ZEN in Köln

Super pleasant service, great ambience and great food

Very nice location, friendly service, delicious food. However, a little more expensive compared to similar locations in Cologne. And no parking spaces. So, arrive by bike.

Great food, warm an welcoming owners/staff

Definitely the best sushi I've had in Germany so far. Wagyu and Sake Maki were just great. The last time I had salmon this good was in Norway

Both the starters and the sushi were above average. Everything was spicy and delicate. The fish was tender and mostly mild, not “fishy”. And the dishes are also a visual delight. The drink selection is good. The service is more than friendly, it conveys the feeling of original Japanese friendliness and at the same time service, which is unfortunately rarely found in German gastronomy. The ambience is nice, although this is the wrong place if you want discreet peace and quiet. When it's full, you sit close to each other. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether this is a disadvantage, but we still found it pleasant here. The quality makes the food a little more expensive than elsewhere, but the food and everything around it are worth the money in my opinion. We'll be back!

Visited Zen with my big family, 9 people in total. Our waiter took our order seriously and very friendly. We asked for kids first to be served and so he took kids order and came shortly after. Their Ebi Tempura rolls (10 pcs) is highly recommended! Sure thing we’ll get back whenever we visit Bonn again

Very nice restaurant. Matching music in the background. A nice simple and modern facility. Good service. The food was super tasty and beautifully prepared. For grilled dishes, I would recommend a bowl of rice with it. The portions are small and the prices are a bit too high for me. Therefore overall only 4 stars for me.

Since I live in the neighborhood, I've been eating there for about 7 years. Delicious. But the service and the price do not match. It's always been super easy to call them, place an order and then pick it up. Unfortunately that is over. I called several times today and no one answered. Then I stopped by (was on the way anyway) to order directly and the waiting time would have been 40 minutes. On a Sunday at 5:15 p.m. In a high-priced restaurant of this type, the service orientation may be different. At a snack bar I wouldn't have cared. Or to put it another way: In this price segment, I don't feel like making phone calls or waiting 40 minutes for my takeaway food.

Extremely good, probably the best sushi in Cologne

Great Japanese restaurant with authentic cuisine. Good selection, fresh and excellently served. Attentive service

Absolut lecker. Sehr frische Qualität. Netter Service. Hätte mir nur gewünscht, der Corona Status wäre überprüft worden.

We really enjoyed the great sushi, especially sitting right at the sushi counter. Super friendly service too!

Nice restaurant, very very good food and first class service. We'll definitely be back.

Simply delicious. The sushi is to die for. The staff is super friendly. I was received very nicely. You will be treated calmly and courteously. Although I only ordered takeaway, the atmosphere in the store is pleasant. Quiet, cozy, clean. Thanks!

Reserved in the morning, eaten deliciously in the evening. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the food or the service. The food was very good and the service was also very good and attentive. The only small criticism was that it was quite cold at the tables in the entrance area, which was very uncomfortable in the long run. All in all, a highly recommended restaurant!

Upscale, modern Japanese restaurant. Incredibly good. Fantastic flavors and works of art that melt in your mouth. Creations/products that are otherwise rarely found (e.g. spinach with sesame or tuna belly) are also offered. This restaurant is not only a recommendation, but also worth the longer journey - this is one of the reasons why we repeatedly come from Frankfurt to Cologne and combine it with a city trip!

Very friendly, helpful and attentive staff. Food very good.

We had a great evening with family there, all food was delicious, the atmosphere was cosy, service was super-fast. Thank you guys!

Very tasty food, perfect sushi and delicious Wagyu, friendly service

Nice restaurant with a small menu and excellent food. We had various sushis, all of which were very good. Plus tempura and beef. Everything is great! Only Japanese people work in the restaurant and they take great care of the guests.

Great Japanese restaurant with a great ambience, very nice service and great food. The sushi in particular is great. No matter whether you choose simple, classic versions or slightly more unusual variations: the food is always fresh, delicious and beautifully presented.

