Finally something good to report again, but outside of Charlottenburg. Like every month, we had a Morgenpost (Berlin daily newspaper) menu in December. After taking a break the previous month because the menu was at an unattractive Indian restaurant, we were looking forward to Anna & Paul at Oranienburger Str. 39 in Berlin-Mitte, opposite the Tacheles.
Restaurant review: Anna & Paul, Berlin
As the Morgenpost menu includes wine accompaniment, we didn’t want to drive there. But there was neither an “Ali cab” (=Uber etc) nor a regular one on this Sunday evening. So I went there by car. Right opposite Anna & Paul is the entrance to the Tacheles parking garage (€3.50 per hour, or €12 evening rate), which we gratefully took, as it was drizzling slightly and I really didn’t want to park miles away. On the way back, the garage door was locked and, like many parkers, we wandered around the Tacheles courtyard trying to find the night entrance. It’s at the end near REWE.
Buratina at Anna&Paul Berlin
The visit to Anna & Paul was under a bad star. First our friends, with whom we usually go to the MoPo menu, canceled – Christmas on Sylt was more tempting and then the friends we had planned to take with us fell ill. So our sons had the pleasure of exploring the Anna & Paul with us. Which they both loved. And it was lovely for us too!
Truffled celeriac soup, Anna&Paul Berlin
I wouldn’t describe Anna & Paul as classic fine dining, but as casual fine dining, so children are no problem at all and are welcome. The kitchen and service are flexible. And the children, a student and a 5-year-old, liked it very much.
The start was a bit bumpy. The place was buzzing and the four waiters had 80 guests to serve, which they basically did well. At the beginning we waited 25 minutes for the first waiter contact, but then we got into the rhythm and the pauses between courses were no longer so extreme, but could have been shorter for our taste, which the kitchen and service simply couldn’t manage.
Lobster ravioli, Anna & Paul Berlin
Unfortunately for us, the youngest is currently unwilling to try anything new. A stupid phase. He could have had pelmeni or lobster ravioli, but wanted fries with ketchup, which the waiter brought first thing.
We got a burata with radicchio and a white wine, which was nice.
This was followed by a truffled celeriac soup, which was pretty good and I’m not a big soup fan, but I didn’t like the Grüner Veltliner as much as the first wine, a Chardonnay.
On the way to the toilet, we looked at the dishes of the a la carte guests. The leg of goose (€28) looked particularly good!
We found the lobster ravioli the weakest, even it was the best looking on the photos. The filling was too mushy and the ravioli dough was not convincing. It was served with a rose, which the Ukrainian waitress only referred to as a “rose” and refused to give any further information. She was like the racing car among the waiters. Always on the move super fast, always with her hands full on the way there and back. She got a lot done. The other waiters also enjoyed a chat from time to time. Overall, the entire service was very efficient and always friendly. We particularly liked our regular waiter, who explained the first wines to us at length, as well as the following red wine, which I no longer drank (car!). The youngest was treated to a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which he loved.
Braised ox cheek Anna & Paul, Berlin
The Rioja was good, according to my wife and older son. So good, in fact, that the glasses were already empty when the highlight of the evening arrived: ox cheeks with mashed potatoes. They were good, even very good, if we hadn’t already known Markus Semmler’s.
His are always the best.
I had a dealcoholized red wine from Spain as an alternative. The broth tasted like vinegar. The stuff was a punishment that I gave back.
Stollen cake with vanilla ice cream, Anna & Paul Berlin
After a little wait, dessert arrived. And that’s when I realized that I was still a bit hungry, because I gorged myself on the ice cream and the stollen cake until my eldest asked: “Did you take a photo, Dad?”. Most of it was still there 😉 The dessert was delicious and I would have enjoyed a second one. My eldest was even still hungry at the end of the meal. My wife and I were well-fed and happy. We had a Christmas liqueur for dessert, but I didn’t take it. My wife was very enthusiastic and said it really tasted like Christmas.
Morgenpost menu at Anna & Paul, Berlin.
After dessert we had coffee, which is included in almost all MoPo menus. We waited a very long time for this.
As always, we paid €80 for the menu. The large portion of fries with ketchup and the Coke Zero for the 5-year-old cost €8. The 0.75 l water cost €12 for two bottles. With a tip, we left €290.
Bottom line: We’d love to come back here, even without the Morgenpost menu. The good-humored service, the relaxed atmosphere and the great food satisfied us. And without the Morgenpost menu, it’s certainly a lot quicker.
A nice restaurant that you would like to have in your neighborhood!
Anna&Paul: https://www.anna-paul.berlin/