Little John's

The story

Little John's Restaurant in Neukirchen-Vluyn – Bib Gourmand International Cuisine

Vom Einfachen das Beste

At Little John's in Neukirchen-Vluyn, chef Tim Lellau and his team turn straightforward ingredients into something memorable. The restaurant, housed in the former Grotepaß building, combines a down-to-earth yet inventive kitchen with a lovingly decorated Scandinavian-style interior. The guiding philosophy is clear: “Vom Einfachen das Beste” – the best from the simple.

Tim Lellau's path to the stove began as a teenager washing dishes. After formal training at Berlin's Grandhotel Esplanade, he cooked in London, Alsace, and the Black Forest. In 2012, he took over his first restaurant in Duisburg, earning 14 points from Gault Millau. In 2017, he and his wife Sandra launched Little John's, originally planned as a daytime-only affair. Due to overwhelming demand, evening service began in early 2018.

The kitchen focuses on International cuisine with a creative, classic, and distinctly Lower Rhine character. Ingredients are chosen with care for their origin, sourced directly from producers and sustainable suppliers. The result is a menu that changes with the seasons and the week.

Diners choose from multi-course menus like “Wald & Wiese” (Forest & Meadow) or “Weide & Wasser” (Pasture & Water), featuring dishes such as goat cheese in puff pastry, roasted wild mushroom strudel, filet of black halibut, or Uruguay grain-fed beef. À la carte options range from grilled scallops with blood sausage to classic calf's liver with caramelized apple, and Asian-style duck breast. Desserts like hazelnut torte with wild cherry ice cream or a vegan cheesecake with yuzu sauce round out the meal. A lunch menu is available Thursday and Friday.

Since 2020, Little John's has held a Bib Gourmand from the MICHELIN Guide, awarded for good quality, good value cooking – a fitting recognition for this welcoming spot on the Niederrhein.