Our absolute favorite restaurant for sushi! We always come here when we crave sushi. The quality is excellent every time - fresh ingredients, beautifully prepared, the taste is great. A 10 out of 10. The service is very friendly and attentive, and the ambience is cozy and inviting. The only thing that bothers us is the noise of the people who also come here to eat.

We went there spontaneously and "only" got a seat at the counter, which turned out to be the best seat in the location. Despite our ignorance, we were well looked after by the staff and were able to make up for our cultural deficits very well. The food was to die for. After we finished I felt like applauding. The best restaurant I have ever visited. The volcano rolls were fabulously prepared and offered an escalation in taste.

Delicious food. Very nice service. Specific preparation times were pointed out. Were compensated with a goodie on the house.

Excellent food, excellent service and, even after years, still an incredibly great and uniquely relaxed atmosphere to eat out (even as a vegan/vegetarian). 🙏🏻🍀 Starters, main courses and even the ice cream were absolutely no challenge for the entire team even half an hour before the end of the day thanks to our pre-ordering of the menu by telephone. On the contrary, everyone was incredibly friendly and accommodating. 🤩 Thank you from the bottom of my heart 💕

Had dinner there on business during the trade fair. All dishes were excellent. The sushi was particularly delicious and can best be described with the word “smooth”. The taste was very well matched. I can recommend the restaurant without hesitation and would be happy to come back.

The beef slices are the absolute highlight!! A very good Japanese restaurant that deserves more attention!

One of the Best Japanese Restaurants in EU that we have tasted…. very authentic. You will not regret coming.. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

All around great Japanese restaurant - keep it up

Top food, top service and top ambience. Prices correspond to the level.

Exceptional food. Service could be more precise.

Great Japanese restaurant in Cologne Lindenthal. Authentic dishes, courteous staff trained in Japanese restraint and a nice atmosphere. High but justifiable price level. Update 09/24: Still a top experience.

Very good, authentic preparation of Japanese food, very good quality! Extremely pleasant and friendly service. Absolutely recommended!

One of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve ever been to.

Sensational! The food was of very high quality. The service excellent. There is nothing to complain about. 100% recommended. Price performance and quality are completely consistent. If I'm in Cologne again, this restaurant is a must. Many thanks to the team for the lovely evening.

Nice atmosphere, attentive and friendly staff!

One of the better Japanese in Cologne and has been for years now. Great friendly staff

I am truly amazed by the taste of authentic Japanese food and culture here. Every food item we had ordered was carefully crafted and the ingredients were simply of the best quality. Very polite and friendly service!

My mother and I love this restaurant so much!! The food is incredibly good and I can only recommend Zen.

Very attentive service, very good food - thank you!!

For me still the best sushi in town.

A clear recommendation: We ate the most delicious and high-quality sushi we've ever had here! The service is also super friendly and accommodating. Also great with a dog.

Very nicely decorated shop with a few seats outside. Great ambience! The food was delicious and the service was very attentive.

Just amazing. Service the best I ever had since coming back from Japan. Authentic flair with all staff speaking Japanese and the fish quality and sushi overall just delicious. Highly recommend, thanks for having us!

We tried this restaurant today as an anniversary dinner because we discovered it as a "recommendation" in the Guide de Michelin. The restaurant is located in a quiet and decentralized location in Lindenthal and is ideal for walking through the park/environment or by bike. We were warmly welcomed by the beautifully dressed service in the first room, which is equipped with a small drinks bar, and placed in the second room with a counter to the kitchen. Inside, the restaurant has a uniformly dark and minimalist design and focuses on the food. These were also very well prepared and presented attractively on different materials/dishes. In my opinion, almost all of the dishes/elements were fresh, with two small exceptions that were noticeably “older”. But given the fact that people eat in Cologne and daily fresh delivery would be difficult, this is entirely justifiable. The service as such was very friendly, but not comprehensibly structured in terms of roles. We had several “contacts,” which dampened the atmosphere somewhat and made the experience impersonal. Nevertheless, and especially because of the beautiful atmosphere and good food, we can recommend the restaurant. But we also believe that the team and the restaurant would have the potential to receive a real star if they were consistent in the service and quality of the ingredients.

