Prenzlauer Berg is one of the most cosy and relaxed Bezirke in Berlin where you will be able to find a nice restaurant on basically each and every corner of most streets. Of course there are big favourites, such as the Helmholzplatz, the Kollwitzplatz and other silly little streets off the Schönhauser Allee. A few weeks ago we were browsing the streets around Eberswalder Straße, inbetween the Kollwitzplatz. Here you find – among many others – the alluring brunch hot spot Anna Blume and a classical restaurant called November. Quite German, but not per se. Yes, you can eat your well-known schnitzel here, but they also do some more generic Western-European cuisine. Since the weather is so nice these days, we chose to lounge outside.

Eating Good Food at November

If you are looking for a nice place to eat a classical meal, November is the place to be. They do German-infused dining as the main food fetish  – with many potatoes, meats and stylish German food. No currywurst haunts the kitchen here, as it is proper dining in a cosy yet low-key atmosphere in this little Prenzlauer restaurant. As we sat outside, sipped on a nice g&t, we browsed through the menu. November does a weekly special and has a standard à la carte menu. One of the specials was roast beef with potatoes and a side salad, which my dinner companion ordered.

The roast beef was sliced into thin and succulent slices with crunchily baked potatoes and a refreshing salad. And to make things even better:  it came with wasabi mayonaise. And since I was trying to eat a bit more healthily, I chose a salad with turkey, parmesan, tomatoes, lettuce and a subtle honey-mustard dressing. A simple, yet yummy answer to the salad craze. Both dishes were well-prepared and flavoursome.

But the best bit is yet to come. Dessert and my undying devotion to this section of eating out has not wavered. And my truest of all dessert lovers has been – and will remain? – the crème brulée. As soon as I had seen this delectable dish on the dessert menu at November, I knew what I was going to order. It had to be the crème brulée. Served in a traditional low and relatively flat and rounded bold, the creme had a nice large surface where its sugar had been melted into a crunchy top. It offered near-to-perfection in the way only a crème brulée can tempt and seduce a woman.

What Makes this Restaurant Fabulous?

• Nice, atmospheric yet low-key restaurant. Perfect for a slow and sultry evening eating out.
• Classical dishes with a German sauce.
• Nice outside space, cosy neighbourhood.

What Makes this Restaurant less Fabulous?

• It is not overly beautiful, gorgeous or special. It is a classical run-off-the-mill German restaurant. Nice, but nothing too over the top.
• And it is not the cheapest place, granted, in Prenzlauer Berg. You will be spending at least 15 euros for a main dish.

Where to Go?

[googleMap name="November" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Husemannstrasse 15 10435 Berlin[/googleMap]

November
Husemannstrasse 15
10435 Berlin
030 4428425

More than a specific cuisine, I like cool concepts of dining. We tried Pret a Diner, we have been up for some supper club dining and we even ventured outside of Berlin to look for nice places for food. However, most restaurants will remain conventional classical restaurants, but thankfully Berlin is a very exciting place with lots of opportunities for people with great ideas. One of these fabulous ideas is the backyard (Hinterhof) restaurant Lavanderia Vecchia – Italian for the old laundrette. If you want to visit this place, you will have to enter through a hidden entrance and walk all the way into the third Hinterhof before you can see a spacious but relatively small restaurant in the corner.

Italian Food in Berlin
Maybe I have not written enough on Italian food in Berlin, but this little laundry-esque restaurant had already impressed me upon entering. The space still looks like an old laundry place and reminders of washing machines and lots of table cloths ‘hung out to dry’ will not even allow you to forget the location’s old purpose. The kitchen is essentially completely open and you can witness the cooks prepare your dishes, as the tables are seated in the same space as the kitchen, bar and the reception.

