Food | Postcards From Here and There

Eating and Drinking in Mitte Berlin

Mitte is the district which makes up most of central Berlin. It is a large area and includes many of Berlin’s top sights and museums. Bearing its size in mind this post does not attempt to give a comprehensive view of the dining and drinking options available, it is simply an overview of the places I have enjoyed on recent visits to the city.

The Barn. Auguststaße 58.

The Barn not only brews the most delicious coffee it roasts its own beans and you can buy a bag to take home. This is a great place for breakfast with a good selection of pastries and sandwiches. It’s only small but turnover is reasonably fast.

Einstein. Unter den Linden 42.

Just a short walk from The Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate this is a café/restaurant in the more traditional style and an excellent place for breakfast after getting up early to see the sights before it gets too busy.

Rutz Weinbar. Chausseestraße 8.

Restaurant Rutz is one of Berlin’s seven two star Michelin restaurants with chef Marco Müller at the helm. Downstairs from the restaurant is a wine bar which itself holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The wine bar menu offers creative interpretations of traditional, regional dishes and as you would expect the cooking is first class. The wine list is excellent and naturally German wines feature heavily, there is a good choice of wines by the glass and the staff are very knowledgeable and helpful.

Beereau. Claire Waldorf Straße 4.

A small but cosy bar located just off Friedrichstraße. It may only be small but it is wonderful place to stop off for an early evening beer. There are a small number of beers on tap and a good selection in the fridges. The place is quite relaxed with a good selection of beer related books.

Muret La Barba. Rosenthaler Straße 61.

This very popular Italian is part café, part wine bar and part restaurant and it works so well on all levels. The cooking here is authentic and very good and the wine choices are excellent and reasonably good value for money. It can get very busy in the evenings so prebooking is a good idea.

The Circus Hotel. Rosenthaler Straße 1.

The Circus Hotel is an excellent place to stay on a visit to the city and it has an excellent café/bar on the ground floor. I can never quite make out if it is part of the hotel or a separate enterprise but as with the hotel the reception is welcoming, the decor is superb and the food excellent. It is such a relaxing place you have to make a big effort to get back out and carry on with your day.

Katz Orange. Bergstraße 22.

Located in a former brewery and in a courtyard, the setting is fantastic. In warm weather there are tables arranged outside, covered by large parasols, which, if the weather permits, should be your choice of seating. The interior of the restaurant is arranged over two floors and is warm and inviting. So dining either inside or outside it’s a win win! The cooking here is fantastic and the wine list excellent.

BrewDog. Ackerstraße 29.

With somewhere in the region of 30 beers on tap including guest beers this is an ideal stopping place for beer lovers. They also do a good range of pizzas and salads.

Mikkeller. Torstraße 102

The Danish brewery Mikkeller is regarded as one of the best in the world and has bars in several major cities around the world. The bar in Mitte is small with seating arranged into three areas plus tables outside for when the weather permits. The decor has a very Scandinavian feel and creates a relaxed and calming environment, ideal for drinking a beer or two!

Tast Manchester

Tast is a relatively recent addition to the Manchester dining scene. A venture that involves Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola and CEO Ferran Soriano. Michelin Starred Catalonian chef Paco Pérez is responsible for the menu and the quality here shines through.

On the ground floor is the bar and a communal seating area suitable for those who only need a quick bite. The first floor is for a more formal experience while retaining a casual atmosphere for the diners. There is also a private dining room available on there second floor. I liked the restaurant design, unfussy with lots of wood to give a natural and warm feel.

The menu is based around small plates and it is possible to order any number depending on how hungry you are. We chose the longer of the two set menus on offer as we were in no particular hurry and wanted to sample a good range of dishes.

Duck’n Donut (2012)
Sandwich de Fromatge Trufat

The Duck’in Donut was a truly exceptional start to a meal. Duck liver parfait encased in white chocolate and covered with dried raspberry powder. It sounds bonkers but it works so well, I cold have eaten a whole box of them. The sandwich worked less well but then again it was a hard act to follow.

Oyster with salmon eggs and sodium seaweed

I have never really been a fan of oysters but this was rather special. Served slightly warm on a bed of crushed ice with enticing aromas of the sea it was a delicate and elegant dish.

The salmon was delicious, melt in the mouth and the dill flavoured creme fraiche just added the right amount of richness to balance the delicate fish. Another winner of a dish.

Traditional Catalan Christmas broth, pasta and meatballs.

The success of a dish like this is in the quality of the broth and this did not disappoint. The meatballs were very good, gently spiced and lovely texture.

Next up was a lovely, savoury dish with the most perfectly cooked egg. The flavours here were deep and powerful.

Mushrooms, egg, braised sauce
Scallops, fricando, vegetables

The Wagyu was a little disappointing, lacking a little in flavour but the sauce was excellent. The vegetables were served at table en papillote and were rather good.

Passion fruit sorbet
Chantilly, apricot, sponge cake

The sorbet was so refreshing with intense passion fruit flavour. The sponge cake was light and was an excellent desert, I could have eaten another portion it was so nice.

Two wines to accompany our lunch.

Amic Blanc. Clos d’Agoni. Emporda. 2017. Dry and well balanced with some delicate floral notes and nice texture.

Modernista. Pagos de Hibera. Terra Alta. 2017. Bright red berry fruit with some gentle peppery spice.

Overall an excellent lunch with the tasting menu giving a good introduction to the range of dishes available. Cooking was of a high quality as you would expect and the prices here reflect this. In my view if offered good value.Service was excellent with a very detailed explanation of the menu and individual dishes. It was attentive without being overbearing.

Rutz Wine Bar

Restaurant Rutz is one of Berlin’s seven two star Michelin restaurants with chef Marco Müller at the helm. Downstairs from the restaurant is a wine bar which itself holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Located on Chausseestraße in Berlin’s central district it is everything you would want from a wine bar. Wine takes centre stage with bottles in a display filling a whole wall. The wine list is excellent and naturally German wines feature heavily, there is a good choice of wines by the glass and the staff are very knowledgeable and helpful.

The menu offers creative interpretations of traditional, regional dishes. As you would expect the cooking is first class and service is attentive without being overbearing. We decided to try a few wines by the glass rather than buy a bottle.

Roasted Berlin Black Pudding with vegetables

Pork Knuckle, Potato – sauerkraut and carrot

Prignitz Chicken, roasted onions with mashed potato and vegetables.

The wines

Georg Breuer Estate Rauenthal 2016. Rheingau – Wonderful aromas of lime with hints of lemon and petrol. Dry with great balance, lime and fresh zingy acidity, slight spritz. A nice lingering finish.

Immich – Batterieberg Eschenburg Riesling 2011. Mosel – Lime green in appearance, crystal clear and bright. Nose is intensely petrol and lime with a slight herby note. Palate is fuller, medium bodied. A really nice, elegant wine.

Vino Verde. Muros de Melgaço. Alvarinho. 2017 – Aromas of lime and stone fruits. Nice weight and balance with some real character and a saline minerality. A long, long finish. This really is very good.

Haart. Goldtropfchen. Spaltete. 2013. Mosel – Nose is restrained -lime, petrol. Palate shows excellent balance of sweetness and acidity. Flavours of lime, lemon and touch of honey spice.

Domaine de l’Horizon. Mar i Montanya. Cotes Catalanes. 2016 – Cherry red and youthful. Nose is fresh fruits; raspberry and strawberry with a touch of cherry. Palate is light with lovely red berry fruits, a hint of violets and a lovely savoury finish.