Dutch chefs Lode van Zuylen and Stijn Remi serve unfussy fine dining fare in
Berlin’s arty, diverse Kreuzberg district
Only a few steps down an unremarkable
side street of Kreuzberg’s Landwehr Canal,
Lode & Stijn’s plain grey exterior and small,
sleek sign places it irmly in blink-and-you’ll-
miss-it territory. Ten years ago, the mere
suggestion of a casual ine dining restaurant
in this location may have been considered
absurd, but today, in this quickly gentrifying
neighbourhood known for its vibrant,
alternative streak, the passion project of
Dutch chefs Lode van Zuylen and Stijn Remi
feels entirely at home.
The pair initially met at culinary school
in the Netherlands in 2003 before reuniting
in Berlin years later to launch a series of
pop-ups; they then went on to open their
own restaurant in 2016. What encouraged
and enabled Lode and Stijn on their arrival
in Berlin was not just the creative culture for
which the city is renowned, but the relatively
low inancial risk: “It’s impossible to start
anything on a small budget in cities such as
Amsterdam or Paris,” explains Stijn. “But in
Berlin, a creative person can start with very
little money and go on to make a living.”
Today, however, rents are rising and less
space is available. “It was deinitely easier ive
years ago to say, ‘I’ve got 10,000 euros, I’ll give
it a go’,” says Stijn. “But even today, you can
put down a few cheap tables and chairs and
have the opportunity do something great.”
The decor at Lode & Stijn is contemporary
and stylish, with white walls, wooden
furniture and artwork propped up on the
forest-green banquette. A seat in the corner
afords me a view of the whole restaurant,
and I watch my fellow diners enjoying their
ive-course meals. It’s ine dining, certainly,
but in a very warm, relaxed atmosphere.
The evening-only menu is seasonal and
ingredient-led, and the focus is on high-
quality produce, much of it sourced from the
nearby market, Markthalle Neun. I’d return to
the restaurant for the sourdough alone, served
with a lightly nutty, pale ochre butter. Lode
& Stijn’s take on classic Dutch bitterballen
(meaty croquettes) are breaded balls of brill,
served with a horseradish mayo that has a
proper kick. The real highlight of my evening,
however, is the silky Wadden Sea oyster,
poached in its own seawater and dished up
with shiitake mushrooms and cabbage.
Lode and Stijn launched their restaurant
from a place of joint passion and friendship
— just two chefs who loved to cook; they
admit they’ve grown more serious since then.
However, without Berlin’s culture of creativity,
experimentation and encouragement, not
to mention its relatively cheap rents, Lode
and Stijn’s welcoming premises on Lausitzer
Straße would likely be home to something
else entirely. lode-stijn.de CDSMART CASUAL
DINE OUT
KIN DEE
Self-taught head chef Dalad
Kambhu came to Berlin via
Bangkok and New York.
Her sharing menus feature
Thai dishes made with
regional ingredients; Dalad
prefers working with local
ingredients like apple and
kohlrabi to using imported
mango or papaya — an
approach that helped her
Lützowstraße restaurant earn
its irst Michelin star in 2019.
SIGNATURE DISH: Kin Dee
Kraprao Octopus (octopus
conit with spicy Thai sauce).
kindeeberlin.comMALAKEH
A lush of Levantine
restaurants have opened
in the capital recently and
according to food blogger
Per Meurling, “the greatest
ambassador of Syrian food”
is Malakeh Jazmati. Forced
to lee from her home in
Damascus, Malakeh came
to Berlin by way of Jordan,
where she hosted her own
Syrian cooking TV show; her
restaurant on Potsdamer
Straße is popular with locals
and immigrants alike.
SIGNATURE DISH: Fattet
Makdous (crispy latbread
with fried aubergine,
tomato sauce and yoghurt).
malakeh-restaurant.deERNST
There’s only room for
12 at the wooden counter
of Ernst, on Gerichtstraße,
arguably Berlin’s most
exclusive restaurant. Diners
can watch as Canadian chef
Dylan Watson-Brawn and
his team prepare thought-
provokingly simple dishes
and listen to stories about
the producers from whom
the ingredients are sourced.
SIGNATURE DISH: Menu
constantly changing.
ernstberlin.deOctober 2019 91BERLIN