Three (Trendy) Square Meals in Berlin
Rob Lander explores three of the German capital's in-vogue restaurants, consuming a trio of sublime meals in unique settings.
It might be located just off the famed Friedrichstraße, but Cookies Cream is rather tricky to find. I assumed that, like many trendy venues in Berlin, it was by design that it threw a few hurdles down - ostensibly to attract only the keenest of foodies, and perhaps dissuade the hoi poloi.
I was delighted to find it worth the taxation of my navigation skills which, even when augmented with online maps, are minimal. Despite being a vegetarian establishment, I discovered there were precisely zero rice or pasta dishes on the menu, which is often a sign of a creative meat-free eatery.
White-washed pillars and raspberry-fabric seating supported the low-key feel of the place, which at the same time was effortlessly cool. No pro-veggie dogma here – just some excellent meatless cuisine created by chefs in the open kitchen. I opted for the Vegetarian Caviar with Avocado - a scintillating blend of hazelnut, mayo and pistachio; this I washed down with a vegan (naturally) 2016 Sauvignon Blanc.
But while I thoroughly enjoy high-end vegetarian food, I freely admit I love a decent steak – and German restaurants take pride in creating some truly excellent ones.
Grill Royal - steaks and celeb-spotting
During my forays through the increasingly impressive Berlin restaurant scene, I found myself in Grill Royal the next day, keen to top-up my protein levels. I'd like to say I arrived here by happenstance, after wandering the streets of the German capital, but Grill Royal is not the kind of place you stumble over; the great and good of the city's political and artistic community are prone to appear here. But for me, celeb-spotting was a little fruitless, since aside from Frau Merkel my knowledge of famed locals was rather limited.
I was more interested in the steaks. Eschewing the 100-gram Kobe beef steak (125 euros), I opted for the local Filet of beef (29 euros), sourced from German black pied cattle. While it was tempting to imagine stout German farmers massaging their beasts in the same fashion as those on Kobe, I'm pretty sure this wasn't the case. Nevertheless, it tasted fantastic, especially when accompanied with wasabi, soya sauce and marinated ginger – making it a poor man's Japanese steak, if you will. A side of homemade pomme frittes accompanied the meat, followed by a sumptuous warm fig tarte with almond cream and vanilla ice cream.
While the cuisine did not disappoint, the ambience of the eatery was perhaps a little flashy for a lone diner such as myself, although tensions were somewhat diminished by a bottle of Spätburgunder Blanc de Noir (2014) from the superbly-stocked wine cellar.
Laden with exquisite food and wine, my wallet noticeably lighter, I ambled out into the chilly Berlin night for a stroll along the moody Spree, with the preposterous notion that I might dent the mass of calories I'd just consumed.
Marjellchen - evocative German eatery
Undaunted by the fact I could survive the entire winter on what I'd eaten and drank in the Grill Royal, the next evening I visited Marjellchen for some unabashedly German fare.
This establishment has a kind of anti-celeb feel, steeped as it is in a Germany long gone. The walls are covered in old paintings, while long-ago music issues from an ancient record player. The menu is as traditional as any I've found in Berlin, focussing heavily on meat dishes from Pomerania and Silesia.
I opted for the hearty königsberger klopse – German meatballs and in a creamy caper sauce. This delicious meal was generously portioned, giving me the green light, should it be needed, to order several superb Bavarian beers – ably delivered by the friendly staff.
Despite being on my lonesome, this low-lit, quaint and evocatively German eatery was hugely enjoyable – and highly recommended for the single diner on a foodie adventure in the German capital.
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