BERLIN, Germany – Borchardt is a Berlin restaurant that saw a lot go on by its doors.
In this series of articles, Cédric Lizotte visit some of the best restaurants in Europe. From France to Switzerland via the Czech Republic, here are the best places to sample the delights of some of the best chefs on the planet. Follow it with the hashtag #CedricInEurope.
Mister Borchardt has a small grocery store selling luxury items like oysters and champagne at the exact same spot 200 or 250 years ago. These items were very rare back then.
Today, it’s a grandiose hall that takes us all the way back to another time – the early 1900’s – in the centre of a city that marked history worldwide, right around the corner to one of the most visited touristic landmarks. Borchardt is in all the tourist guides, on all the lists, and has everything needed to welcome all of the city’s tourists at once!
Note: Are you headed to Berlin for the first time? Check out this blog post by TravellingKing!
The dining room is fantastic. The walls, decorations, pillars, mosaics… if you don’t plan on eating there, at least stop by to take a peek! After all, Checkpoint Charlie is on the same street corner…
A sparkling rosé for apéro wakes up the hunger, and it’s important, since it’s lunch time!
Here, the signature dish is the schnitzel. More precisely, the Viennese version of the dish, the Wiener schnitzel. Borchardt cooks hundreds of them each day. And it’s delicious! Mine was served with a béarnaise, potatoes, asparagus (season’s best!) and a beet salad. That’d be enough food for two people…
On top of the mandatory – and giant – schnitzel, the restaurant focuses on a few other classics as well as seasonal dishes.
And, to go with a succulent fish dish, a glass of Chablis is required. The white fish is perfectly grilled under the salamander, its skin is crunchy and browned right where it should. A creamy espuma and homemade pasta – capers and shrimp on the pasta! – complete the dish. Honestly perfect.
I’m horribly stuffed, I’m worried I might roll instead of walking out of the restaurant, but it’s absolutely mandatory to taste the very elegant chocolate mousse! And after all, why not, not every day is a vacation day…
Borchardt
Franz. Str. 47, 10117 Berlin
