Horvath, Berlin

Berliners celebrate Xmas on the 24th more than the 25th.  Good news for us is that we got to Berlin on the 24th around 3pm and everything was closed but on the 25th all the museums are going to be open.  We did go out for a Xmas eve dinner which was really nice.

Horvath restaurant was given the nod about 3 years ago as one of the up and coming restaurants/chefs in Berlin.  A small neighborhood restaurant with a small wooden wrap around bar when you walk in the front door.  Wood floors, beige walls, comfortable chairs, wooden tables.  The restaurant has a nice comforting vibe.  The first restaurant that came to mind was Little Owl except Horvath is larger.  From the website, I thought Horvath would be fancy but it isn't.  Much more local in feel and vibe.

There was a fixed dinner so we just sat back and enjoyed the show.  The first out was the amuse bouche.  3 ways with oysters.  A small rich creamy oyster soup that you drank little a small shot.  Anymore would have been too much.  2 oysters on the side.  One was sitting in vodka and pomegranate seeds and the other had a sauteed spinach over the top and then a foam made of apples.  Both delicious and the right thing to kick off a Xmas eve meal.  This course came with champagne.

Next out was the terrine.  They must like terrines in Germany.  The gel of the terrine that held 2 lightly cooked scallops and 2 pieces of rare salmon was made of a clear celery based consomme.  Really interesting.  On the side sat a creamy cole slaw, a tiny spoonful of fish eggs and celery slices that were marinated with chopped mushrooms.  The last thing on the plate was a small handful of mixed greens with a very light vinaigrette.  All delicious and clever.  This came with a Italian white wine.

Lobster had to be next.  There is something about oysters and lobster around Xmas.  A puffed pastry filled with lobster and other seafood with a hearty golden sauce.  There were a few tiny potatoes on the side that had all been seasoned differently which I didn't really love but the puffed pastry and seafood was delicious.  This came with a sweeter German wine. 

Of course the last thing out was beef.  A thick slice of fillet, medium rare, wrapped in a crepe with a hint of truffle over a red wine sauce served with a fruity red wine.  Another winner.  Different too.  The crepe was more on the savory side and I liked the concept. 

Last was dessert.  A square piece of chocolate cake that was layered with chocolate cream and some type of dried fruit and then dipped in chocolate and gold leaf on top.  Then a scoop of prune sorbet.  Didn't love the prune sorbet but the chocolate was tasty and the perfect end to the meal.

We all ate and drank way too much.  Went home and passed out and thought about how I need to stop eating so much at each meal.  Yeah, right.  So far, both meals in Germany blew Milan out of the water.