FREUNDSCHAFT
https://www.istdeinbesterfreund.com/
Located in Berlin Mitte, in the center of Berlin, near all hotels, museums, embassies and Brandenburg Gate.
Bottom-line, the best wine-bar in Berlin.
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This is 3 blocks from my hotel
Perfect, they have extremely good wines and the 2 hosts are one of the best wine experts in Berlin. Funny, both are from Austria.
About the same for me. We’re staying at The Westin Grand Berlin. Google maps shows a 400m walk.
Hotel Luc
Staying at Radisson Collection, 1 km away but will still visit FREUNDSCHAFT
I went pre pandemic and here were some spots that I enjoyed beyond some of what’s already been shared:
Thelonious Bar (great vibes near Kreuzberg)
Maria (great vegetarian cafe option if you’re near Gorlitzer Park)
Dots - hip brunch place
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I’ll be staying there in mid-October. I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts!
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Just got back from my trip recently. Hotel Luc was nice (particularly the suite upgrade they gave me), and while the location was useful for sightseeing, I would probably stay elsewhere next time I’m in Berlin.
I went to Shiori on my first night. It’s a kaiseki counter with around 10 seats. The food was good and interesting – a mix of things you might know and many that are unfamiliar. Service was friendly and it was nice to be able to speak with the chef. A good stop if you’re looking for something different in terms of cuisine, pace, and format.
Freundschaft is a must for anyone interested in wine (anyone reading this, I expect!). The list is long with lots of back vintages to choose from. Some bottles that might be more challenging or expensive to find stateside. The food is hearty and wine-friendly, and though the menu is all in German, the staff was helpful. Fun, convivial atmosphere – I ended up sharing a few bottles with some of the guests seated nearby.
eins44 was a little difficult to find - it’s set back in a courtyard off the street, so leave yourself a few minutes to find it if you go. I thought the food was good, though in retrospect, nothing I ate here stood out. Somewhat sleepy atmosphere – I think I visited on a weekday.
ernst was the best meal I had in Berlin. The restaurant was started by two chefs from Vancouver who met in Berlin and started a supper club. That grew into a 10-seat restaurant (all seats are at the bar). The staff includes four others, and the whole team was engaging and friendly. The food is cooked and plated right in front of you. There’s no menu - the team reviews the ingredients they have available to them each morning and sets a menu. On the night I visited, I think we had 40 courses (no joke!), though all were small bites. Several were unlike anything I’ve had previously and made me wonder ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ Almost all were delicious. Highly recommended if you can snag a seat. On that note, it’s worth getting on their email list if you’re planning a visit, as they occasionally have extra tickets or cancellations.
I felt Cordo was good, not great. I think I would have preferred it in its prior iteration as a wine bar. For what it’s worth, I visited right after they switched their menu for the fall – it was evident that they were still working out a few of the kinks.
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My wife and I are heading to Berlin for a few days at the beginning of June. Looking for good food, but really nothing too posh or fancy. Appreciate any recent recommendations anyone may have. Thanks.
I would highly recommend Freundschaft.
Thank you Evan! I just went back to this to see if there were any responses and just noticed yours.
Any other not too fancy but good comfort food (e.g. Sauerbraten) suggestions for berlin?
I was only there a couple nights, but I did drop into a restaurant near my hotel one very rainy day for a hearty lunch of sauerbraten. The place was called Lutter & Wegner and struck me as a very traditional spot (but with a dash of tourist trap).
I have a close family member who swears by spending the first night of a trip abroad at a local bar, and makes a point of asking the bartenders for recommendations for where to eat. Apparently, that’s worked well for them, and I could see that going pretty well in the right bar in Berlin.
Freundschaft was really an exemplary wine bar for me – the kind of place where bottles get passed around. Over the course of an evening there I tasted a '19 Schafer Frohlich Felseneck, '97 Musar Blanc, '18 Bouchard Roses de Jeanne, and a '93 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese to give you a sense of the list.
I understand you’re seeking more casual spots, but I feel I should mention ernst because it was one of my two favorite meals of last year. It definitely leans fine dining, but it was a pretty casual atmosphere.
It’s been since pre-Covid but a couple of more casual places:
Tajik Tea House - sit on the floor on pillows for a traditional tea service with Russian dishes
Peking Ente
https://www.peking-ente-berlin.de/ - near the site of Hitlers bunker south of the Jewish memorial and Brandenburg Gate - the duck was very good and rated one of the best and more economical choices for Peking duck
And not as casual - we did high tea at the a hotel Adlon and that was also a nice afternoon
Yesterday I recommended this Hotelguide to a friend in Copenhagen.
Hotel Oderberger is new to me and a must-go for swim fanatics.
Hotel Stue I like for the glamour. Great also if you have kids, the Zoo is nearby.
The Gault Millau heavily praised 3 new restaurants in Berlin a few days ago. All three are open less than 5-6 months.
Hallmann&Klee
Pars
Victor&Victoria
Bumping for a trip later this month! Anything new and excited, or old faithfuls, that I should be looking out for? Will have Friday 10/25, Sat 10/26 open. I have no problems crashing at a back table or at the bar if it means getting a great meal. Looking for upscale bistro-style places, rather than white tablecloth and expensive wine lists.
Tagging @Martin_Zwick , as I love your recipe posts!
There are soo many great restaurants in Berlin and every week many more new (!) good restaurants. Much depends what you are looking for, personal taste, money etc etc.
I will recommend you 1 restaurant, an institution in Berlin, and delivers a unique restaurant-experience. Member of the Top 50 restaurant in the world.
Fair to say, you have to be open-minded. ENJOY
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P.S.
Uups, I overlooked this. But Nobelhart still works despite the expensive wine-list, as they also have a good beer. And NO white tablecloth.
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Done! Thanks you for the suggestion; will be dining there on 10/25!
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