When you enter here, you can immediately choose from today’s food menu at the small reception. The menu consists of two appetizers, two main courses and a dessert. You can mix and match it into a menu for 8 euros or choose one main dish (4,50 to 6,50), appetizer or dessert (2,50-to 4 euros). Each day will bring you new dishes from the kitchen, but the drinks (wines, prosecco, juices and coffee) will be on offer every day.

Out of a ten people staff, six are authentic Italians and the couple owning the restaurant are said to spend more time in Italy than in Berlin. The atmosphere in this place is really very homely and relaxed: you feel at home and you also feel the passion for the restaurant and it food. Very friendly hosts and accomodating staff.

The Food at Lavanderia Vecchia

Our menu during the day of visiting was a onion soup with a Käsestange, a salad with grilled pork and baked potatoes, a tuna spaghetti, a classical mixed salad and a dessert of panna cotta and apricot. The dessert was immediately decided upon: the panna cotta was to be had. I chose for the soup, whereas my lunch companion chose the pork.

The rucola salad with grilled pork, tomatoes and potatoes looked absolutely scrumptious and gorgeous and tasted fabulous. The portion was not too large, though, which has to be said. We wanted more.

My onion soup was actually quite a lot and very flavoursome. Simply a subtle, yet good onion soup. And the home-made Käsestange did not hurt either. Not to forget that we also received a healthy portion of (what looked like) home-made bread. But my favourite part of the meal was of course the dessert. A great panna cotta with slightly sour sweet apricot yelly, all home-made. The texture of the panna cotta was perfect and I could not help but pout after finishing my little glass with dessert delight.

What Makes this Restaurant Fabulous?

• Basically, almost everything.  I love the concept, enjoyed the food, fabulous atmosphere and decent prices to boot!
• For less than 10 euros you can enjoy an elaborate lunch here and feel like your worries will get washed away.

What Makes this Restaurant Less Fabulous?

• The food is good, but it is not extremely posh or haute cuisine. Simple, yet good and home-made Italian food.

Where to Go?

[googleMap name="Lavanderia Vecchia" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Flughafenstraße 46 12053 Berlin[/googleMap]
Lavanderia Vecchia
Flughafenstraße 46
12053 Berlin
030 62722152

Let me start off with getting something off my chest. I love and adore Turkish food. Yes – not just döner. I mean real Turkish food. Delicious bread products, cous cous, rices, meats, yoghurts, herbs, sauces and much much more. The most predominant “Turkish” food in Berlin is the döner. You can enjoy a really good döner (personal recommendation: the chicken döner place on Hackescher Markt next to the Edeka supermarket does really good döner and dürum), but mostly the döner will suck. But I am not going to write a review on döner foods. Because I like restaurants. Sitting down, relaxing, unwinding and languidly picking and choosing the dishes of one’s desire, that is what makes having dinner so nice. And more than a year ago, a friend of mine took me to a very nice Turkish place on the Maaßenstraße in Schöneberg, around the corner from the Nollendorfplatz. By accident I ended up in another Hasir restaurant on Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg – and this time, I documented the experience.

Hasir Turkish Food

Hasir has grown into a small local chain of four restaurants. Where it all started off was started on Kottbusser Tor. This original restaurant features a large stove where they grill the meats and offers around ten to fifteen tables to its peckish customers. Hasir is the kind of restaurant that offers a relatively quick bite, in a comfortable and nice atmosphere. The restaurant is pretty and cosy and shows off its homely deco with dozens and dozens of pictures on the yellow walls. Tables and chairs are made out of dark wood and the staff is very accomodating and friendly. They know the place and they know the food.

My lunch companion recommended a “Fleckensoup” (literally translated: spotted soup), which consist of pieces of stomach. Personally, I cannot stand pieces of unidentifiable meats in my soup, so I chose to merely taste the broth and photograph the delicacy. It was interestingly salty and did not taste bad – except for the quite overbearing meatiness. If you like meat, this may be your cup of tea. For a main lunch I chose a classical dish, a grilled stick of beef with some fine herbs, vegetables and bread on the side. The traditional and typical meat one thinks about when reminded of the Turkish cuisine. Of course there is much much more nice stuff to enjoy, but sadly I can only manage one dish during lunch.

