Robbengatter

Our first taste of German food on our visit to Berlin. Menu is all in German but not really a problem with modern technology. Food was great, we enjoyed everything we had and prices did not seem so bad. Place is very busy but we felt like we got good service and wait staff was patient with our non German speaking group.

I don't like the food. I like German food but this is only mediocre. It is a busy neighborhood place, very popular.

I was here for the Sunday brunch with some friends and, to put it politely, it was unexceptional. The brunch here years ago was much better which is the reason for the return trip - but we were sadly disappointed.

However, that was our brunch and I have no idea what a normal lunch or dinner would be like but it surely cannot be as feeble as their Sunday brunch.

Service was friendly but slow as the place was packed with pensioners and a couple generations of their progeny. It looks like little had changed since the 1970s, except for some large and somewhat funky lamps near the mediocre buffet bar.

Since moving here, I've been somewhat reluctant to start writing Berlin reviews until I feel like I have things figured out. Which I'm not sure I do, but Robbengatter needs to be mentioned somehow.

If I was going to try and describe the food, I'd just say it's Berlin Pub food, which only makes sense if you know what it is anyway. For dinner, I'd say the go-to thing would be the "Kartoffelacker", which is basically a baked potato with either chicken and cream sauce, a sort of chile con carne, or basil and mozzarella. This is hearty, if a bit odd, and costs only EUR6.50 or so. They've also got a wide variety of Frustuck for breakfast, if you have that much time in the morning, and various steaks as well.

All this, however, seems to be missing the point. The Berlin thing is that every neighborhood has a pub/restaurant that's always open and you can hang out at. Robbengatter is mine, so that's where we tend to roll in at 11:30 (23:30 in the local patois) if we're starving after climbing.

So basically, 5 for usefulness, but knocked down a star for filling but not totally unique food.

The bar area you see when you first come in is decidedly, unrepresentationally more old-men vibe-y than the larger back half of the restaurant, which is lively, well-lit, and intimate -- there didn't look to be seating for groups larger than 6 at most.

As has been mentioned before, it's basically hearty "pub food." Was a fan of the Käsespätzle, which was just about 8 EUR, and my friend liked his Schnitzel.

At my last visit I discovered that they have a new craft beer! I didn't try it as I was leaving at tgd time but next time definitely!