I really wanted this to be a 4-star. But it was not...hope for next time.
On a rainy and cold Saturday night, I ventured three houses away from mine with a friend for dinner. We chose the Bar vs. the Restaurant (BOTH have tables and serve drink and food but Bar is more casual) due to the younger crowd, smaller space, and more jovial open atmosphere.
The initial waiter was kind to let us know a table would soon be leaving and we could wait - which we did. We ended up being served by the only other server who happened to be female.
As for the service, it was mediocre. I wasn't a fan of the waitress putting her hands on the back of my chair and leaning in when asking us if we needed other items. A few other minor annoyances but I think my dining companion lost it (yes she rolled her eyes) when the entire restaurant cleared (except us) and they began cleaning up. I mean, loudly cleaning and banging the cups right there behind the bar with a third person in plain clothes chatting away. Four feet from our table? If they had given us a bill and we were not moving fast enough for them, that would be one thing. but not the case! We had to nearly yell entschuldigung four times to Request the bill!
Aside from that...the food was ok. My linguine of the sea had some small fresh clams and a little other seafood. I would have liked more garlic in the sauce or a bit more seasoning. My partner's small chicken was on the bone but well cooked and good. The chocolate torte was Very good for dessert! Serviced warm and with marscapone - yum.
The wine was also fine but on the expensive side. She did pour a taste before the glass. I took a very small sip. Then she would fill the 0.1L pour - but on both occasions it was below the line. I'll be honest, with my lack of German and the abrupt nature, I wasn't comfortable trying to follow up on the pour but would want you to check and say something if you find that. Especially considering a 0.1L pour was €6 each!
What was VERY sweet of the restaurant is to bring out prosciutto and breadsticks before the meal and a large amuse-bouche (our case, like a pizza with bruschetta-like tomatoes on top). We really expected that would have been added to our bill at the end (like in Portugal) but nope - just a gift from the house. Now that was special.
Next time I'll ask for the beef in salt (didn't see it on the menu) and will hope its a better experience...I'd love to give my neighbor a 4-star review and have it on the list of neighborhood places I can consistently count on to frequent. read more