Parlin

Parlin in Düsseldorf's Altstadt had been right near the top of my list of restaurants I have to visit for a long time - after all, owner Beata Heusner claims to serve the best of Paris and Berlin beneath one of the most beautiful stucco ceilings in Düsseldorf. And it was not just the owner: many people I know had often recommended the place to me, and the press had already sung its praises more than once. So it was high time to see for myself.

Last week the moment finally came, and I managed to grab a table for Thursday evening. That does not seem to be a given here, because when we walked...