Berlin's restaurants and cafes are reinventing themselves, like Tinman.
They may take away the clubs, but not the desire to dance. Neither the confinement nor the restrictions imposed since October have prevented new spaces are opened and the Berlin gastronomic offer is renewed . Yes, to take away.
The streets of Berlin are quieter than usual. There will be those who believe that it is because in Germany “there is less life abroad”, but who knows it, knows that Berlin is not Germany and that here, on Thursdays, people go out. And on Tuesdays, too. That's how it was, at least, before the global pandemic will force the closure of bars and restaurants at the end of October due to those hopeless figures that reached Spain through the news in that periodic review of results of the only Euroleague that no country wants to lead.
Since then, the restrictions imposed on the hospitality industry have been systematically extending its deadline like someone who postpones the alarm on Monday mornings. Come on, just a little while longer... And so on until the last meeting of Merkel and the presidents of the Länder to review the current measures, in which a timid phased de-escalation was agreed upon that expects the opening of terraces at the end of this month . Just in time for the Easter holidays and – here comes the fine print – if all goes well.
The news was intended to be, along with the return of non-essential businesses, free vaccines and antigen tests per week, A light at the end of the tunnel ; but citizens and hoteliers no longer dare to look out to see what awaits them on the other side. The former show the wear and tear of recent months and run out of ideas for cooking at home, while the latter rack their brains with new take-away formulas that ensure the survival of your business in this new normal. As they say, out of necessity comes ingenuity.
During the winter months, the long queues that used to form in front of some of the busiest venues the weekend (Cocolo Ramen, Rembrandt, Maria Bonita) were replaced by small groupings of blue jackets with the Wolt logo. The new home delivery service operating in the central district Mitte it has saved the ballot for more than one in one of the coldest seasons in recent years.
Now that the cherry trees are in bloom on Bornholmer Strasse , now that its buds herald the arrival of spring and good weather, the parks are beginning to wake up from a long Sunday of lethargy to receive more and more frequent visits from diners who they order their pizza at Zola and sit down to enjoy it by the canal . Without a doubt, his best table. Those endless queues that once marked the access to the most popular restaurants and clubs in Berlin now indicate the proximity of a public toilet.
It's been a tough few months for Berliners reclaiming their clubkultur. Also for the bars and restaurants that have had to close (a minute of silence for the Twinpigs pulled pork sandwiches), but contrary to what the news usually broadcasts, it has not all been bad news, at least for the gastronomic scene of Berlin that, even given the circumstances, does not stop growing.
When the door to the House of small wonders was temporarily closed, crackbuns window opened . That the epicure cannot go Tim Raue? The chef with two Michelin stars and zero modesty, he serves him Fuh Kin Great's menu in his living room . Arne Anker and Frederik Bille Brahe should not have received the circular, because instead of closing, opened a restaurant (Brikz) and a bakery (Sofi) , respectively, in full confinement. And not only do the best chefs in Berlin go to Barra to eat , also those who can't go a week without their fried chicken sandwich. He sounds like something that would make Joey Tribbiani salivate and he knows even better.
SOFI
Germans like to buy bread rolls so much (brötchen) on weekends, like the Danish fresh flowers. Copenhagen is full of designer florists; Berlin, on the other hand, lacks ovens that honor this custom and, if you ask a Frenchman, croissants that deserve to be called by their name. Frederik Bille Brahe was not unaware of this lack when he decided to open SOFI at the same time that the closure of the hotel was decreed.
The owner of Café Atelier September, Apollo Kantine & Bar and Kafeteria at the National Gallery of Denmark is embarking on a project together with the Slow collective to raise a campus dedicated to culture, wellness and sustainability on the banks of the Spree in the German capital . And while Marina Marina is taking shape, the chef decided to fulfill his dream of opening a restaurant in Berlin.
When he found a space in a 19th century industrial building , located in the discreet second row that provides an interior patio, all the pieces fell into place. “It has been quite a challenge, but very rewarding”, they comment while squeezing their thumbs (fingers are not crossed in Germany) to being able to open its terrace and become the meeting point for the neighborhood what they had in mind.
What to ask for? Handwerker, a typical Danish brioche with cheese and whipped butter.
We don't want to get out of here
TIM RAUE
“Food that makes the palate dance” . This is how Tim Raue defines the concept of soulfood that is simmered in the kitchens of your restaurant with two Michelin stars. When the closure of the hotel industry was decreed, "we had to choose between surviving as a business because of our employees (whom we have not stopped paying 100%) or closing, perhaps forever, because every month, money burns like hell ”.
The decision was Fuh Kin Great, a four-course takeaway menu with which the most punctilious chef in all of Berlin gives the final finish of his meticulous recipes to the diners. Every week they offer two new alternatives (with their respective vegan option) and a separate pairing that they take you to Bangkok, Tokyo or China without leaving home.
What to ask for? Fuh Kin Great Menu (Between 68 and 128 euros).
