Namu Cafe Korean Dessert Bingsu in Düsseldorf Experience

4.6 / 5 based on 35 Reviews

Updated: July 3, 2024
namu-cafe

Summary

Namu Cafe, located in Düsseldorf, offers a unique experience with its signature Korean dessert, Bingsu, making it the only cafe in Germany specializing in this delightful treat. With operating hours from Tuesday to Sunday, the cafe features a menu that includes around 15 different Bingsu varieties, alongside cold and warm beverages and traditional Korean sweets. Bingsu is a popular Korean shaved ice dessert, made from sweetened condensed milk and water, topped with fruits and other toppings. Visitors can choose from traditional options, like the classic red bean and rice cake combination, to more contemporary flavors like chocolate and mango. Although a serving of Bingsu can contain approximately 1500 kcal, the unique preparation and presentation make it worth indulging. While the prices start at €9, reflecting the exclusive nature of the cafe and the imported machines from Korea, the inviting atmosphere and exquisite offerings beckon dessert lovers to experience the authentic taste of Korean cuisine. A visit to Namu Cafe is highly recommended for anyone in Düsseldorf looking to savor genuine Korean desserts.

Details

  • Type: Café
  • Published: May 30, 2017
  • Visited on: December 2, 2
  • Rating:
  • Price Category: 51.2211158
  • Touristic Level:
    4/10
  • Address: Oststraße 124, 40210 Düsseldorf, Germany

Online Reviews Summary

Namu Café is a beloved Korean dessert café in Düsseldorf, best known for its authentic and fluffy bingsu (shaved ice) in a wide variety of flavors like matcha, melon, tiramisu, Oreo, and red bean. Portions are generous and perfect for sharing. The café also offers Korean snacks, toasts, mochi, and unique drinks, with a cozy and charming atmosphere that many find relaxing. While the taste and quality are consistently praised, several customers mention long wait times, especially on weekends, and slow service due to limited staff. Prices are slightly high, and payment is typically cash only. Despite this, most visitors find the experience worth it and highly recommend Namu Café, especially in summer.

The detailed experience report from RyuKoch

Table of contents:

    Opening hours and location

    Monday closed
    Tuesday to Friday 07:00 to 22:00
    Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 22:00

    Unique in Germany

    The trend of Korean ice cream has now also arrived in Germany. In the Japanese and Korean district of Dusseldorf, a Korean cafe opened recently (as of April 2017) that sells the famous Bingsu. It is currently the only cafe in Germany that sells this ice cream. In addition to regular cold and hot drinks, the menu also includes about 15 Bingsu varieties (I estimate the number from memory). In addition, Namu Cafe also offers Korean sweets and other snacks for consumption.

    What is Bingsu?

    Namu Cafe
    Namu Cafe

    Bingsu (빙수) is a very popular ice cream in Korea. It looks like a giant snow mountain and is refined with many delicious ingredients.
    The special thing about this ice cream is the preparation. The ice consists of condensed milk and water and is pressed out of a special machine like ice flakes. Finally, the Bingsu is refined with sweet fruits and other temptations.
    Traditional Bingsu consists only of water and is prepared with red bean powder and rice cake (Tteok).

    On the left you can see the fine ice flakes, which dissolve directly in your mouth and leave behind a pleasant, non-sweet taste. The ice is not too sweet because hardly any sugar is used. The topping, on the other hand, provides the Bingsu with its different and sweet taste. The ice is not changed in taste like frozen yogurt. The topping variations are endless and can be adapted at will.

    We ordered

    Namu Cafe
    Namu Cafe
    Namu Cafe
    Namu Cafe

    I opted for a traditional version, the Bingsu with rice cake pieces, sweet corn powder and almond pieces. It was very delicious, but I was a little envious of my friend's Bingsu.

    She had a beautifully arranged, almost artfully served chocolate Bingsu. I have never seen ice cream like this in Germany before. The staff really garnished the ice cream with detailed love. (See below)

    Under the full-fledged topping is the snow mountain of delicious ice flakes hidden.

    Other variations

    During my visit I only tried 2 Bingsu. Nevertheless, Namu Cafe offers other Bingsu, for example fruity mango Bingsu or also Matcha Bingsu. I will definitely try more Bingsu on hot days.

    Beware of calorie bomb

    How can such a beautiful dish be so negative? That's right, such a portion has an estimated 1500 kcal, especially if you choose a chocolate Bingsu. The snowflakes are made from fatty condensed milk and water and accordingly affect the nutritional value table. Nevertheless, look beyond the calorie bomb and try it out.

    Namu Cafe
    Namu Cafe

    Is the price worth it?

    This Korean cafe is one of the few cafes in Germany that offer Bingsu ice cream. As far as I know, there is no other cafe in Dusseldorf with ingsu on the menu (I'd be happy to be enlightened :) ). This small monopoly is exploited by Namu Cafe and accordingly the prices (9 euros upwards) per Bingsu are a bit high. However, it must be taken into account that the ice cream machines were flown in from Korea, as they are only manufactured in Korea. In addition, the preparation and garnishing is time-consuming and takes time. In the end, the result looks very beautiful and invites you to buy again.

    Namu Cafe
    Namu Cafe

    I recommend you visit Namu Cafe every time because it is unique in Germany and you can enjoy a real Korean ice cream dessert. The price is acceptable, you don't eat ice cream every day anyway.

    Nicely furnished

    The new cafe looks cozy and offers a few seats. There are also seats outside the door, but directly on the main road.

    My conclusion

    I am not giving any points rating here, as I don't think it is necessary.

    I definitely recommend you visit Namu Cafe to try real Korean desserts. If you are ever in Dusseldorf, you should definitely stop by Germany's only Bingsu Cafe. The price per ice cream is acceptable, considering that the cafe only opened recently, the ice cream machines had to be flown in from Korea and it is one of the few Korean cafes in Germany that offer Bingsu.

    Stop by and enjoy this Korean dessert!

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    Comments

    • Gast Logo Suika - 04. November 2017 01:01

      Hey, First of all: great post. It was really well written and I enjoyed reading it. I came across it because I'm interested in Korea and just moved to Düsseldorf. I’ve never been to Namu Cafe, but I’m definitely planning to go soon :) But there’s one little thing that’s not quite right. There is at least one other restaurant in Germany that serves Bingsu, and that’s GongGan in Berlin :) The Bingsu there isn’t presented as beautifully as it is at Namu Cafe, but it’s more affordable. If you’re ever in Berlin, you should check it out, it’s really interestingly decorated there. Best regards.

      • RyuKoch Logo Ryusei von RyuKoch - 23. November 2017 02:52

        Hi Suika, thanks for your note, I have corrected it. You can also buy Bingsu in Heidelberg. Apparently, you can find it more often in Germany than you might think :) Best, Matthias

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