Pretty much everything people dated “Grill Royale” touch seems to work. And that’s why their first hotel with the modest name “Chateau Royal”, cleverly integrated into two connected old buildings, will certainly be a success. The hotel opening brought back the Dottir restaurant – and, as the name suggests, so did Victoria Eliasdottír, formerly head chef, now something about it. Elena Müller is the head chef.
Admittedly, I didn’t really understand the eulogies about the old restaurant, and the new one is already being highly praised. So let’s take a look.
The hotel, classically homey in style with countless works of art, is captivating. The restaurant along the street front breathes a brasserie atmosphere, a surprising number of waiters scurry around each other, you feel comfortable. The official language is English – but the fact that the menu isn’t even in German is simply silly, presumptuous cosmopolitanism in the Berlin style.
Negotiations with staff are factually brief. The price of the obligatory five-course menu (85 euros), almost exclusively without fish and meat, can easily be doubled with extras such as caviar, oysters or a beef tartare.
The first course arrives in a flash: Thinly sliced celery covers a kind of celery tartare, pieces of macadamia nuts, mustard seeds and whole grains are placed underneath, lemon zest adds flavor – a well-balanced finger exercise when it comes to vegetables.
Then the tartar we added (22 euros): Sensitively seasoned with oyster mayonnaise, very appetizing – problematic because the house management only allows bread for the main course. The richly stocked mushroom cream soup is very intense, delicious with subtle acidic accents.
Only one in three portions of fish is edible
After a much longer break, ray wings appear with freshly marinated kale leaves and some mushroom emulsion. It tastes good, but only one of three servings at the table is edible because the fish in the others consists mainly of cartilage; the service clears away the chewed disaster unperturbed.
The actual main course is pompously called “White vegetable terrine”, in our translation: layered white cabbage. There is also a very good chive beurre blanc and a salad of fennel and endive, which adds freshness. And, little, bread! To finish: Flaxseed meringue with yoghurt as well as cream and sorbet from Meyer lemons, simple, very refreshing.
The restaurant offers wine by the glass, but there are also around 250 rather harshly priced bottled wines. The sommelier is the only waiter who gives aggressive advice, there is no boss to be seen, everyone else makes short, friendly announcements.
In addition to the record-breaking minimal use of goods, that seems to me to be the main flaw of the restaurant: there is a huge gap between the sophisticated, passionate cuisine and the uninvolved, creative service. Let’s take it as a permanent culinary vernissage that gives all guests at least a high level of distinction.
To home page
