Zum Schlüssel

Great classic Altstadt brewery with a lively, old-school vibe. The Altbier is fresh and perfectly poured, and the staff keeps things moving even when it’s busy. Food is hearty and traditional—ideal with a couple of beers. It can get loud and crowded at peak times, but that’s part of the experience

Very nice restaurant to taste local food . We try different tastes and all was nice. If you want to try local Germany food is a place you have to visit. The ssrvice was very good, they direct us what food we should try. The place is decorated with taste and is tide and clean.

Really good brewery with great food, we took the traditional sausage and gulash, the meat was tender and full of taste! The beer is also great, half and half option is so mild that you probably can drink quite a lot (maybe even too much :) ) of it. The staff was also really nice even though it was really busy!

Fantastic traditional brewery and restaurant in the main bar/restaurant street. You can find all traditional dishes and great local beer produced in the brewery. Atmosphere and vibe is as to be expected, whole place is nicely decorated in the same manner. Thumb up!

We celebrated a birthday here with a large group and ordered many dishes. Everything was brought very quickly, and all the food was delicious! The beer was very fresh and tasty as well. The staff were incredibly friendly. In the photos: my husband before the Schweinshaxe and after 😄 Highly recommend this place!

I’ve been to Germany four times and tried pork knuckle in different pubs and restaurants. Unfortunately, this was the worst I’ve had. The presentation was fine, but the meat was extremely loose in texture and very dry. By the way, their home-brewed beer was actually quite good.

Very good food. The atmosphere was friendly and the waiters speak English. The beer was only 2.5 euros per glass and the food was amazing.

Visited for dinner as part of a large group on a business trip. Beer was served fast and on a regular basis, just had to put a beer mat on the glass to stop the service. Food was as expected, good but clearly served in high volumes, great choice on menu and some very traditional offerings. Recommend a visit. Beer and food good!

This is an authentic German brewery from everything from old German cuisine to the beer and, certainly, the atmosphere. The service was great and the portions were hearty. When you go to a brewery you need to order their specialty, which we did. We had a great time; everything was delicious: and we left completely satisfied. By the way, the Eisbein is enough for two people, and that's no joke.

Hands down one of the best meals EVER! Do not miss this place the Pork Knuckle was off the charts. I cannot say enough about our experience here! The waitstaff was kind and courteous with our bad pronunciations. They're fine with pointing!! A good time was had by all GET THE PORK KNUCKLE!!!!

Ein Highlight für jeden, der einmal nach Düsseldorf kommt. Das Essen kommt rasch, ist deftig und absolut lecker. Das Bier ist suffig und es ist schwer aufzuhören, wenn man einmal damit angefangen hat. Der Schmorbraten, die Schweinshaxe und das Bier waren 1A. Ich komme gerne wieder.

If you are looking for a traditional German beer hall that serves authentic local dishes, this is a can't miss place. Don't expect to find salads, sushi, smoothies or anything light here. It's all about alt beer, sausages, schnitzel, sauerkraut and potatoes. A big place that pumps out food and beer by the bucketload. When you drink beer in places like this, they are served in pretty small glasses, and the heavy foam leaves you with about a 2/3 full glass. Not to worry since the beer is cheap and it just keeps coming. They all have paper coasters and the waiter just keeps bringing new beers and adding tally check marks on the coaster until you are comatose. Add up the check marks at the end and then pay. It's always cold, fresh and delicious. The food was pretty damn good, too. I opted for a big plate of fresh pork knuckle chunks in a light beer sauce gravy, served with red cabbage, mashed potatoes with onions, and sauerkraut. Absolutely delicious but not exactly a light lunch. Good service and decent enough prices for this touristy area.

A typical German style Bierhall with great history! Their Altbier is excellent and they will keep the glasses coming until you tell them to stop. I have been coming here for many years, but this is the first review. Several friends and I dined there recently and had several items from the menu, I had a bratwurst platter which came with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, all excellent, Other things that were had that night were pork knuckles, which, while not as good as Bavaria, were fine and crispy. The blood sausage was excellent, if you like that. The only think missing on my dinner was gravy, I asked and he brought an entire tureen, which really made the meal. This is a great place just to sit and drink beer, but if you want to eat, you will be happy.

This was a great place to start off for Karneval! A big place that still feels good. The beer was good and service was excellent. Plenty of places to sit or stand to enjoy a beverage or food. Unfortunately as it was Karneval there was no food to order. Will stop by again when it is not Karneval. The front window was great to enjoy some beers and people watch.

