The eponymous chef-owner of this café in trendy Kreuzviertel, Dortmund, regularly travels to Scandinavia seeking inspiration and it shows in the tasteful, wood-panelled interiors. Brunch menus are excellent - expect acai bowls and whipped feta on rye. Booking is a must, even on weekdays.

This industrial-chic Mediterranean eatery in Essen also serves juicy burgers and steaks in the evening. It's located at the Zollverein Unesco World Heritage site - once an enormous coal mind - and retains plenty of its former character through rough concrete walls and steel girders.