– Reality Check for the Comeback Kitchen
Review Frederick’s Sony Center Berlin
After reading an enthusiastic article in Gourmet Report about Frederick’s at Sony Center finally having a proper head chef again—Nicolas Gémin—and promising a fresh culinary direction, we decided to put the restaurant’s new “welcome back” offer to the test: a three-course tasting menu with a glass of Crémant for just €45, running until November 4th, 2025.
A quick scan of recent reviews confirmed the hype:
- Service and atmosphere are praised as truly above average, with a flexible, attentive team.
- Old criticisms of the kitchen seem to have faded away; Gourmet Report repeatedly highlights creative and improved dishes since autumn 2025.
- Recent Tripadvisor voices mention freshness and good presentation—though some still note overly forceful seasoning here and there.
The Offer
- 3-course menu, incl. Crémant brut from the Abril estate (Kaiserstuhl), €45.
- Sample menu:
- Starter: Jerusalem artichoke with confit baby king oyster mushrooms and fresh truffle
- Main: Slow-cooked Iberico pork belly with polenta, cauliflower, mustard jus
- Dessert: Quince tartlet with red wine, “Citrus Cheesecake” and sea buckthorn sorbet
- Optional: Wine or cocktail pairing (extra €20/25)
- Reservation: advised via www.fredericksberlin.com (weekdays not necessary!)
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Our Experience
We booked a table in Fredericks at Sony Center, curious to see the much-lauded culinary reincarnation.
The welcome was warm and the setting is genuinely impressive. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives ended.
- Bread is not included in the menu—you pay extra (€4.50 for four slices of admittedly stale sourdough, plus runny butter).
- The Crémant was “okay.” At €16 for a single glass (0.1l) the standalone price is steep; we opted for a bottle at €58, bypassing the pairing.
- The starter was fine apart from odd “croutons,” and the hint of truffle was missed, even they were visible
- The main event—pork belly—lost its crispness to sous vide softness, and the sauce was unpalatably salty.
- Vegetarian mains (for our friends, partly motivated by a first attempt at home-cooked pointed cabbage) also disappointed: one plate oversalted, the other properly seasoned.
- Dessert arrived as a supermarket-style tartlet with oversweet, half-liquid cheesecake. The sea buckthorn sorbet was the only highlight. (photo on the top)
Verdict
There’s no compelling reason to visit Frederick’s at Sony Center for the food. Despite a promising new chef and positive press, our meal was mediocre at best, with underwhelming flavors and poorly executed dishes. The location and service are good, but the kitchen isn’t keeping pace.