But the best is yet to come. It is no surprise to any regular readers that I passionately adore desserts. Suitable sweetness finishes off an otherwise half-arsed meal for me. Hasir offers five to six desserts, all of them described in a similarly generic way. If you are part or whole-heartedly Turkish, you may know these dishes, but to me a “Turkish dessert” and a “Turkish pudding” sound similarly non-descript. But with a bit of help of our very friendly waiter, I decided to go for the Turkish pudding. He promised I would love it. Oh, and how I did! The base of the pudding was a thick, custard-esque cream with cinnamon on top. It was sweet, but not in an overpowering way and very dairy-like and fresh. Absolutely fantastic dessert.

What Makes this Restaurant Fabulous?

• Some real good Turkish food.
• Nice decoration, comfortable atmosphere and friendly staff will make you feel right at home.
• The Turkish pudding – you have to give this a try!

What Makes this Restaurant less Fabulous?

• It is actually relatively expensive for a restaurant in Kreuzberg. A main dish with meat will cost you around ten euros. Fine for dinner, maybe a bit pricey for lunch.

Where to Go?

[googleMap name="Hasir" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Adalbertstraße 10 10999 Berlin[/googleMap]

Hasir
Adalbertstraße 10
10999 Berlin
030 6142373

On the Simon-Dach Straße you may not find too many surprising and special restaurants. Chain sushi restaurants, large Indian eateries and a lot of mainstream restaurant locations have started to inhabit one of Berlin’s most popular streets for sauntering. Thankfully, some corners of Friedrichshain have remained the same. On the Krossener Straße, a side street off Simon-Dach Straße, and opposite of hobnob highlight Cupcake, you can find Volckswirtschaft. You have to a look a bit though, as its rugged exterior may not show its wonders inside.

Volckswirtschaft Restaurant in Berlin

A creative cuisine based on bio-produce and food for the people, that is the concept behind Volckswirtschaft. Its interior is one of Berlin’s many home-made restaurant: a mixture between beautiful decoration, history and the wrath of time. Their ingredients are authentic and biological and their dishes are all home-cooked and prepared in their own kitchen. No artificial claptrap weaseling its way into this establishment. They do breakfasts, brunches (à la carte) and dinners. The furniture is an eclectic combination of random tables, chairs and grandmother’s lamps. The walls are painted a glowwy burgundy red and the main bar/ service station shows off the liquor, drinks and home-made muffins and pies.

We went to Volckswirtschaft to use the wi-fi, a rare goody in the so modern streets of Berlin. Therefore a perfect location to catch up on some much-needed work or research, while enjoying a bit or a drink. The menu at the little restaurant consist of a weekend and a daily (week) menu. One of the staff told us the menu and the food is generally more elaborate during the week, as the kitchen staff have more time to prepare. During weekends – obviously – it is a popular location filled with dining people. On our weekend day, the menu offered a various collection of salads, classical German dishes such as Spätzle (a creamy, egg-like pasta dish, generally enjoyed with onions and cheese) and some more exciting daily specials. That day, Volckswirtschaft had a sweet potato from the oven (kind of like an Ofenkartoffel, baked potato) with vegetarian chili con carne and cheese on the menu. Since I adore sweet potatoes, I immediately decided to order this dish.

Food at Volckswirtschaft

The food here is good. It is honest, biological and all home-made. My sweet potato was absolutely huge and scrumptiously flavoursome. The make-up of the plates, the decoration and potential poshness is simply not there. It is a real ‘bürgerliches’ restaurant, without too much ado and useless frills. You get good food for good prices, and a pleasant atmosphere thrown in for free. It is said Volckswirtschaft does one of the best Spätzles in Berlin, and if you fancy eating something typically German, this is the place to give it a try! I am not a large fan of Spätzle, but theirs does taste yummy.

