Restaurant Review Bleibergs

Update: Bleibergs is now permanently closed (June 2024).

On a sunny June evening we went to Berlins oldest running kosher restaurant - Bleibergs. A dairy restaurant that serves traditional dairy dishes like breakfast, pizza and pasta, Israeli foods like hummus and falafel and also a large choice of vegetarian and vegan dishes based on tofu.

Maybe the biggest advantage is the possibility to sit outside:

Bleibergs also has several tables on the sidewalk, surrounded by some greenery.

We decided to try a mixture of German and Israeli cuisine: Oriental plate with various salads, salmon sandwich and homemade lemonade. Dessert was coffee and cake. The prices let you feel the kosher surcharge but stay reasonable.

The time waiting for the food is best spent talking with Manuela, the owner. You will learn a lot about the history of the Berlin Jewish community and the ups and downs of kosher life in Berlin.

Bleibergs also offer take away and catering services which are often used by visiting tourists and traveling groups. They can also bring a kosher breakfast to hotels in Berlin or deliver ready-to-eat food packages for all the Shabbat meals.

The restaurant is kosher le mehadrin under the supervision of Rabbi Ehrenberg.

Salmon sandwich and oriental plate with homemade lemonade

Restaurant Review Eivgi's Orientalische Hausmannskost

The small kosher restaurant at Belziger Straße 75 opposite Rathaus Schöneberg is a hidden gem in Berlin. The name explains what you get: "Orientalische Hausmannskost" means oriental home style cooking. It does not advertise the fact that it is kosher.

Shalom Eivgi in front of his restaurant

We went there on a Sunday afternoon to find the place very pleasant. Quiet atmosphere and light decoration. Not empty but with enough space for a large family. Everything looks nice and tidy, even though the entire restaurant is just one small room with 4 tables and an open kitchen.

The restaurant is kosher meaty under the supervision of Rabbi Z.E. Alonie (as of January 2023).

The menu is not too long and consists of different falafel and salad combinations. If you ask then you also get a nice choice of meat dishes with chicken or beef. There are also fish balls, shakshouka and other oriental foods.

Our family ordered almost everything that is available: Schnitzel with rice or salad, chicken marinated steak (pargiot), meat balls, falafel with hummus and pita.

Marinated chicken steak and mixed salads

Falafel & hummus plate with mixed salads

Schnitzel & salad

That is when the special treat starts: You can actually watch how Shalom Eivgi, proprietor and chef, starts to cook everything fresh. All dishes are really home made. The hummus follows the famous Abu Gosh recipe.

Watch how your schnitzel is made

We did not have to wait long and everything was served together.

The food itself was extremely delicious and left everybody pleasantly filled and satisfied. Just like at home, one could say.

We paid 64€ for 5 people with 5 dishes and drinks and felt that we got a lot of value in return. The restaurant also offers deliveries and catering and is open Sun-Thu 12-19 and Fri 12-15/17 (winter/summer).

Restaurant Review Hummus and Friends

Update August 2016: The restaurant stopped to be under kosher supervision, the proprietor told me that they will get a new kosher supervision in the future. Please check yourself - Schlomo.

Amidst the first snow of the season we visited Hummus and Friends, a kosher parve restaurant in Berlin Mitte. It does not advertise the fact that it is kosher but markets itself as a vegan restaurant.

Location

It is located on Oranienburger Straße, just next door to the museum and synagogue. The restaurant has 12 tables and seats about 70. On a Tuesday evening at 19:00 the restaurant was half full. The music was just a bit too loud for a quiet conversation, but I am also very sensitive about background music.

05.01.2016 when we where there

Daytime view 24.01.2016

The furniture consists of basic wooden tables and chairs providing a warm and pleasant atmosphere. On the mezzanine there is also a sofa and several arm chairs around a low table.

View from the door into the restaurant. Mezzanine level is in the back.

The staff is very friendly and speaks many different languages. We tried German, English, Hebrew and Russion but suspect that others would also work.

Food

Hummus is indeed the main dish of the place, you can get it in all kind of variations. Besides hummus there are also salads and tapas on the menu as well as a different soup every day. A few dishes like cauliflower are served warm. All in all the choice is smaller than in other restaurants and very much focused on Hummus.

Our table with most of what we ordered

The bill was very acceptable.

We tried the soup, quinoa & zuchini and obviously a large portion of hummus (Hummus & Friends Special) with an egg, Ful, onion, petrosilia, tahina and sauce.

The hummus was amazing! If you like hummus - as we do - then just the hummus makes it worth to come.

The other dishes where also very pleasant. Together with a shared soup for starters and a brownie for dessert we had a pleasant supper that left us satisfied but not heavy.

The pita was freshly made, nice and fluffy.

The mint tea was also very nicely done with lots of fresh mint leaves and honey.

Kosher

Beeing entirely without dairy or meaty products probably makes kashrut easier for the restaurant. However, you really have to know about the place because there is no כשר sign visible. The menu mentions that all dishes are prepared kosher. If you look around then you will find the kosher certificate and an explanation about Shabbat opening hanging on the wall:

The Hebrew text explains how it can be kosher and still operate on Shabbat.

The restaurant informed me that the pita is המוציא.

Come Again

All in all we had a very pleasant evening and will be happy to come again.