I'm sure this is a tourist place, but I don't care, I am a tourist, after all. I liked that it was beer-centric and that's what we came for. Even with two kids, we were treated like any other customer, it was wonderful. Germans make beer part of their lives that even with children around it, they don't frown upon it like Americans do. "Drinking beer in front of children?!? How dare you!" We Americans are way too uptight. Anyway, the decor here is rustic, typical German bar but I liked it that way. The Altbier was a typical refill without us asking and it was served to us as if it's water in the United States. Refills without asking. I'm not a beer person but in Europe, I drink it because it's good! :) We ordered sauerbraten with purple cabbage and potato balls for my husband and a rhineland potato soup for him to start. I got a nice salad to start and the Schlussel Krustchen - schnitzel served with fried egg, fried potatoes for my entree. My kids got sausages aka hot dogs for their plate. Everything was good and the price was moderately priced. I'm glad we stopped in, nice little place for a good meal.

Great food, great service, okay Alt. I really enjoyed my dinner here. The service was fast and efficient. The food was great - I had the day's special schnitzel with a collection of sides (included). The interior is a classical German brew pub of the finest (rustic) ambience. I love this place. Schlüssel Alt isn't my favorite, but the great service and pleasant atmosphere make this place a much better choice than Uerige.

I'd been in Germany for about a week and I still hadn't got around to actually having a good old German pub meal, so I decided to rectify that by having lunch here (and with one more day in Germany I'm really going to have to find another pub for a meal, this time in Essen). Anyway, I decided to go from something really tradition while my brother settled on the black pudding (I had the sauerbrauten, if only for the sauerkraut, which actually isn't all that bad). Needless to say that the meal was delicious. They also have this special beer which they claim is 160 years old, but if that is the case then it would be a really expensive beer (which it wasn't). As for the restaurant, like a lot of the German restaurants the inside is absolutely gorgeous, and apparently they have won multiple awards as well. Definitely a place worth checking out.

My first Altbier ... in my life. This pub is supposed to brew a less bitter manifestation of AltBier. I usually like to wait for nightfall before having a beer, but since the sun does not set until 10pm in July, this beer tasting could not wait. So, off we went "to the key" (Zum Schlussel). It did not disappoint. The pub is traditional and is surrounded by sports bars. An oasis of German suds.

For our first meal in Düsseldorf, we asked for recommendations and were told overwhelmingly that we must go to Zum Schlüssel for Alt Bier and traditional German food..so we did! We had great service, food, and beer! I took the "Spanferkel-Bratwürstchen mit Weinsauerkraut, Kartoffelpüree, Speck und Zwiebeln" or "Pork bangers with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, bacon and onions"" and my husband took the "Hausschlachtplatte - Variation aus Knoblauch- und gebackener Blutwurst, Leberkloß, Speckscheibe mit Sauerkraut und Zwiebelpüree" or "Butcher's Platter - Combination of garlic sausage, baked black pudding, liver dumpling, grilled bacon with sauerkraut and mashed onions". I definitely recommend Zum Schlüssel for anyone wanting real German food and beer! It's also located in the Alt Stadt, or Old City, so the area is very charming.

Excellent spot for traditional German food. I would dare say this place had the best schnitzel I've had in all of Germany (been to Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich) -- at least the best pork one. It was incredible juicy still and the fried potatoes were also moist and flavorful. The local Dusseldorf specialty of beef with raisin sauce was also flavorful though I likely wouldn't get again now having at least tried it. The appetizer of smoked pork on a rye bread was interesting -- tastes like smoked salmon and onions. They seemed to constantly give you glasses of beer. Very hospitable and I'd come back.

Used to come here not because of food or beer which can buy anywhere around but because it was a place I came 8 years ago first time visited Düsseldorf. Always told all to come and check it out. Now I'll tell all to avoid because of ugly service. I do understand you don't let any other food in... Come on: 3 adults want to have meals and 1 small kid came with a sandwich on Sunday lunch(sat in the corner)? "You can't bring food"... I do respect their policy and will stay away for the rest of my life. 2nd star only because of beer which I drink now around the corner.

I ate dinner at Zum Schlussel in Dusseldorf, Germany on 5/30/2018 (30th May). It was my 1st time there. Authentic German food. I had their Stroganoff (17.90 Euros) and 2 Coca Cola's (3.20 Euros each). I had good food and good service. Plus, I took photos.

I've been here a few times, once during a Altbier tour. There were a few of the breweries visited during this tour and this was one of the beers I enjoyed the most. I've also eaten here twice, once I had fish with a mustard sauce and it was divine! Although I wouldn't have thought to put both those tastes together, it was fantastic and have had cravings of it since. I was hoping for it again when I visited recently but it must have been a seasonal special because they didn't have it again. Instead, I ordered salmon, which was decent (not dry but could have had a bit more flavor) but I still longed for the mustard fish! They serve up great traditional German dishes, mainly meat, so if you want to try something typical of Germany, this is the place to go! Service is also fine, they leave you alone for the most part until they notice your beer is emptying. Restaurant itself is super cool as it has a Bierkeller environment with long tables and benches, which I personally enjoy as it gives more of an open and family atmosphere! Don't be afraid to ask to share a table if there is space. Also an excellent place to watch the World Cup matches!