What Makes this Restaurant Fabulous?

• Good, authentic and real home-made food.
• Every week and weekend new menus with completely different dishes. Classics remain in place, such as the Spätzle and salads.
• Prices are very decent ranging from 7-13 euros for a main dish.

What Makes this Restaurant less Fabulous?

• It is cosy and quaint, but not gorgeous or luxeriously beautiful. Low key.

Where to Go?

[googleMap name="Volckswirtschaft" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Krossener Straße 17 10245 Berlin[/googleMap]
Volckswirtschaft
Krossener Straße 17
10245 Berlin
030 69206861

A few steps away from the U-Bahn station Hermannplatz, right in the middle of one of Neukölln’s most lively and popular corners, you come across a great many of cheap-looking standard Vietnamese eateries. One of these is the not very promising yellow banner of Hamy. “Specialities from the Vietnamese cuisine,” it says next to its name. Next door another Asian eatery is trying to lure its customers inside with a quite similar promise. Normally, Hamy would not be a place I would enter for enjoying an evening meal. It does not look like a real cosy restaurant and is more the epitome of an eatery – quick and easy fast food for the hungry business person, struck for time. But, actually, there is more to a book than its cover.

Hamy Vietnamese Eatery

In Neukölln, people know this place. Hamy is a institution, not unlike the flair-ish Monsieur Vuong is in Berlin Mitte. But Hamy is more suited to Neukölln – it is simple, sincere and budget-safe. For five euros you can enjoy a bowl of Vietnamese scrumptiousness where you would have to pay almost double for in the city center. They offer two daily specials and you choose one. On the menu they have drinks and some classical appetizers and the most well-known soups of Asia, such as Wan-Tan and Pho-Bo. But you should order a daily dish, if you want to eat something a bit more original (although their Wan-Tan is also very nice).

We rolled into Hamy one really late Sunday evening. Hungry, but tired and unwilling to cook or explore a more promising restaurant. Friends and fans of Hamy had already mentioned this location before, so it had been on the to-do list. That day, they had a daily special with glass noodles, slices of beef and fresh vegetables, herbs and a subtle sweet and sour sauces. We both chose the same dish immediately. And the food was good and yummy. It arrived really, ridiculously quickly. You gobble it up (or maybe it was due to my hunger) and are left craving a bit more. And although you probably get more atmosphere and bit more filling in your bowl at Monsieur Vuong,  I would not mind eating here every day. For 4,90 euros a daily special, you do not have to worry about sad any empty wallets.

Why Is This Restaurant Fabulous?

• We already adore the place and it is great for a quick and healthy bite.
• Simply good fast food from Vietnam.

What Makes This Restaurant Less Fabulous?

• Do not take people here on a date or go here when you want to enjoy a languid dinner.

Where to Go?

[googleMap name="Hamy" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Hasenheide 10 10967 Berlin[/googleMap]

Hamy Café Foodstore
Hasenheide 10
10967 Berlin

In the midst of snowy evenings and chilly winterdays, and after all those christmas markets in Berlin, it is time to move on to the warmer corners of the world. After weeks of mind-numbing chills, maybe you too feel like it is time for some warm and cuddly foods in a comfortable and sweet environment. After sad times and heartbreaks, only good foods and even better restaurants will make the chilly dark thoughts disappear. Since we like tapas, our first holy destination was found in a small tapas restaurant in Neukölln – and who doesn’t like tapas? You can choose exactly the kind of mini dish that you want to be consuming and enjoying  and you can mix and match as much as you want.

Eating Tapas in Berlin Neukölln

In Neukölln, on a sidestreet off the well-known Sonnenallee (walkable from Hermannplatz), there lies the small and personal little tapas place called Maria Mulata. Run by a couple of passionate tapas-lovers, you feel the vibe of home-made authenticity seep into your pores from the moment you enter. The restaurant is a combination of sleek design mixed with a homely family kitchen. The main colour is white, but without it being cold or boring. One of the restaurant’s main features is a large bar, on the left of the square space.

