Berlin Restaurant Reviews: Katz Orange And Volt
Before I flew back from Berlin to New York aboard airberlin's business class, I spent a few days in the German capital staying at swanky Soho House Berlin. After an enjoyable first meal at the club and hotel's The Rooftop bar and pool, I reached out to TPG readers on Facebook and Twitter for restauarant recommendations and got two really good ones: Katz Orange and Volt.
Katz Orange
For the second night of our stay, based on their recommendations, my friends and I ventured out to Katz Orange in Mitte, which opened last year in a former 19th-century brewery. There's actually a beautiful courtyard with tables as well, so if the weather is nice, make your reservation there.
The restaurant is helmed by a young German chef named Daniel Finke, who has traveled the world learning about different cultures and cuisines. His menu features dishes from all over the world made with regional ingredients, along with an old school cocktail bar stocked with spirits from German distilleries.
I started off with the Brandenburg Vegetable Garden Salad, a light plate of mixed greens, fennel, celeriac and walnuts. All the ingredients are from local farms so it was really nice and fresh - the perfect summery start to a meal.
When it came to entrees, we ordered from the menu described as 'Slow Cuisine,' because it is slowly roasted for 12 hours at a very low temperature and then served with its own gravy. The dishes are designed for two and perfect for sharing.
We opted for the shoulder of Brandenburg Wild Boar marinated in a raspberry vinegar, which was a lot of meat but truly amazing - tender, juicy and hearty.
Next was the short ribs of Uckermark beef, in an interesting glaze of soy sauce, ginger and sugar beet syrup. Both orders of meat were melt-in-your mouth succulent and highly recommended. Sadly, I wish I could say the same amount the service, which I found to be a bit lacking - staff were slow, unattentive, and uninterested in keeping our meal moving along, or even making sure we had drinks. At the end of our feast, the table looked like a crime scene and we sat like that for about 20 minutes until they finally decided to clear our table.
Still, just for the food, I'd highly recommend Katz Orange, it's one of the restaurants that is putting Berlin's dining scene on the map, and the dishes we had were delicious.
Volt
Our restaurant choice the following night came from a TPG reader on Facebook, for which I am very grateful! We went to Restaurant Volt in the trendy Kreuzberg area, which is housed in a converted power station originally built in 1928 (our dining theme was apparently new restaurants in old industrial buildings). You definitely felt the industrial atmosphere here - the space is huge and made of brick with touches like big copper lamps and high ceilings - it felt very cool, funky and "now."
Also helping convince us to go was the fact that Volt has been described on TripAdvisor as the best restaurant in Berlin - and rightly so. Instead of going a la carte, we chose the four course set menu for 59 EUR ($78), everything was outstanding and they really took care with the sequence of each dish.
The staff started us off with a fresh and varied amuse of various fruits in dried, jelly and sorbet form, which is always a nice touch.
Our first course was uniquely names Peas of Plenty, and consisted of veal sirloin, peas, mushrooms and balsamic vinegar - all very light and fresh with a variety of textures and an overall earthy flavor.
The next round was an interesting choice of cheeks of suckling pig, pear and sunchoke with a pungent helping of smoked eel that transformed the dish into a really interesting flavor combination that we kept thinking about the rest of the night.
For our third course, we had Guinea Fowl and Guinea Fowl - so no prizes for guessing what was the main ingredient! The delicate, mild meat was set off nicely by spiced nectarine, smoked pumpkin and coconut. I'm a huge fan of coconut, but it was pretty powerful and the waitress said that some people sent the dish back because they didn't like the flavor. For me, it was a knockout.
For dessert, we had the option of melon and yoghurt or a selection of 'Incredible' German cheeses with chutney, fruit loaf and salted almonds. Well, since it was called "incredible" there was no way I couldn't order it! I was very pleased with my choice of the latter as the delectable small servings were the ideal and definitely lived up to their name.
Instead of wine pairings, we were all drinking different things, though we wanted to try some German wines, so the server suggested a Riesling. I'm not a huge Riesling fan because many of the ones I've tried have been too sweet for me, but this one was a "trocken" classification, meaning it was fairly dry and acidic, and it was just the right choice to whet the appetite and complement the food without overpowering it. The one we had was called Weinhaus Karl Friedrich Aust 2011 Bacchus trocken Riesling, and was delicious.
Overall, Volt was outstanding and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Berlin. While I loved the food at Katz Orange, the poor service sadly dampened the experience. It seems that TPG readers give even better restaurant referrals than the staff at the Soho House! Feel free to share your own Berlin recommendations below.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.