Goldener Anker - Dorsten

Last evening of the Europe holiday we wanted to try some German food that was not drowned in a cream sauce so we tried the Goldene Anker. Quite a down to earth place which seems like a normal small town restaurant. Simple yet stylish decorated small dining room. Reception friendly and professional. Choice of food is between 2 menus, local and gourmet with a choice of 4, 5 or 6 courses. Of course we tried one menu each so we can swap and change. The food covered lamb, fish, beef, pork with several pallet cleansers in between. All impeccably presented. It wasn't experimental cooking, but classic foods beautifully cooked and presented. Not every dish was stunning, but some were and the rest was very good. Can't speak to the wine as I stuck to non alcoholic. What I really liked was the non pretentious, quiet professionalism of the place. This was not about show off, but rather excellent food. The front of house staff were superbly professional. Total bill came to €250 which is not cheap, but given the 3 hours experience certainly not outrageous. Left very happy.

The Goldener Anker came recommended by numerous business associates in the area, and overall, this was a pleasant and enjoyable experience. However, the town in which the Goldener Anker is located is hardly attractive, nor is the actual site of the restaurant, but once inside the décor is warm and well-designed, the staff are attentive, friendly and knowledgeable, and we quickly felt at ease welcoming our 1st dishes. One of the guidelines we use to evaluate how good a given restaurant is how long afterwards we are still able to remember specific dishes or drinks due to their exceptional taste(s), textures and presentation. It 's a bit disappointing, that the only thing that really stuck with us is the great taste of one of their cocktails called Inge . While all dishes were well put together and prepared, the strong sense we both came away with is that this cook and his team play it very safe. There was a lot of good , but really nothing exceptional , and we do expect that at this level of culinary skill. There are numerous other Michelin-starred and non-Michelin-starred competitors in the region that are simply more daring and able to excite our senses more. The bill came to just under 200€ for 2, and that included wines. In light of the overall experience this was a fair value for money, but as with many other such experiences we would rather pay more to also get more of a wow experience.

It was a completely successful evening, excellent food, a very nice and dedicated service team and a top sommelier. The components of each single gang were a first-class taste experience. The quantities perfectly matched. You don't forget that night. Björn Friday also looked over, we could have a small, nice conversation with him. This restaurant is completely recommended from my point of view.

The best I've ever experienced. From the first to the last minute an experience. A perfect dinner with first-class food. Balanced and of excellent quality.

We felt very comfortable and the food was an experience. Also great were the many “Great from the kitchen”. Especially the back room next to the transparent kitchen area has promised us very much. The staff also worked very friendly, professional, attentive and not intrusive. The evening was rounded off with the question whether everything was to our satisfaction, by Björn Freitag himself. I'm sure we'll be back there. Thank you very much