To Loc, Berlin, Germany

Wiener Str. 61, Berlin Kreuzberg
U 12 Görlitzer Bahnhof/Wiener Strasse

Berlin offers a large variety of ethnical restaurants, and this medium-sized (~30 inside seats + summer tables outside) Vietnamese snackery is one of my favourites. Tho Loc prepares excellent authentic dishes such as raw spring rolls or beer battered chicken breast with wok vegetables and peanut or mango sauce (~6€) for a small amount of money. The downside is that you might have to queue for a seat during peak hours, and the kitchen tends to be somewhat slow from time to time. Like many places in Berlin Tho Loc is nothing fancy, you drink your soft drink from the bottle and before they enlarged the place in the beginning of this year, you had to sneak into the neighbouring café to use their restrooms. But it’s definitely worth a visit for a bite during lunch or before hitting the road in the evening.

Visited: November 2003, November 2006

Gorgonzola Club / Würgeengel, Berlin, Germany

Dresdener Str. 121, 10999 Berlin/Kreuzberg
Tel: +49.30.6156473
http://www.gorgonzolaclub.de/

A bit difficult to find, this down to earth Italian restaurant is one of my all-time favourites in Berlin. The interior features cast stone walls & a wooden floor, and the restaurant has a wonderful but simple back garden during the summertime. Gorgonzola club serves classic dishes of good quality and decent prices, such as Spaghetti Amatriciana (7€) and Pizza Salsiccia (8€ large / 5€ small). The food won’t trigger fireworks on your palate, but is nevertheless of a steady, good quality. The service is straight, friendly and sometimes a bit melancholic. Like Tho Loc, this is not the place for a fancy business dinner, but well worth a visit if you are up for straight and good Italian food with friends or colleagues. Gorgonzola Club is located in the dead-end part of Dresdner Strasse, just behind the incredibly ugly 70’s concrete high-rise at Kottbusser Tor.

Visited: May 2000, November 2003, July 2005, September 2005