Chefs Know Best—Berlin

Maison Ë What do you look for and appreciate when you go out to eat in Berlin?

Sebastian Frank For me, it’s about the emotions and images that you associate with food and which arise in your mind. I like authentic restaurants but also bold and different concepts. One is soul cuisine, where a person brings their origins to the plate with cooking skills, the other is unique experiences.

M.Ë Which restaurants do you recommend for such unique experiences?

S.F. There are several fine dining establishments in Berlin that are very unique. For example, CODA, which has successfully specialized in a dessert menu. A classic is the Belgian waffle filled with cheese, made from very crispy, airy dough and dipped in yoghurt with kimchi powder. Restaurant Rutz has managed to break out of the often still very Francophile 3-star cuisine in Germany. They have achieved the highest rating with a German-influenced style, German products, Asian techniques, and a Scandinavian-influenced presentation.

Nobelhart und Schmutzig has a great atmosphere and exudes extreme internationality—you get the feeling you might as well be in New York. In Berlin, Tim Raue combines Francophile cuisine with Asian flavors that have been among the best in the world for years—you can’t get that anywhere better in Berlin.

M.Ë Are there certain national cuisines that people should try in the city?

S.F. Berlin stands for diversity. The city has the largest Turkish community in Germany, and there are also strongly Asian and Arabic scenes. The many people with a migrant background do a really good job here. I especially love the skewer culture and barbecuing over an open fire. At Kottbusser Tor there is Lasan, a Kurdish restaurant that combines kebabs with crispy flatbread from the clay oven. I recommend the grilled lamb skewers with tandur bread and spicy onions, served with an ayran. There are many restaurants here that make pizza with sourdough and 48-hour proofing, baked in a wood-fired oven. In Kreuzberg, Zola makes good Neapolitan pizza. In Berlin, everyone has an opinion on who makes the best pizza. There is a street food market in Markthalle Neun on Fridays and Saturdays. I always choose a focaccia with onions from the Italian bakery Sironi there. The best Austrian restaurant in the city by far was Restaurant Ottenthal. They recently closed but are looking for a new location.

M.Ë What else do you think is worth mentioning in the Berlin food scene?

S.F. There is a huge breakfast restaurant culture in the city. You can have breakfast until 6 pm—for those who have just come out of the club. I’ve tried a lot of breakfast places but I think Frühstück 3000 in Schönenberg and Kreuzberg is particularly worth recommending. The owners come from the fine dining sector and are thoroughbred restaurateurs. In addition to eggs benedict, beef tartare and French toast, there is also a serious wine selection and you can have a glass of champagne or a cocktail in the morning.