Maria Mulata has a nice menu with some of the most popular and well-known tapas, ranging from calamares, spanish tortilla, chorizo all the way to olives, dates wrapped in a bacon cover and squid salad. But the interesting thing to their menu is that Maria Mulata does not merely serve classical Spanish tapas, but has also imported some of the juiciest South-American tapas. My personal favourite of the evening was fried maniok with three different dips – a great and original tapas dish. And the best feature of it all: the budget proof-ness of it all. Since Neukölln is not as pricey as Mitte yet, and most locals simply expect low prices, you can enjoy an elaborate tapas meal at Maria Mulata for a lot less than twenty euros. And do not forget they do some very nice wines to drink with your tapas collection.

What Makes this Restaurant Fabulous?

• Great tapas, all freshly prepared on location. Interesting menu with some refreshing tapas up for choice.
• Budget proof, great acceptable prices.
• Homey and comfortable atmosphere.

What Makes this Restaurant less Fabulous?

• It is cute and pretty, but also very casual. Not a place to go for a business meeting or official dinner.

Where to Go?

[googleMap name="Maria Mulata" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Wildenbruchstraße 88 12045 Berlin[/googleMap]

Maria Mulata
Wildenbruchstraße 88
12045 Berlin

Maybe we do not always end up eating in the most exciting restaurants that Berlin has to offer us. We adore sushi and preemptively tend to choose familiar yet fresh eateries that we either have partially experienced or heard from before. But thankfully sometimes we get really cool and out of the ordinary tips and recommendations  and we are ushered into new and exciting places. A couple of weeks ago we were taken to a very unusual restaurant in the dark and enticing snowy depths of Schöneberg, around the picturesque Viktoria-Luise Platz. Maybe not a place where you would normally hang out if you are one of Berlin’s typical Mitte’esque fashionistas. Nevertheless, I personally adore Schöneberg and would stress anyone in Berlin for a short or a long haul to definitely put on their walking boots and take to loving and visiting Schöneberg.

Eating Afghan Food in Berlin

But back to the food: we struggled our way down the Bamberger Straße to find a small and subtle restaurant called Chraazan. Initially it may remind you of a thirteen-in-a-dozen Turkish eatery – but do not let yourself be deceived. Behind the facade of  an average-looking restaurant there hides an surprisingly authentic Afghan dining facility. We actually got our recommendation from a young man originally from Afghanistan, as he had been absolutely raving about the place. So it goes without saying, we were very curious.

Chraazan has the allure of smallness, which wafts over your Rudolph-ish winter nose upon entering.  It is, however, not that small at all, it is merely the dominant  home-like atmosphere that will immediately make you feel at home. It is not an over the top profesionally decorated restaurant like many of Berlin’s fashionable hot spots, but do not let that scare you away. Chraazan is real, authentic and its staff is sweet, sincere and friendly. We enjoyed the luxury of sitting in the boudoir-ish harem-esque corner where taking off your shoes is only the first part of an adventurous journey. Snuggled comfortably on couch-reminiscent pillows, we splendidly sipped our glasses of wine – or try some of the special Afghan tea infused with kardamom. Chraazan carries a surprisingly large menu with dozens of appetizers and more than thirty mail dishes. Guided through the long list of scrumptious meals by our recommendation man, I chose the sweet yellow rice (with almonds, pistachios and orange zest) with a turkey dish flavoured with masala. As appetizers, we all shared a collection of authentic Afghan dumplings, filled with a variety of delicacies (potatoe, peas and onions). The nibbles were delicious and although not too different from something found in an Asian cuisine – managed to surprise us. And the main meal – even though I was not too hungry – was so flavoursome I had to eat it all. The sweet yellow rice was subtly sweetened with the bits of almonds without being to overbearing and the sumptuous bits of turkey were soft and still rich in their typically turkey texture. All in all: a great meal.

