Eurosnack!: October 2009

Friday, 30 October 2009

Restaurant 3

This is a new opening around the corner from Bar 3 and near the Volksbühne theater, a hang-out for the thespian world.

The decor is minimalist and stylish, it's got a nice atmosphere. My tomato soup was fresh and delicious. I then had a salad with beetroot which was good but on the vinegary side. My companion's lasagna was said to be rather tasteless, and overall the portions are small (but the prices are reasonable too).

The food tasted very fresh and the menu changes constantly, so this is definitely one to watch.

Restaurant 3, Weydingerstrasse 20, Berlin
Tel: +49-30-2804-6973

Sunday, 25 October 2009

Mexican Berlin

Mexican joints are few and far between in Berlin, but a nice burrito place is Dolores on Rosa Luxemburg Strasse. It's busy, but the corn chips are crunchy and delicious, the guacamole is good too (especially if you like garlic).

I had the classic vegan: black beans, brown rice, salsa verde and lots of fajita onions. Healthy fast food. Dolores is also the only place in Germany I've ever seen the Brazilian soft drink Guaraná Antartica for sale.

Rosa Luxemburg Strasse 7, Berlin Mitte, 030 280 99 597
www.dolores-online.de

Another good place is Maria Bonita. It's a bit grungy, you either sit at long tables on the street or on barstools. I made a reservation without realising it is pretty much an imbiss. The dishes are inexpensive (so is the beer) and authentic, the guys who run the place are fun too.

Danziger Str. 33, Prenzlauer Berg
www.maria-bonita.com

Sunday, 18 October 2009

Chez Leon, Brussels

The meal got off to a bad start when the restaurant told us we had lost our table because we were ten minutes late.

Another table was found, but then they made a huge fuss about the fact that we had booked for eight and were nine. The waiters made us feel very uncomfortable.

In the end, the mussels and chips were good, and the beer was cold. But the service experience was for the thick-skinned only!

18 rue des Bouchers, Brussels 1000, Belgium. Tel: +32 2 511 14 15. www.chezleon.be

This is an interesting article from Business Week that a friend passed on to me about Barcomi's, a well-known American café:

Creating Café Barcomi's in Berlin
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2009/sb20090924_016527.htm

The Barcomi's at Sophienstrasse 21 is one of my favourite places for cookies and brownies. The coffee is STRONG. It's rather more expensive than most cafés in the area.

