing: I ordered my ramen soup as usual, with the small request for a little more broth, as it's sometimes a bit short. Instead of simply serving me half a ladle more, as usual, I was served a whole additional bowl (alongside my ordered ramen) with broth. This was then added to the bill for €5. On the one hand, that was way too much liquid (that's not how I ordered it), and on the other hand, I was honestly surprised because I've never had to pay extra for that in all my visits there. When I asked the waitress about it, she said she'd been instructed to do this recently: bring a full bowl of broth and charge for it. Unfortunately, that doesn't make any sense to me at all—it doesn't seem customer-oriented or logical. I think it's a shame because I really love the place and am usually always happy. But this practice has honestly frustrated me. I sincerely hope Daikan reconsiders how it handles such minor issues—because upsetting regulars just because they want half a ladle more soup would be completely unnecessary. I ended up paying almost €28 for a soup and a drink, which seems excessive to me and makes me reconsider whether this is actually beneficial for both parties in the long run.

Incredibly delicious and great service!

Very tasty, authentic ramen, in my opinion. The kimichi and lemonade were also great. There's only one restroom, but it's clean. The ambiance is very dark; it could be a bit more cozy.

We ate at DAIKAN IZAKAYA today and were not disappointed. We had seen the place in a few YouTube videos, so we were quite curious. The ramen definitely won us over. It tasted excellent, and the spicy miso was just the right amount of spice. The homemade lemonades were also delicious and highly recommended. The service was really good. The two girls were very friendly and attentive, even though the place was quite busy. We weren't negatively surprised by the price either. That's a common criticism in the reviews, but we're from Freiburg and are used to a lot ;) The ambiance is the only thing I deduct. It's right on the street outside a parking garage. Inside, we found it quite dark, and the restrooms... mediocre. All in all, though, an absolute recommendation. We'll be back on our next visit to Cologne.

The dragon rolls are incredibly delicious! But everything else was great too.

We ate ramen here. It's not bad, and it tastes good. But I've often had better ramen, with larger portions, for the same or less money.

Super delicious vegetarian ramen. The atmosphere is lovely and the service is friendly :) I can only recommend wearing clothes that don't mind smelling strongly of Asian cuisine afterward. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable due to the open kitchen.

We stood outside for a while, waiting for someone to let us in. Eventually, it was too crowded inside, so we sat down outside. The staff seemed overwhelmed, because it took 10 minutes for someone to take our order, and then they even forgot the edamame. But the food was ultimately very tasty, to be fair. I wouldn't rule out another visit, but I'd happily go inside to get a feel for the ambiance and other features!

I'll primarily evaluate our experience with the food. The service was not only very attentive, but also exemplary. The ambiance, whether sitting on the street or inside, is unfortunately not very exciting. The only downside to the gyozas was that they weren't warm. The shio was quite good, with a decent amount of spice. The shoyu was brilliant, especially because of the strong broth. Only once did I have a broth that was even better. The chicken in both dishes was very well cooked, slightly fatty, and therefore very flavorful. The eggs were perfect. The noodles had a great consistency and absorbed the broth. The dragon roll and nigiri were considerably better than at most Japanese restaurants we've visited so far. Since the portions aren't very large, to be honest, we treated ourselves to the chocolate gyoza: four dumplings with gyoza dough, filled with warm chocolate and salted caramel sauce – an absolute hit!

Incredibly good food and great service! The chicken wings and bao buns are especially recommended—seriously delicious! A cool place with a great atmosphere, absolutely worth a visit.

Great, great…great ramen! Very nice personal as well!

Really nice ramen, the broth was amazing. First time that i saw mushrooms as a topping and it was delicious. Only downside was that the egg was hard boiled wich is a bit of a shame. The staff was really nice despite the large amount of customers. Would absolutely return!

Simply amazing every time. I recommend the miso eggplant as a starter.

Mercilessly overpriced, mediocre food. Someone's jumped on the Japanese bandwagon and is selling noodle soups that are all okay, but too small for the price and they don't know anything about ramen. We were fooled by the name. Not recommended.

Yes, we can do this with a clear conscience! Great service and the food was also delicious! Definitely a top choice.

We had lunch today: three gyoza, one ramen, and a small drink for under €25. The price was absolutely reasonable, and it tasted amazing! If I'm ever in the area again, I'll be back.

The food is amazing, especially the ramen, which is famous in Cologne. There's a few outdoor seating options, which are also nice—but more "authentic" than "cozy." Still, it's worth it—a definite recommendation. Even if parking is difficult in the Belgian Quarter... the parking garage is almost directly across the street.

A must for ramen fans! Great Japanese food in a lovely atmosphere.

A bit more expensive, but the sushi and the Miso Ramen Hot are delicious.

Good food, but quite expensive. The ramen was tasty and fresh, but nothing particularly outstanding in terms of taste. We paid around €55 for two people – the value for money is on the higher end. However, the service was very friendly and attentive. Overall, a solid visit, but there are cheaper alternatives with comparable quality.

The food was quite good, but overpriced. The service was also quite good. We sat outside, and it's not so great when pedestrians constantly walk past your table and stare.

Simply unbelievably delicious. Everything we had was incredibly good – appetizers, sushi, and ramen. The service was super friendly, and vegan options were available for everything. We'll definitely go again!

The food at the restaurant looked very fancy, but it didn't have any particular flavor. It's not like I'd want to come here every day. The sushi was beautifully presented, but the taste was rather bland. I ordered an iced tea, which was delicious—like you'd get at other places. I also ordered a bau bun, which was interesting, but because it was quite spicy, I couldn't really taste it. Overall, this is a good restaurant in Cologne if you like fancy food and variety. I don't know if I was just unlucky that day or if it's always like that.

Do not come to this place if you’re looking for authentic Asian food. The Ramen was sub-par, and the rest of the dishes were just okay probably at best a 6 out of 10. But the reason why im taking the time to write this novel of a review is because of the terrible service. When we came in, one of the two waiters were eating and drinking at the bar while all the customers were dining. No problem initially as we assumed they prob had a busy lunch service and she couldn’t have lunch. Didn’t bother us too much. Then, they were both were going outside multiple times to smoke at the restaurant front, leaving zero wait staff available in the restaurant. More than once, when people wanted to pay, there was no one around to assist. When we paid, our waiter asked if we would like to leave a tip, and I told him to round it up to the whole number, which makes the “tip” about 80cents. (Note it was never meant to be a tip, just to make my bank transactions more fluid… obviously at this rate we weren’t planning to leave a tip) The waiter was SO upset. And he made sure we knew it. He grabbed the check and the machine out of our hands, and tossed it back onto the bar counter, annoyed, all while shaking his head vigorously. We said goodbye as we left and he ignored us. I’m taking time to write this, because we were extremely disappointed. Not by the food but by the staff. I hope the restaurant takes the time to train their staff better, especially at the price point they’re commanding. At this rate, we’re better off getting a kebab.

I've had the best ramen here so far. Unfortunately, the prices are a bit high.

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.

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 :)

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

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.

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.

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.👍👍👍

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

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

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!

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.

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.

Very friendly and personable staff, very tasty food!

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.

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'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€...)

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.

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

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!

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.

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 😋🤜🤛

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!

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

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.

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

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

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.