What Makes this Restaurant Fabulous?

• The food is mind-blowing, delicious, original and authentic.
• The staff and the atmosphere is relaxed and very friendly.
• The prices are fabulously budget proof, one person can dine and drink for less than twenty euros.

What Makes this Restaurant less Fabulous?

• Well, if you are looking for a posh or gorgeously luxerious restaurant, maybe Chraazan is not the kind of place where you want to go.

Where to Go?

[googleMap name="Chraazan" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Bamberger Straße 49 10779 Berlin[/googleMap]

Chraazan
Bamberger Straße 49
10779 Berlin
030 65708560

Even though it is not really Christmas yet, some people have already had their company Christmas parties – called Weihnachtsfeier in Germany. I had mine at at the Fleischerei (the Butcher’s), where – not surprisingly -  eating meat is the main focus of the restaurant. Located on the Schönhauser Allee, next door to the fast food restaurant White Trash, the butcher shop the Fleischerei is right up in the middle of lively Berlin Mitte. The cool thing about this place is that it used to actually be a butcher shop – which you can easily recognise by the old-school white tiling throughout the restaurant. Nevertheless, it is not a cold and undecorative restaurant. Complementing the butcher-esque style, the Fleischerei combines cosy candles, picture frames and thick drapery curtains with a classical déco. Which results in quite a posh, yet hip atmosphere.

Eating Steak at the Fleischerei

In this fashionable and cosy place, you can either get a small and romantic table in the corner or settle on one of the bigger tables, perfect for when dining at with a larger group of people. The Fleischerei also offers barstool-like seating arrangements that also make this place a comfortable location for lonesome city dwellers or business men and women to get their portion of freshly roasted meat. The kitchen at the Fleischerei is tucked away in a corner, yet open enough for the customers to see what is happening with their meat. The general assumption goes that a really good restaurant displays their methods of cooking and therefore has an open kitchen. The Fleischerei is definitely a good quality restaurant. On large chalkboards hanging all over the restaurant you can choose what kind of meat dish you will want to eat. They do dozens of cool meat interpretations and combinations – ranging from classical mushroom sauces to more adventurous combinations with fruit and vegatables. The main focus is on beef – good beef and great beef.

My personal dinner of the evening started off with a topinambur soup – which is quite a delicacy. Topinambur is the root of an artischoke and supposedly fabulously special. The soup turned out as a semi-thick cream coloured soup, drizzled with truffle oil to give it an extra twang. And oh my lord did that taste delicious. Definitely a great starter to a appetizing night. As a main dish, I had a medium-meets-well-done Argentinian steak, supplemented by sprouts with bacon and an interesting potatoe creation – all accompanied by a flavoursome classic red wine sauce. And to make things even ‘worse’, the dessert was a home-made Bratapfel creation with icecream and sweet marzipan filling. This was just a filling dish, that none of us managed to actually finish the dessert off. But delicious it was.

What Makes this Restaurant Fabulous?

• Déco, atmosphere and staff are pretty, friendly, cosy and yet very up to date and cool.
• The food, which is great classical meat with a culinary twist.
• Location: the Fleischerei is practically located for a nice dinner after work, or a meal after browsing through Berlin’s hot spots.

What Makes this Restaurant Less Fabulous?

• It is not the cheapest of restaurants, which is quite impossible with good-quality meat. However, still very affordable, just a bit more posh than your average eatery. Steaks start at 15 euros and you enjoy an elaborate dinner for 25 to 30 euros a person. Perfect for a special occasion and/ or a romantic dinner.

Where to go?