TIP OF THE MONTH

DECEMBER -- Les Climats. This is a specialist wine shop with a focus on Burgundy. It's run by someone who's friendly and really knows about wine. Open Wed-Fri 12-8 pm, Sat 12-6 pm. Tel: +49 (0)30 2900 1212, Hannoversche Straße 1, D-10115 Berlin, www.lesclimats.com. After you've finished, head to Sulzberger for a coffee, it's in the same building. www.sulzberger.net
NOVEMBER -- Gaze at the autumn leaves from the warmth of Schoenbrunn, in the middle of the park between Prenzlauerberg and Friedrichshain. Stylish interior and efficient service. They also do a fine English breakfast. The downsides? They don't have soya milk for the coffee, only full-fat. Also there's only one bathroom for the entire restaurant and its giant terrace! Find it next to the swan pond "Am Schwanenteich" in the Volkspark Friedrichshain. Tel: +49 (0) 30 45 30 565 25, www.schoenbrunn.net
OCTOBER -- Milchhalle. Delicious, frothy lattes. Lots of newspapers and magazines spread out on a long, wooden farmhousey table. Nicer in the summer, as you can sit outside and enjoy the sunshine, but cosy in winter too. Auguststraße 50, www.milchhalle-berlin.de. Opposite is Hackbarth’s, a legendary bar and café that everyone should visit at least once in their lives. It's open late, too.
SEPTEMBER -- Every Saturday there is a farmers' market in Hackescher Markt. It's a great place to pick up organic fruit, vegetables, cheese and eggs, and it's all local.
AUGUST -- If you find yourself in Miami, a fun (if über touristy) way to see the city is on a Duck Tour. It's a boat that goes on water, so after you've driven around South Beach to check out Muhammed Ali's gym and gone past the Scarface villa, the tour takes to the high seas to get close to Star Island and Palm Island, where the rich and famous live. Cheesy but fun. www.ducktoursmiami.com
JULY -- Leila’s Shop, 17 Calvert Ave, Shoreditch, London, UK. Tel: 020 7729 9789. Visiting this café feels like time travelling to a homely greengrocers of the 1940s. Creamy organic milk, fresh vegetables, tiled floors and creaky wooden tables. Rather slow service but very sweet.
JUNE -- Toca Rouge. Nice little Chinese place on Torstrasse. Not too fancy, simple menu, decent food, minimalist decor. Torstr. 195, 10115 Berlin. Tel: +49 30 8471 2142.
MAY -- Dudu Sushi. Seriously fresh, seriously good Asian food and sushi. Inexpensively priced, considering the quality. Nice garden to sit in now the weather's warm, with artfully placed plants that block out the view of Torstrasse. The crunchy Dudu roll is especially good. Torstrasse 134, 10119 Berlin. Tel: +49 30 517 368 54. www.dudu-berlin.de
APRIL --The Shop (which is actually a café and bakery) This is a great place in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Their mint & lychee cooler is delicious, it's also a nice place for a coffee, a sandwich or a salad. Light, airy decor and friendly staff, located on Street 240 in the heart of the capital. The Shop, #39 Street 240, Phnom Pehn. Tel: (855) 023 986 964.
MARCH -- If you ever find yourself at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in the Hamburger Bahnhof, don't miss the Sarah Wiener café/restaurant. It's light, pleasant and full of books and magazines (from Spiegel to Penthouse). I've never tried the food, but the atmosphere is great. Sarah Wiener im Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstrasse 50-51,10557 Berlin. +49 30 70 71 36 50 www.sarahwiener.de
FEBRUARY -- La Pausa. Amazing takeaway pizza. Fresh, delicious and only €1.80 a slice. Torstrasse 125, 10119 Berlin. +49 30 2408 3108
JANUARY -- Dice. Berlin's latest arrival on the clubbing scene... so new I haven't been yet. So the tip comes from a friend, it's meant to be cool and "old style" (harking back to the fall of the Wall) in an abandoned electricity station. You heard it here first... Voltairestrasse 5, 10179 Berlin, http://newsite.dice-club.de/
DECEMBER -- Christmas markets! It's that time of year again... for a different experience try the "Umweltmarkt" or "Ecological Market" on Sophienstraße in Mitte. As well as buying handmade crafts, jewellery and organic food, you can sip Glühwein and sign up for Greenpeace and other ecological organisations. Every weekend this month, Saturdays 12h - 21h and Sundays 11h - 19h.
NOVEMBER -- West Berlin gets a tough rap from its more trendy neighbour... but don't overlook lovely Savignyplatz. Parts of Cabaret (the best Berlin movie ever made) were filmed here. BREL calls itself a Bar - Bistro - Caf'Conc'. Whatever your tipple, it's a nice place to sit and watch the world go by in the square. Savignyplatz 1, 10623 Berlin/Charlottenburg, Tel: +49 30 31800020. http://cafebrel.de/
OCTOBER – when the weather gets nasty, warm up with a nice big Currywurst from Becker’s Fritten, the van on the corner of Oranienburgerstr and Auguststr. Their fresh chips are simply incredible, and they come with garlic mayo, guacamole and many other sauces.
SEPTEMBER -- update your autumn look with a haircut at Catwalk Hair Fashion. Ask for Matthias, he’s great, but don’t hog all the appointments as I still want to go there! www.catwalk-hairfashion.de +49 30 27 59 45 65
AUGUST -- until the 25th of this month, get to London's Hayward Gallery to row a boat across the roof of the Southbank Centre. With views of the Houses of Parliament, "Psycho Buildings" is an exhibition truly not to be missed! http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visual-arts/hayward-exhibitions. Also visit the Concrete cafe/bar for great coffee and a read of the Independent (the only paper they seemed to stock).
JULY -- The terrace at Weekend club: beautiful view, beautiful people. Go there for a sundowner in a sea of designer shades. 15th floor of Alexanderplatz 5. www.week-end-berlin.de
JUNE -- This hot weather is a great excuse to get down to Kauf Dich Glücklich, at Oderberger Str. 44 in Prenzlauer Berg. Delicious homemade ice cream, waffles, and crepes. All the furniture in the shop is for sale, too.

Eurosnack!