Brunnenstraße restaurant Volk is the food version of what you might call an “artist’s artist”. The quality of the food is high, the prices are reasonable for the location, and it bears all the hallmarks of a hip restaurant: natural wine? Check. An unusual but cool interior? Check. Owner couple with a personable family story? Check. French cuisine? Seafood? Fresh oysters? Champagne? Tradition? Something with a DJ? Check, check, check, check… Opened as a tiny oyster bar back in 2019, Volk is spacious, beautiful and a little weird, with colored lights, a bar and white tablecloths. It is refreshingly unpretentious and yet very tasteful. As for the menu, it’s constantly changing, though you’ll always find the signatures of oysters and seafood. They’re fresh and big and rich and slimy and salty – just the way they should be.
It’s no surprise that the team supply other restaurants: they import their mussels and lobster directly from France using their own bus. The catch is prepared by chef Margaux Arabian and served by her partner, the entertaining host Oliver Chesler. The American made a name for himself in a previous life as a DJ and musician under the alias Horrorist, but swapped his music career for the dream he shared with his other half, who incidentally is the daughter of Michelin star chef Ghislaine Arabian. The two are the soul of the restaurant: warm, unfussy, down-to-earth and a tad eccentric. Volk is open every evening, and recently started serving brunch from 10h on weekends. You can almost always get a table in the evening – well at least until word gets out and the place gets the hype it deserves.
Text: Hilka Dirks / Photos: Savannah van der Niet
Volk, Brunnenstr.182, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
Every evening from 17h, Sat & Sun from 10h.
@volkmitte