[googleMap name="Fleischerei" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Schönhauser Allee 8 10119 Berlin [/googleMap]

Fleischerei
Schönhauser Allee 8
10119 Berlin
030 50182117

Years ago, when I visited Berlin for the very first time in my life, I went straight to the Motzstraße, to the pulsating gay heart of Berlin. My eyes sparkled and my heart did a little headstand in my chest. I was here, finally. I hopped happily through the lively streets in Schöneberg, lined with bars and cafés where I would love to spend my many nights in the city. I said then, that I would love to have a flat on the Motzstraße. Although my current house is quite far away in Prenzlauer Berg, I still hold a candle for this corner of Schöneberg. And maybe, one day, I will have my desired flat.

That day, around 2 and a half years ago, after browsing through the many possibilities and temptations Berlin had to offer, me and a friend sat down to eat a meal on the Motzstraße. We chose a small cosy-looking Italian place called Giorgio. I haven’t written too many reviews on Italian food because I tend to think it bland and boring. But that day I was tired and cold and I just wanted to sit down and eat a meal. And right in the middle of the Motzstraße, only a stone’s throw away from the U-Bahns station Nollendorfplatz, there was Giorgio. It looks like any normal Italian restaurant, so I did not expect anything too fabulous. But oh, my lord, is this place fabulous. I am not kidding.

Is Italian Food Never Exciting?

Generally, I tend to think of Italian food as simplistic and I associate it with not too culinairy pizzas and boring pasta dishes, to be copied easily in the own kitchen. I know this is a silly assumption and I have never been to Italy to experience the pleasures of real Italian food, but sadly my negative opinion of Italian foods does apply to most restaurants in cities such as Berlin. However, of course, thankfully, there are always exceptions. Giorgio is one of them, and if you even moderately enjoy Italian food I would recommend eating here.

That first evening I went here, I had a spinach-ricotta canneloni (the large round tunnels made out of pasta, filled with delicious stuffings). Nothing too exciting, normally. But the difference between real, quality Italian food and boring, fake Italian food is that even the most simple things taste mind-blowing when prepared properly. I adored the pasta.

But then again, years afterwards, and only two days ago, I ended up in Giorgio again. And this time I ordered a chestnut gnocchi with a pea bolognese (which was a daily special). But not after we ordered two rounds of bruschetta with tomatoes, basil and olive oil. The bruschetta was still warm and fresh, and the tomato topping was absolutely scrumptious. A very simple appetizer, but it was fabulous. And my main dish, the home-made chestnut gnocchi melted in my mouth and treated my taste buds to a very nice and subtle flavour experience. It was simple, yet brilliantly prepared. Their tiramisu dessert was an original, yet authentic interpretation of an all-time classic and the half a liters of Merlot we drank to accompany our meal was a nice full-bodied wine. All in all: a great restaurant in a great street, which is definitely worth our recommendation. Prices are budgetproof.

What makes this restaurant fabulous?

• It is small, authentic and simply sweet. The déco is that of a simple and subtle Italian restaurant. Nothing too posh or cosy, but just nice.
• The food. Absolutely fantastic food. Home-made pastas, fingerlicking good.
• Great informal atmosphere, a real ‘Kiez’ (neighbourhood) restaurant. You can also take-away your favourite pizza, salad or pasta to enjoy at home.

What makes this restaurant less fabulous?

• Nothing, really. You can eat a great pasta for less than ten euros. Great place.

Where to go?

[googleMap name="Giorgio" description="10777 Berlin" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Motzstraße 11[/googleMap]

Giorgio
Motzstraße 11
10777 Berlin

Since a couple of months, I have taken up the tendency to roam my direct neighbourhood for fashionable food fixes. A couple of months ago, I essentially always jumped on my bicycle to ride off into the night – off to far away Friedrichshain or sensational Schöneberg. But these days I particularly enjoy a short walk in the sultry summer eve and stumble across a promising little restaurant. And since I live merely a stone’s throw away from the comfortable park am Falkplatz, I am quite a fan of this small and subtly hidden away corner of my neighbourhood.

