If you only eat seasonal and fresh fish, you should be familiar with the Fish Klub: founded in 2017 by Margaux Friocourt, the club sold seasonal fish and seafood from the coast of Brittany and the Atlantic Ocean, caught and imported using sustainable fishing methods. But now the Fish Klub is also known for its legendary residencies, where you can look forward not only to seafood prepared to perfection, but the complete package: Good drinks, cool locations and a menu that will truly make anyone happy. After Fish Klub visited Lütt for several weeks, the journey now continues towards Rosenthaler Platz – to be more precise: to St. Oberholz. Together they started their very own project at the beginning of September 2023 – The Canteen – and will offer you the perfect location for casual evenings with cocktails and bar snacks for the next few months. In addition to classics like moules frites and oysters, there are also new additions: fritto misto and carpaccio go vegetarian here, and they do it damn well – along with the most delicious dips. A night out is only casual if you don’t have to compromise: here you can order as much or as little as you like, you can share or order your own shrimp roll (which you definitely don’t want to share), you can drink wine or cocktails or both, and even for those who don’t drink alcohol, they offer more than just the usual standbys. It’s loud, it’s crowded and it can be quite annoying – yes, it’s Rosi. But that’s what’s so great about visiting The Canteen for the first time: it’s loud because people are looking forward to the evening, it’s crowded because the food tastes so good and, it can be quite a pain that not every evening can be so beautifully informal.

Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Robyn Steffen & St. Oberholz

Fish Klub x St. Oberholz: The Canteen, Rosenthaler Str.72A, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
Tue–Sat from 18h. No reservations.

@fishklub_berlin
@st.oberholz

The Korean Anju Bar Dotori is one of my latest favorites, not only because the wine and food are great, but also because Chi and Dax are the most welcoming hosts around. You may already know Chi from Personal Chef Berlin catering and her kimchi workshops, Dax from the supper clubs and pop-ups the two have been hosting together since last year. Far from crowded restaurant corners, past a music bar that promises the best of punk and rock in Weißensee, you probably only come this way purposefully. Dax stands at the blue counter and pours us natural wine and soju – Chi brings filled plates from the kitchen, because: “In Korea, you don’t drink without anju on the table!”. Anju are small dishes that you share with friends and family at the table alongside your drinks – similar to tapas. Korean pancakes with kimchi and scallions, Dotori Jelly, a traditional jelly made from acorn flour, along with sides like kimchi, roasted seaweed and a bowl of rice – at Dotori, the two have put together a “menu for two” of their anju favorites.

In addition, there are other dishes depending on the season: Dakgalbi, Korean Fried Chicken, Gimbap – the list goes on. And then there’s this insanely great wine list: here, wine doesn’t just taste mineral or dry, but is also “fun & glouglou,” “uplifting,” or just “really spectacular.” For non-wine drinkers, there’s also craft beer and lemonades. And of course: lots of soju. Dotori feels new, familiar, open and light. It’s the little things – as is often the case – that make this place so special: the wine list with its fun yet fitting descriptions, the two tipsy acorns on the menu that give you an inkling of how the evening might end, and the interior design you’ll want in your own home. If you’re looking for an alternative to your usual aperitivo evenings – far from crowded restaurant corners – then I highly recommend Dotori.

Text & Photos: Robyn Steffen

Dotori, Gustav-Adolf-Str.159, 13086 Berlin–Weißensee; map
Thur–Sat 17h30–23h

@dotori.berlin