MRS. ROBINSON
Samina loves the kitchen and you don't have to be in front of it to know. In her words about mangalica pork when she tells me about this variant –which would be the equivalent of our Iberian in central Europe–, there is as much care as in each of the dishes on the menu for two that she prepares weekly with local products of the highest quality . They can be ordered and picked up on Fridays and Saturdays at your establishment, or received at home at an additional cost. In addition, the menu and the regular offer of snacks and wines is not the only thing that Mrs. Robinson has been cooking these months. Very soon she will open, also in Prenzlauer Berg, her little sister Café Frieda.
What to ask for? Weekly menu for two Mrs Robinson at Home (€110).
BAR
To the restaurant where the chefs of Berlin used to go to eat, they arrive more and more profane attracted by the smell of fried chicken . Closer to Korea than Kentucky, this sandwich with a waiting list can be picked up from Thursday to Sunday at lunch with prior reservation and watch out! that runs out They also have a weekly 3-course menu (€39).
What to ask for? Korean-style fried chicken sandwich (€12).
kink
They opened in December 2019 without suspecting that they would have to reinvent themselves just a few months later . “During the first confinement we took advantage of the time to finalize some details of the space, optimize the recipes and prepare the team”, explains co-owner Oliver Mansaray. It wasn't until the second when I finally they decided on the takeaway menu and the online store where they continue to serve the cocktails who, for a few months in the summer, became famous at Berlin's feierabend (after-work drinks). Looking ahead to the next hot season they are already preparing the opening of Frank, an adjacent café with a terrace.
What to ask for? Kink Your Weekend 3-course menu (35 euros) and Beelitzer Spargel cocktail with gin, white asparagus, Fino and agraz.
CRACKBUNS
From the creators of House of Small Wonders, closed due to confinement, comes this establishment in the heart of Berlin that, neither has opened, nor serves mini hamburgers. Crackbuns is still considered to be in a testing period and that is why they hope to be able to celebrate an official inauguration that will surpass and consolidate its current soft opening. Shaul Margulies was very clear that she wanted to enrich the fast food offer with quality artisan products and he had long been simmering the idea of a few bites of soft bread with mochi potatoes . He forgets everything you thought you knew about the perfect chips crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, because these endless fluffy potatoes will leave you wanting more.
What to ask for? Menu for two people with two hamburgers for each one, potatoes, salad and lemonade to share. For dessert, a chocolate brioche and a yuzu brioche with passion fruit, as refreshing as it is delicious (€28).
TINMAN
Miriam Millán is the voice of optimism . Warm, sweet and delicate like the sound of water when you rock your bare feet in a pond. He is capable of giving you a smile even with a mask, but he also manages to transmit positivity even in the most difficult moments for the cafeteria that he shares with his two partners. “Before the pandemic, our lives revolved around business. Thanks to her we have made TINMAN the site we had always dreamed of: a place of discovery where you can enjoy food made with local products in a fun atmosphere . A place where customers become friends and where the social fabric and support for the gastronomic community are the priority”, she exposes.
The confinement has allowed them to get closer to their clients, create a rooftop garden and innovate with weekly collaborations . During the month of March, the profits obtained from the sale of your tit-shaped cookies will go for various women's associations.
What to ask for? Grilled cheese sandwich and its homemade Twix
gorilla
Like Sofi in Mitte, Gorilla intends to satisfy the bakery demands of the Neukölln neighborhood . Normal that the neighbors have welcomed him so well. I know of a few French people who can't fault their croissants, which sell out daily–“we're just barely keeping up with the demand!” – not even their sweets with caramel salt . Matteo Angioi is in charge of the confectionery and Frithjof Wodarg of the business, which has been constantly expanding since its opening. From March, they will extend the schedule as well as the offer of pizza and cakes.
What to ask for? croissants. A lots of. Before they run out. And their Kouign-Amann buns.
REMI
The second wave hit the little brother of the beloved Lode & Stijn hard . They had not yet assimilated the success of their recent opening in the summer, when they had to face the new restrictions that forced them to recalculate the route and pour all the enthusiasm into a takeaway menu . They were weeks of great agitation so they decided to take a break only two and a half months after the inauguration. And finally! they are planning to come back with new initiatives at home although, in a more spontaneous way, and artisanal products such as the tubs of its false tahini with sunflower seeds.
What to ask for? The cream choux. It is not that their savory dishes are not tasty, it is that this dessert is simply spectacular.
TIFFIN
No matter how many times you walk down Oranien Street, even with the best olfactory radar for curry and cardamom, you will not find any sign that gives away the position of this ghost restaurant . For this business model that is characterized by serving only at home, confinement did not change anything.
Conceived as an experiment by Sachin Obaid and Suleman Thakar, Tiffin opened in December 2020 as it could have at any other time , only since then the popularity of takeaway has only increased. They aspire to resemble their mothers' food and Tim Raue has said of his dishes that he has never tasted Indian food like it. He described it as a roller coaster.
What to ask for? Ghar ki dal, a lentil and spice curry suitable for lunch and dinner.