And a couple of weeks ago, me and a collegue sat down at a small Vietnamese restaurant for a luscious strawberry caipi cocktail. The staff were so nice and friendly and the whole look of the place – especially inside – was so inviting that I decided to save this specific restaurant in my mental list of To-Do restaurants. And when I had a visitor, a couple of weeks later – I knew just the right restaurant for the evening and I dragged my companion to Onkel Ho.

On the corner of the Falkplatz park, right around the corner from the American burger restaurant the Bird, there are two small Asian restaurants. Onkel Ho is the second one, recognisable by  the prettiest tables and benches outside and a big banana plant on the sidewalk. In the summer days you should definitely lounge outside, but do not forget to sneak a peak inside! Onkel Ho has a very authentic yet semi-luxerious vibe to its decoration. There are pretty tables and comfortable lounge areas, but also an very Vietnam seating corner where you sit perked up on pillows for some veritable Vietnam experiences.

Vietnomnom

Berlin has many Asian and Vietnemese eateries, as I pointed out before. I never seem to get tired of either of these foods and therefore I always enjoy eating in beautiful and atmospheric Asian restaurants. Some of them may be run of the mill stuff, sometimes sadly reminiscent of the Asia boxes you can buy at lonesome train stations. But I have done plenty of Asian feeding to know a good meal from a mediocre one. And I have to say: I adore Onkel Ho.

I ordered one of the day specials, a Pangasius filet with noodles, a minty sauce and the obvious vegetables. It was a warm day and one of the many nice soups on the standard menu did not particularly tempt me. My dinner companion chose another day special – a beef stew (goulash). I had never eaten here before, I was merely swept away by the nice cocktails, the free Krupuk shrimp crisps and the beautiful déco. But when the food came, I was everything but disappointed.

I received a large (and pretty, because yes, I am a lady and I notice pretty things) bowl with noodles, swimming with fresh veg in a collection of fresh herbs (half a mint garden, it looked like) and with pieces of grilled Pangasius draped on top. The smell was verführerisch (tempting) – it blew me away. The Pangasius was perfectly grilled – not too dry, not too ‘raw’ – and had a subtle crispy jacket on. No jacket in any over-fried fish and chips way – you could still savour the taste of the fish, even though Pangasius in itself is a very subtle fish in flavour. The most amazing thing of this dish was its simplicity. There was no fake or dominant sauces or artificial flavours. Basically: it was nice noodles (not the fried ones) with fresh vegetables, a sauce that consisted of fresh koriander and fresh mint leaves and the grilled fish. Very basic, you might think: but it tasted sooo good! It was absolutely yummy.

Sadly, it was still quite hot and I could not finish off my entire plate. I considered taking some of the left over noodles home – that was how much I enjoyed it.

At Onkel Ho, you can eat a main dish for 5 to 7 euros and get scrumptious appetizers (Sommerollen, spring rolls and papaya salads) for 2 to 5 euros. They do amazing cocktails for 6 euros too, but there is also enough beer and wine to go around. It may not be the best restaurant in the entire world, but it is really good food for great prices, in a beautiful atmosphere and with great staff. You do not see such a good combo of greatness just every day.

What makes this restaurant fabulous?

• It is beautiful, on the inside and the outside. They even have a beautiful open kitchen so you can see what happens to your food.
• The food is fabulously fresh and with a sincere, honest flavour. Aka: yum!
• It is afforable! You can have a nice dinner here for less than ten euros, drinks included.
• The staff is friendly and polite. Never rude and always up for a cosy little chat (not in an annoying way).

What makes this restaurant less fabulous?

• Well, granted: the cocktails are pricey.
• And it is sad that the prettiest seating area is inside, when it is summer now!

Where to go?

[googleMap name="Onkel Ho" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Gleimstraße 11 10437 Berlin[/googleMap]

Onkel Ho
Gleimstraße 11
10437 Berlin
030 4373-5761