Taku

Taku sits in the lobby-level lounge of the Excelsior Hotel Ernst. The 160-year-old grande-dame hotel that faces Cologne Cathedral across a narrow pedestrian square. The restaurant was conceived as the hotel's answer to the question of what 'serious Asian dining' means in Germany, and has held one Michelin star since 2016.

Chef Mirko Gaul trained in Thailand and Singapore before returning to Germany, and the menu reflects his thesis that no single Asian tradition can represent 'Asia'. Taku's seven-course tasting draws from Thai, Chinese (both Cantonese and Sichuan), Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Japanese kitchens, with each course executed by a specialist on the team. The Peking duck, served with the classic accompaniments and a side of duck fried rice, is one of the best examples of the dish north of Bangkok.

The dining room is deliberately not 'Asian-themed'. Instead, it reads as a refined modern European room with East Asian art and objects, which lets the food occupy the entire sensory register. The wine list is unusually comprehensive for an Asian kitchen: strong in Alsatian and German Riesling (which pair exceptionally with most of the menu), but also Grüner Veltliner, Burgundy, and a considered sake list.

The hotel itself. The Excelsior Hotel Ernst. Has been the address of choice for visiting dignitaries in Cologne since 1863, and dinner at Taku is often paired with a stay. The cathedral is three minutes on foot; the Rhine is six.

Taku works beautifully as a first-date venue for a diner who eats widely. The tasting menu removes the ordering pressure, the pan-Asian range gives you a conversation handle every two courses, and the hotel setting suggests an event without being overbearing. Ask for table 7, in the corner facing the windows.