refugium

sk’s parents took us out for dinner to refugium in gendarmenmarkt in berlin. it was a very warm night and we sat outside in part to enjoy the weather and in part so that sk’s mum could watch germany play uruguay. the outside seating has a commanding view of the konzerthaus berlin (the concert hall) and the french friedrichstadt church. i got a glimpse of the interior of the restaurant which is in the vaults of the church and is really beautiful. the menu is a fusion of sorts and one of the fish entrees with kaffir lime sauce and stockfish croquettes sounded really interesting. unfortunately, it was unavailable and i had to move onto my second choice – the medium roasted slices from leg of venison on broad beans and chanterelles with pepper cherries. o, sk and her mum went for the fillet of halibut with artichoke and tomato sugo with farfalle and sk’s dad had a salad. the food was well presented – the colour of the venison contrasting with the bright green of slightly blanched broad beans. the pepper cherries were tart and i am yet to work out what they were macerated in. the venison was tender and accompanied by a reduction of its juices. sk gave me a taste of her halibut which was firm and flaky and well complimented by the slight citrus and tart of tomatoes. for dessert sk and i shared the trifle with baked apricots and fresh garden berries and yoghurt elder flower sorbet whose presentation was so pretty that i almost did not want to eat it. there is nothing more summery than berries and sorbet with the tart cutting through the sweet iciness. the trifle was slightly too creamy for my taste. i like mine with a strong kick of sherry, the sponge soaking the alcohol and a little less sweet. but the apricots were well baked and with the roasted flaked almonds it was quite a comforting affair.

i am saving the best piece for last though, the bread basket. we ate lots of it. a white bread made piquant with salty olives and a nutty brown one and a plain white one all eaten with olive oil and balsamic. it was a lovely dinner on a warm summer evening surrounded by beautiful architecture and friends that are family. 

gendarmenmarkt 5| 10117| berlin

rubens

rubens

sk and i have strawberry daiquiris’s - a riot of berry red in a luscious pile collapsing in the melting ice and topped with a twisted lime. this daiquiri is the soul of summer, alcohol spiked. for starters there is bruschetta; a twist on the classic is the inclusion of a semi-circle of soft sheep milk cheese. i personally prefer my bread to be toastier but the freshness of the tomatoes and the cheese more than made up for it. sk and i both order salads. it seems to be the best choice given the heat in berlin. my salad is a riot of colour – semi-circles of pineapple, the honeyed sweetness of melon and sweet strawberries add to thick slices of grilled chicken. the mango chutney is made of slightly tart mangoes and cuts through the sweetness of the fruit and the mildness of the chicken. i love lettuce with its pale watery taste and the peppery arugula. the dressing on the leaves is creamy but not over powering and there is just enough to glaze the leaves. sk’s salad was an interesting combination of roasted pepper, salad greens, sheep’s milk cheese and grilled scampi. 

dessert was a sample – a really rich chocolate mousse and vanilla cream tart with the two flavours balancing each other and a lemon and poppy seed cheese cake with a vanilla cream which was more delicately flavoured.