Great service, great sushi, delicious soups, great meat. My favorite in Cologne 2024

Thank you for the wonderful evening. We couldn't have made a better choice with the surprise menu. We'll definitely be back!

A place full of respect and courtesy towards guests. The food is delicious, we felt completely comfortable.

Zen Restaurant offers an outstanding culinary experience that enchants the senses. From the first greeting we felt welcomed and in good hands by the friendly and attentive staff. The atmosphere at Zen is inviting and stylish. The cuisine is simply excellent. Each dish is a masterpiece in itself, perfectly prepared and with a sophisticated balance of flavors. The variety of flavors presented here is impressive and leaves nothing to be desired. Particularly noteworthy are the fresh ingredients and the creative presentation of the dishes, which are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate. A visit here is absolutely recommended and we would be happy to come back.

First time, very nice place, quiet environment, very good food, we took the 8-course tasting menu with very good wagyu meat, the rest was all quality and very well balanced, absolutely worth repeating

I am a regular customer at ZEN and have not been disappointed at all or very rarely. The staff tries very hard to accommodate guests' wishes and is very friendly. The food is of a very high quality and you think you are in Japan, although the atmosphere is there too. Seating directly in front of the sushi counter and the black walls work very well together. Tip: the Volcanoroll is simply great! It may not be the cheapest, but the price-performance ratio is right.

Best sushi - in Cologne in any case. Perhaps there may be a similar level in Ddorf, Munich or Frankfurt - certainly not in Cologne. A Japanese sushi master makes nigiris that you can do with your eyes closed - and of course without dipping them in additional soy sauce!! - should be enjoyed to enjoy the flavors of the perfect slightly warm rice and tane. There is a sushi omakase at the bar where the master prepares it one piece at a time and you eat the nigiri in the order the sushi master prepares them. A pleasure in a class of its own. Suzuki sushi shokunin-sama, subarashii sushi or arigatou gozaimashita.* (*Hope this is translated correctly…)

Extremely high quality! Nice, friendly service and a restaurant decorated in a classic Japanese, dark, cool, noble style! Very expensive, but absolutely worth it. Probably top 3 sushi in Cologne in terms of quality!

Everything is just great! Absolute recommendation!

Convinced me about sushi. Pleasant atmosphere. Beef, salmon and starters top. Can only recommend it. But only with reservation.

We were very satisfied. Food very tasty, staff very friendly and atmosphere also very good.

good but not great. too pricey with only avh service

The food was varied in terms of taste and was definitely convincing. The service was very friendly and accommodating. Unfortunately the space at the door wasn't optimal. Overall, I deducted one star for the price-performance ratio because I found it to be incomprehensibly expensive at one point or another.

Very good and high quality sushi. The food is very nicely prepared and the service staff are friendly. Absolutely recommended.

Great restaurant with very friendly staff

Very authentic atmosphere. Places for front cooking and excellent food. The Udon frame is a stunner!

Pleasant atmosphere. Food good, but not cheap. To fill you up you have to eat at least 3 courses, then you'll spend around €30 to 35 per person. plus drinks. But you also get very tasty dishes.

I sat at the sushi bar and was able to enjoy the evening with the two masters - very good sushi! Many of the people who complain in the reviews here have no idea about sushi. I had a tartare to start with and sensational fusion rolls! Can recommend the store - as well as a reservation.

We were there on Tuesday evening. Incredibly delicious and absolutely top service. We will be back

Simply ZENsational, especially the Vulcano Roll!!

very friendly and loving service - it was nice to see at the counter how the employees seemed to enjoy their work and get along. very, very pleasant atmosphere supported by the music and the interior design. the tea was tasty and the food was fine. an experience for all senses. Afterwards we were very relaxed.

