Berlin November 2017
November 15-16 2017
As my father was heading to berlin for a few days, i decided to join him. i had not been back in berlin since 2005 so it was interesting to return as i only remembered a few things about the city.
French Cathedral
november 15 2017
The first day we had several meetings so we didn't have a lot of time to explore plus it started to get dark as early as 4pm. however we did find some delicious places to eat.
For lunch we went the cafe Einstein stammhaus, a very cute cafe in an old villa with a lot of history and a very interesting past. there were many tasty choices but we went for the daily specials and they did not disappoint. Both dishes were very good, a quite satisfying lunch. i would definitely recommend going there even if its just for a coffee.
Dorade Fillet, Ratatouille, Potatoes, Rosemary Thyme Cream Sauce
Beet Ravioli, Pesto, Squash, Pine Nuts
After another meeting and a quick walk around the city in the cold and wet weather it was time for some dinner. as we didn't know where to go we asked the hotel for a recommendation and they suggested Restaurant Duke at the Ellington Hotel. the ellington hotel has a beautiful facade and entrance, it feels like you were taken back to the 1920's & 1930's, but then you walk towards the hotel lobby and lounge and you are transported back to the present with modern design and slick furnishings. the food at the duke was very good as we didn't have any expectations, however there wasn't a huge menu selection so if you are particularly picky eater or have food allergies maybe this isn't the best place to go. They do offer a 3 or 5 course menu tasting with or without wine pairing. the price is quite reasonable for the quality of food and service. i would definitely recommend stopping by even for a drink or coffee in the lounge as its a nice change from the busy and commercial shopping street of tauentienstrasse.
Amuse bouche: Qunioa, Beets, Mushrooms and Turnip Soup
A little surprise at the end
Goat Cheese with Flamed Pumpkin, Orange, Purple Curry and Basil
Saddle of Venison fried in Nut Butter with Red Cabbage, Mandarin, Ginger, and Chestnut
Petit Fours
november 16 2017
we didn't have any meetings today, so we had the morning and most of the afternoon free before heading to the airport. we decided to take a walk from our hotel through the tiergarten towards the brandenburg gate. it was a lovely walk through the park as the colors were so bright and vivid amidst a cloudy and gloomy day.
around the corner was the art of banksy exhibition at the felix, which has one of the largest collection of banksy's ARTWORK with over 40 original pieces. i had only seen his artworks online or in his documentary but i had never seen his artwork in person. i read a few reviews about the exhibition and the possible drama behind it, but i also thought when else would i be able to see so much of his work in one place. Yes it might have looked a bit sterile to see his street art in a gallery but you do get to see a timeline of his works and begin to better understand the pieces. i haven't had the opportunity to see one of banksy's own exhibition, i hope to one day, but for now this will be the closest i will get to see his work.
right across the street was the memorial to the murdered jews in europe, i remember visiting in 2005. it is a place that you do need to visit in berlin, it is to remind us of how many people had died during the HOLOCAUST and the scope of the killings, to put things into PERSPECTIVE. a solemn but educational place.
we continued walking around and stumbled upon this restaurant called das meisterstück, we were intrigued by the words bratwurst grill and bier. once you walk into the restaurant you can smell the wood burning from the wood fire grill and the decorations look like you just entered an old log cabin in the woods, you immediately feel warm and hungry. and you can't miss all the cuckoo clocks on the wall that will RANDOMLY go off during your meal. the food was delicious, we had ordered the fire 1 (Feuer), which included the Thüringer sausage, cheese sausage (Gassners Käsekrainer) and 3 Nürnberger sausages with Sauerkraut and potato salad. we also ordered the original currywurst with homemade sauce. i had currywurst before but this was a bit different, the sauce had more flavor. i later learned that currywurst ORIGINATED from berlin, no wonder it was a bit different and much tastier than the ones i have had before. das meisterstück is definitely a must try for some german sausages in a nontraditonal setting. i also found out that they have two locations in münchen, i will certainly be checking those out.
After a very full meal we decided to keep walking around towards the Museum area of the city before heading back to the hotel then to the airport. although it was a very gloomy day, the city still has its charm. a lot of the buildings in the center are being restored so it looks a bit like a construction site, so i hope the next time i come back it will all be finished. it was a very short trip, i hope next time i can spend a few more days and i really hope it isn't another 12 years until the next visit.
Berlin Cathedral