Grill Royal
Author: Anothertravelguide.com0 COMMENTS
A noteworthy novelty on the already busy Berlin restaurant scene - it opened in March and initially attracted lots of attention thanks to the owners who come from the nightlife and art circles. There is a hint of that in the otherwise laconic design that, balancing on the thin red line between kitsch and contemporary art, features among other things a wooden canoe (as in "down the Yukon River"), jaws of a shark and, alongside the open kitchen, an "open fridge", exhibiting among other things a couple of plucked chicken, a few raw bloody chops and fresh vegetables (à la Damien Hirst). Next to the loo door - a collapsed crumpled-up baby doll (à la Ron Mueck).
Although, as promised by the name of the restaurant, the main feature of the menu is Argentine and French steaks (and it really is very, very good), you will also find oysters (six Fin de Claire for EUR 12) and vegetarian cuisine there - we should mention spinach risotto with Madeira, truffle oil and parmesan among things definitely worth sampling; the last three ingredients form gently sensuous foam that literally melts in your mouth. It is as good as the gastronomic equivalent of a physical caress. Excellent tuna tartare with citrus fruit and coriander. The fact that there is no musical background at Grill Royal, could, of course, be taken as a sign of certain extravagance, but the owners do honestly believe that the guests themselves create a sufficient soundtrack for their meal. And there is no reason to question that. There was a nasty rumour going round Berlin shortly after the opening that the place was perhaps not really operating quite as a well oiled mechanism... Today it is definitely one of the most popular gourmet destinations in Berlin. Without advance booking you are not likely to find a vacant table in the restaurant area after 9 pm (particularly on a Friday or Saturday night) - except perhaps a place on one of the three sofas next to the bar. Grill Royal is located on Friedrichstrasse, right on the river bank, opposite the S-Baan station of the same name.
105B Friedrichstrasse
Mitte
Phone: 49 30 2887 9288