So this is just the third time we have dined in a Michelin-starred restaurant here in Berlin, as most of the time, we travel for these types of restaurants. But it was my birthday last summer, and we wanted some sort of fancy dinner as a celebration. So we went to
Hallmann und Klee*. This is a restaurant in a neighbourhood that we typically don't frequent, but since they recently received a star, we thought that it would be a good idea to go now, before they raise prices. The last time we dined in a Michelin-starred restaurant was when we were in
Jellyfish* in Hamburg, some months ago earlier this year.
The restaurant is in Neukölln, which is not a place we typically find ourselves in. But this time, we went here, after work. And when we arrived, our table was waiting for us.
We began with some non-alcoholic aperetif, as well as some oysters. This restaurant is more on the intimate side, yet looking at the clientele, it feels like this is a place with customers who are definitely looking like they are from Berlin, but who happens to know how to appreciate good food.
As is typical with Michelin-starred restaurants, tasting menus are the norm. They had vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, and they don't force the entire table to do the same thing. So this time, I did the vegetarian tasting menu with a non-alcoholic drink pairing, while my husband did the non-vegetarian tasting menu with the alcoholic wine pairing. I only took photos of my menu, however, which would follow below. The above were our menu cards.
Of course, the tasting menu began with some little nibbles. They gave us the above fantastic bites, and I also have to say, the bread was divine. The butter they gave us tasted like it was the best butter in the world.
For my tasting menu, we began with the cucumber as well as the red pepper. The dishes in this restaurant tend to be more on the simple side, yet when it comes to flavour, it is absolutely delightful. The dishes are not the most visually elaborate, nevertheless, the flavours are quite superb. I was impressed by these two opening plates.
And then, there was the two main dishes, which was the knoedel, followed by the artichoke, separated by a refreshing vegetable granita. This was all impressive, and I really liked the compositions. Even though they look rather simple, it was I have to say a work of art nevertheless.
Finally, there's the two desserts, followed by a small final bite of sweetness. This was quite a meal, and as always, we were absolutely satisfied in the end.
What I really liked aside from the food, was the overall atmosphere. I loved how I could have nerdy conversations about beverages, and the staff were not pompous nor snobby at all. They loved what they were doing, and were all enthusiastic in explaining their art. I really loved how I could have a very focused conversation about sourcing drinks, how they figure out what might work as a pair, and so on. It was relaxed, intimate, and quite a memorable evening altogether.
So yes, overall this was a fantastic meal, and something that I would absolutely remember.
