On Aerde’s website, you don’t find much information about the restaurant at first. A simple sentence reads: “aerde is a twenty-seat research restaurant with a special focus on the flavors of our local forests and fields.” A second link lists, in addition to the restaurant in Berlin, a location in Wendisch Rietz, Brandenburg, where the team at Aerde ferments gathers and experiments with what the region has to offer directly. I found this somewhat surprising because are we, as visitors, not primarily concerned with the guest experience, the final dish, and the ambiance? The team would keep us in the dark until the finely composed and flavorful plate was served before us. It requires research, test runs, an extensive repertoire of knowledge about the processing of products, and imagination. This is the repertoire that young chef Igor Kazakov, who previously served as sous chef at Cordo, brings to the table. He focuses on the fermentation of regional products. And so the versatility of this technique was the common thread of the lovingly prepared courses.

The homemade fish garum gives the regional trout with puffed (and also local) quinoa, served with smoked paprika oil, its well-deserved complexity. In short, garum is an ancient Roman seasoning sauce produced by the decomposition of proteins. We all know it from classics like fish sauce or soy sauce. Our personal highlight: roasted oyster mushroom on pickled Wunderlauch buds, a plant that only grows here in Berlin, on a frothy “Heu Hollandaise” that was as buttery as the name suggests. The Uckermark venison tartare, with pickled currants, beef garum, and garlic bread from Domberger Brotwerk Bakery, left us speechless. But it was not only the finely harmonizing ingredients: the wine accompaniment was also perfectly matched, and Hillevi Hövelmann introduced us to new facets of taste with exciting natural wines. A simple, reddish ocher is the dominant color tone of the entire dining room and offers both the concept and the name of the restaurant the proper finishing touch. The menu reads simple and understated, and the team is casual and warm. As host Justus Will clarified that evening, Aerde is all about the product and the technique. Everything else is a bonus.

Text: Laura Luisa Iriondo / Photos: Raaago

Aerde, Am Lokdepot 6, 10965 Berlin–Schöneberg; map
Tue–Sat from 18h

@aerde.berlin

Are tapas your thing, no matter what time of day it is, morning or late evening? Then Fourty Years Kitchen in the middle of Gräfekiez might be just your new spot to put on your “To Try” list. The brunch and dinner spot is now the second location to join the Fourty Years Café, which has already made a name for itself in Kreuzberg. Alongside the friendly staff, owners Cemal and Merve personally welcome you with open arms. With the diverse options, you can choose here between cold and warm tapas, which are lovingly prepared in hot small pans and various bowls. So you can make your own favorites from a selection of vegetarian, vegan and the “I eat everything” dishes. We feasted our way through cilbir, turkish poached eggs with yogurt, shakshuka and Kibbeh – each of the tapas perfectly seasoned and prepared. In addition to the brunch highlights, there are several dinner highlights towards the evening that you should definitely try. From Mücver (Zucchini Pancakes) to Eggplant Rolls, Roasted Cauliflower, to “40ies Dürüm” and Iskender Köfte – there is something for everyone.

The homemade lemonades and non-alcoholic cocktails are another highlight on the menu, for example the Blackcurrant Rosemary Lemonade and the Espresso Martini (0.0%). When it comes to the dessert menu, it’s best to let yourself be surprised: New desserts await you every week – so you can virtually taste your way through the dessert menu every week. Our weekly menu included a delicious Muhallebi (Turkish milk pudding) with rhubarb and strawberry cream and caramelized walnuts.

Text: Paulina Noack / Photos: Luna Schaffron

Fourty Years Kitchen, Dieffenbachstr.52, 10967 Berlin; map
Tue–Fri 8–22h, Sat & Sun 9–22h

@fourtyyearskitchen