One Friday evening while bathing in the last remnants of summer glory in Berlin, I set out – very old fashionedly – with food partner in crime Holly. After a long three week holiday we met up for a potentially delicious meal – and we already had a goal. A friend of a friend had told Holly that he knew the owner of the Prenzlauer Berg restaurant Vis a Vis, which boasted cosiness and comfort on a beautifully designed website. As I am always up for a new and interesting food challenge when it comes to restaurants, we set out to experience the yumminess of a restaurant where dining face to face promised to be its forte.

Face to face in Vis a Vis

Vis a Vis is to be found on he corner of the popular Helmholtzplatz, mentioned many times before in reviews of tapas, sushi and Cuban restaurants, on the Raumerstraße. It is a somewhat conventional and classically decorated restaurant, with a whiff of subtle poshness. The kind of restaurant you would go for an intimate (yet not too intimate) first date. Comfortable soft couches are only one of the signature decoration details. The restaurants is relatively big and has a large dining area to the right and a cosy and atmospheric bar area on the left.

When we came in, it was already around ten in the evening. But then again, one does not live in Berlin for no reason – the German city that never sleeps and where you can eat good food at any time at night. Nevertheless, the place was quite empty, which partially stripped the restaurant of its atmosphere. But with a menu and caraffe of wine, we settled down on one of the cosy couches.

Boobs of Duck

Vis a Vis has one menu with specials that changes weekly and one standard menu. The standard menu is equipped with some classics that a restaurants ‘has’ to offer, with real German schnitzel, burger meals and pasta dishes. The restaurant prides itself to prepare everything themselves, so you cannot be expecting your average run of the mill boring burgers. But I was not there to eat something as simplistic and little exciting as a burger! So I had an intimite moment with the week menu and decided to indulge. I ordered the duck breast with home-made gnocchi and sugar snaps in a sauce of red wine. Holly chose a beef salad, also off the week menu.
We had a little mixed Vorspeise (appetizer) plate, which we shared. I have to admit, this little dish did not really do it for me. It consisted of salmon, home-made pesto (which was nice), carpaccio, goat cheese and some bread bits for nibbling. Somehow the flavours were disappointing and the amount (even though it was of course a small appetizer) were less than I expected.

Onwards to the main course. I am normally not into duck. I would never order duck in a regular Asian restaurant, of fear of receiving badly prepared duck – which I have unfortunately experienced too many times. But in a slightly more up-scale restaurant, I tend to expect more and I might try something potentially risque. Like this duck. But it was absolutely scrumptious. Beautifully and perfectly prepared, rich in flavour and really mind-blowing in combination with the red wine sauce, the gnocchi and the refreshing sugar snaps. It was the perfect semi-luxerious dinner treat that I was going for that night.
And Holly’s beef salad was surprisingly large and the pieces of well-prepared beef were excitingly seasoned with a powerful yet yummy combination of salts and herbs. We were both two little happy bunnies with our dinners.

Dangerous Desserts

The worst part, however, is still to come. I adore desserts. And my favourite dessert of all time is the classical crème brulée. And what did Vis a Vis have on their dessert menu? Of course: crème brulée. So I absolutely had to order it.
And with crème brulée, you either win or lose. There is no in-between. Either you produce the best crème brulée I have ever tasted – or the worst. And thankfully (for my tummy) the dessert was fabulously delicious. It was perfect crème brulée that tasted just the way it is supposed to taste. And with that final food, my night came to a culinairily satisfactory night.

What makes this restaurant fabulous?

• The food, which is simply delicious. Good quality food.
• The deco, which is classy and cosy at the same time. Definitely a recommendation for the upcoming winter.

What makes this restaurant less fabulous?

• In case you had not suspected yet: Vis a Vis is quite on the pricey side. It is a afforable, but for a Berlin restaurant, it is a bit of a special occassion kind of place. You eat a burger here for 11 euros, the crème brulée costs 5 euros and exciting meat dishes (steak, duck) go for 20 euros and up.

Vis a Vis organises events and music in the restaurant. If you are not into this stuff, check the website to make sure your visit will not coincide with such events.

Where to go?

Vis a Vis
Raumerstraße 15
10437 Berlin
030-83100173

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