Very nice restaurant and great ambience! The food is freshly prepared and you can even watch. We recommend! We'd love to come back.

Food, service and ambience 5/5 stars - absolute recommendation!

I always enjoy eating here. The staff is super friendly and accommodating, the sushi is also very tasty! I only found the tuna sashimi to be much too lean and the Wagyu nigiri was unfortunately not tender. All in all, one of the best sushi shops in Cologne, which is also reflected in the price.

Delicious sushi, the gyozas were great and the service was also on point. No wonder the restaurant is recommended by the Michelin Guide. A great evening and, for me, the best Japanese restaurant in Cologne

As with the previous speakers, I agree with the original tone. High quality food of good quality. The price makes you swallow at first, but the quantity is enough to fill you up.

We were very happy with the food and the service. The sushi tasted very good and the dessert was also very tasty! 🙏

Qualitativ hervorragende japanische Küche bzw. Sushi. Immer gerne wieder!

Amazing food, probably the best japanese restaurant in Germany.

The quality of the food and the service is so good that you won't believe you are in Germany. Japanese restaurant in a quiet residential area The store has a calm atmosphere. There was a wide variety of menu items, including appetizer salads, snacks, sushi, and udon noodles. I'm not a big fan of raw fish, but I ordered the grilled salmon carpaccio, and the salmon had no odor and had just the right amount of fat.It was grilled, giving it a slightly fragrant flavor, and it went well with the slightly sour dressing, making it an impressive dish. . The fried chicken was exactly the same as the one I had in Japan, and it brought me to tears. This is a really recommended store.

Delicious, high quality food, always a treat, and the service is very good and friendly. We go here for special occasions and really look forward to it each time.

Sehr gute Speisen Qualität es hat wunderbar geschmeckt...

Unglaublich lecker! Ich habe noch nie in meinem Leben so gut gegessen! Das Essen war perfekt! War zwar teuer aber mal muss man sich was gönnen! Zu empfehlen ist auf jeden Fall die Volcano Roll!

Best Sushi in Cologne by far. Very pricey but the quality and service are appropriate for the level of pricing.

Gutes, eingedeutschtes japanisches Essen.

Modernes ruhiges Ambiente, bequeme Bänke, trotz hoher Auslastung einigermaßen gute Akustik. Wir haben uns wohl gefühlt. Der Service ist sehr aufmerksam und schnell, leider manchmal etwas hektisch. Der Lachs Teriyaki war gut gegart, die Sauce fand ich ausbalanciert und die anderen Gerichte am Tisch waren ebenfalls lecker. Für mich war das einzige Manko beim Hauptgang die wirklich winzige Gemüseportion - 2 Löffelchen Sojasprossen, 2 Paprikaschnitze und ein Brokkoliröschen. Hier werde ich beim nächsten Mal vorher genauer nachfragen. Wir kommen bestimmt wieder!

Sehr gutes Essen in einer sehr ansprechenden, modernen Atmosphäre. Das (überwiegend?) japanische Personal macht das Erlebnis sehr authentisch. Wir haben uns zu zweit ein paar Vorspeisen und drei der Ura-Maki Rollen geteilt. Preis Leistung aufgrund der tollen Qualität der Lebensmittel angemessen. Sehr schöne Präsentation der Speisen und sehr freundliches Personal. Gerne bald wieder!

The appetizers were great but the main (rolls and sushi) were not a good fusion.

Das Essen war perfekt. Das Restaurant hat eine super Atmosphäre und das Personal war freundlich. Was will man mehr :)

Ein angenehmes Ambiente, Hunde erlaubt. Das Essen ist hervorragend und der Service sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend. Wir bestellen oft aber vor Ort schmeckt es noch besser!

Wunderschönes Ambiente, super Service und fantastisches Essen ❤️

Sehr chickes modernes dennoch warmes Lokal mit kleinen feinen Details wie den Tischuntersetzern. Das Restaurant ist sehr gepflegt und sauber. Das Personal war zuvorkommend, freundlich und aufmerksam. Preis/Leistung stimmt hier absolut. Die Qualität des Essens war hervorragend und einfach eine Freude für den Gaumen. Sehr empfehlenswert.

