Ratskeller Dresden finally closes after over a century!

Ratskeller Dresden finally closes after over a century!

Another prominent gastronomic town in Dresden closes its doors: the Ratskeller in the new town hall will finally close its gates after more than a century of June 27, 2025. This decision was made by the operating company Widynski & Roick, who informed the city of Dresden at the end of last year. Now the Ratskeller is empty until further notice and the city is already checking possible successors to revive the traditional facility, as Dresden.de

The Ratskeller on the Külz-Ring has been managed as a "Ratsweinkeller" since 1910, but has experienced many ups and downs over the years. In particular, the conversion to the HO-Gaststätte in 1966 with space for 380 guests marked a new era. But after the turn, the business worsened. Some setbacks, such as high rental residues in 2002 and damage caused by the flood of the century, led to numerous difficulties. A comprehensive renovation took place until 2004 thanks to flood aid money, and a reopening was followed in 2019, supported by Mayor Dirk Hilbert. However, the new operator gourmetta was able to successfully operate for a year before the helm was handed over to Widynski & Roick.

a failed concept

In the summer of 2023, Widynski & Roick took over the restaurant after a blood donation center of the Red Cross had been set up in the same building. However, the newly developed concept as a company restaurant did not enjoy the hoped -for popularity and ultimately failed. A possible reason for this could be the strong competition through the newly built city forum, which, with its large kitchen, further tightens the already tense conditions in the gastronomic area. While the Ratskeller was only able to offer warmed dishes, the guests were presented to more freshness and diversity in the city forum. Sächsische.de gave further insights.

The challenges of gastronomy

The closure of the council cellar is not an isolated case in Dresden's catering scene. Other companies also have to deal with enormous difficulties. For example, the restaurants "Villa Marie" and "La Villetta" have registered bankruptcy after they had to deal with financial bottlenecks during the Corona Pandemic. The reasons for the economic problems are diverse: the worldwide pandemic, the Ukraine war, increasing inflation and the deletion of the reduced VAT rate from January 2024 cause uncertainties. Talks with contractual partners are planned to reduce the loads and possibly avert an imbalance Tag24 .

As an alternative for the guests and employees of the city administration, the restaurant on the ground floor and the coffee bar in the Agora on Waisenhausstraße 14 are now available until a new solution for the Ratskeller is found. The future remains uncertain, and the catering scene in Dresden has to find new ways to make ends meet despite the challenges of recent years.