Best beer in the Altstadt! We greatly enjoyed meeting here on evenings following our convention to sip some hoppy goodness out of the strangely small Altstadt-style beer glasses. Try the Schlüssel Brewery Platter. It includes pork knuckles (boiled and fried), pork chops, Bavarian Weißwurst, Suckling Pig Sausage, Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes and Fried Potatoes. They say its good for 3 people but I think its enough food for six.

Nice place to try the local beer tradition, which includes good beer from own brewery and local food. It's a busy place mixed w/ locals and tourists. Sometimes you have to share a table, which could be a new experience. It's loud and the services is sometimes hectic and not so friendly (which is a kind of local behavior). The food is good and typical more on the meat side. So give it a try!!!

Schlussel Alt is most drinkable! Very easy drinking. I still went for a white wine eventually, getting weary of small beers. At least I didn't order a 'halb und halb' and get told it was for 80 year old women as my friend was informed! (He still got it!) This brewery marks the line between the rowdy soulless unpleasant part of Dusseldorf and the more civilised bit Short measures again! And the expectation of some sort of compensation for toilet usage.

Great atmosphere and nice waiters. The beer is a little bitter for me but they keep it flowing! (My mom loved it). Its very bright and quaint. I would definitely recommend a visit.

Great place to stop and have a beer in the center of downtown Dusseldorf. Take a seat on one of the outdoor tables and the waiter will bring you a cold refreshing glass of beer in no time! Service is great! The waiters will keep a tally of your total on your coaster by just writing on it. We were seriously surprised at how affordable it all was. We ordered a few traditional German dishes. Keep in mind that I'm not that fond of German food - nothing personal but how many sausages and potatoes can one person eat? So to be fair I'm not factoring in the food for my review. Meatball? They serve you one about the size of an apple with a fork stuck through it. Now this was delicious. Dry, but full of flavor and it was the best combination with beer. Sausages with curry sauce. Meh, I've had better curry and the sausages weren't my cup of tea either. Hey, but it's a German favorite so don't take my word for it =) Pork bangers with mashed potato & saurkraut. It was good and the portion was about 4 bangers and lots of sides. They saurkraut was served warm but it was tangy and had a nice kick. Zum's a great place to relax and people watch. Germans love their beer and this is just one of many spots to enjoy in the neighborhood!

Got to be experienced if in Dusseldorf, beer served from the barrel on the bar in vast quantities at great speed and it's really good beer, I think all alt beer is good but this is one of the best, snack on wurst or 1/2 rolls with cheese or mince tartare(better than it sounds) also has a really great restaurant menu of hearty German dishes Leberkase mit speigeleir und bratkartofflen is one of my favouites. Not to be missed if in Dusseldorf

We ordered schnitzels with salad. The food was ok, decent meat and breaking that wasn't greasy. The egg on top was a nice touch. 5* for service, Guido was on top of everything.

Great beer and the best German food in the Altstadt. Waiters can be a bit surly, but totally worth it.

Best pork Knickle (schweineshaxe) in town, served a the rehinard way with potatoes and cabbage.

128 beers on the bill for 22 people and actually everyone took 2-3 beers. It is shocking to know that they cannot count correctly. And they don't accept credit card, cash only. Very BAD experience :(

Typical German tourist restaurant -- menu in English and German, sauce from a Knorr package, a menu that probably hasn't changed since the 1970s (and lots of English Yelp reviews ;) ). But the Altbier is very, very good and worth the visit. Malty, almost smoky, fresh on tap, and a great representative of that unique Düsseldorfer Altbier style.

This was my favorite dinner in Dusseldorf! Authentic German with a great rustic beer-hall type air to it. Being in Germany for work I had to try some of the staples from the motherland -- schnitzel, spaetzle, and alt. It was really great overall and the server just kept bringing beer which we never complained about. The meat sampler platter is absolutely enormous... three thought they would split it and in reality it could have fed all 8 of our group AND the table next to us. Highly recommended for anyone visiting the area looking for authentic German fare.

I go here every time I visit Dusseldorf. The beer is wonderful as is the people serving the beer. I always visit during winter so not outside under the heat lamps. Food is above average and enjoy the Schnitzel and their other local foods. It is worth the experience

I went here for a beer while waiting for a friend. The area can be quite noisy during the afternoon and evening, but it's a nice spot to watch people if you can get one of the tables on the street. They have both sit-down (for food, I think) and standing only tables. There is table service - the waitor comes by when he sees your glass needs filling and makes a little mark on your coaster to gauge how many you've had (this could also come in handy if you need to be reigned in!). The staff was very nice, and all spoke English.

This was the worst experience ever in a restaurant. Service was so rude, the waitress didn't speak in English. She did not answer any of our question, did not helped us regarding the choosing, she just leave us while we were talking to her, she actually plump down the food to the table ( appetizer, soup, main course in a same time!!) And when we complained the quality of the service, she just bring us the check, while we were eating!!!! Than the boss with a smile of his face came to our table and said that this is absolutely alright, and we can leave if we don't like the place.