Außergewöhnlich, super leckere Sachimi, ansprechend angerichtet, eine Geschmacksexplosion!

Das ZEN ist schlicht eine einzige Offenbarung. Meines Erachtens der beste Japaner Kölns. Ganz schlicht in einer normalen Wohnstraße in Lindenthal gelegen, verbirgt sich ein asiatisches, kulinarisches Feuerwerk. Die Karte ist sehr umfangreich, die Preise gehoben (aber gerechtfertigt). Man sollte unbedingt reservieren, zumindest, wenn man eine Gruppe von mehr als zwei Personen ist. Die Küche ist teilweise offen, so das man bei der Zubereitung der Speisen zuschauen kann. Insgesamt eine einhundertzehnprozentige Empfehlung. P.S. Aug. 23: Das ZEN ist mittlerweile auf der gegenüberliegenden Straße und viel größer. Sehr angenehm.

I cant believe this place is recommended on Michelin. Honestly I dont know if the german standards os sushi are these bad or its just the restaurant! Ordered the 10 sushi plate and none of them were good! You need to beg the waiter to come! Place is nice but definitely a bad experience

Eines der besten japanischen Restaurants in Köln.

Perfektes Essen und Service! Alles schmeckt phantastisch. Nie so gutes Huhn gegessen. Die Suppen ein Gedicht.

Ich mach's kurz: Eine kulinarische Meisterleistung!💪 Wer hier noch nicht war, hat was in seinem Leben verpasst 🤌 jeder der das liest; Reserviert euch einen Tisch und überzeugt euch selbst 🤍

Super lecker und in der neuen Location noch besser als vorher.

Eines der besten japanischen Restaurants kölns

Eine kulinarische Reise der Extraklasse Von Anfang bis Ende war unser Besuch im ZEN eine außergewöhnliche Erfahrung. Das Restaurant strahlt eine elegante Atmosphäre aus. Das Interieur ist geschmackvoll gestaltet und vermittelt ein Gefühl von Ruhe und Gelassenheit. Und dann noch diese perfekt passende Hintergrundmusik!! Das Personal war äußerst zuvorkommend und professionell. Wir wurden herzlich begrüßt und zu unserem Tisch. Sie waren stets präsent, ohne aufdringlich zu sein! Jedes Gericht war ein Kunstwerk für sich und wurde mit großer Sorgfalt präsentiert. Die Aromen waren perfekt ausbalanciert. Jeder Bissen war eine Geschmacksexplosion. Besonders beeindruckend war das Sushi, welches direkt vor unserer Nase zubereitet wurde. Jeder Bissen schmolz förmlich auf der Zunge und hinterließ einen unvergesslichen Geschmack. Die Präsentation des Sushis war ebenfalls bemerkenswert, mit kunstvollen Arrangements und einer Liebe zum Detail. Der Service war von Anfang bis Ende makellos. Alles in allem war unser Besuch im ZEN eine unvergessliche Erfahrung.

Eindeutig unser Lieblingssushi ... seit dem Umzug auch deutlich mehr Platz ... freundlicher und zuvorkommender Service und einfach leckeres Essen ... nicht der Günstigste im Ort ... aber jeden Euro wert ...

Innenarchitonisch sehr geschmackvoll, sushi und sashimi hervorragend frisch, mitarbeiter sehr höflich und freundlich. Also kann man köstliches im minimalistisch schönen ambiente geniessen! Ich möchte zu ZEN wieder kommen❣️

Amazing sashimis, delicious fusion makis, nice selection of sake... The place and the dishes are beautifully. Professional service. Enough said!

Gutes Essen, wenn auch nicht gerade Spitze, guter und freundlicher Service, angemessene Preise. Angenehmes Ambiente. Einige Sitzplätze an der Bar, die meisten an Tischen.