Berlin cuisine generally has a somewhat dusty reputation: sumptuous, greasy, pub food. Since mid-2019, the fact that Berlin cuisine can also be thought of in a completely different way has been proven by the “Lausebengel” in Kreuzberg’s Graefekiez. The premises themselves look back on a long gastronomic tradition: for over 35 years they housed the legendary Kreuzberg institution Café Rizz – always full, always energetic.
Janosch, one of the louse angels, actually grew up in the house next door. Even as a young boy, he was constantly passing by here. When he saw that the former owner wanted to stop here, he drummed up his whole environment. It was supposed to be Berlin cuisine, mainly because Janosch and his business partner Tim found it exciting to “spruce up” the classic grandma’s kitchen.
The most beautiful thing is when several generations meet here for culinary delights. And since Berlin cuisine definitely includes influences from Turkish, Arabic and Vietnamese cuisine for both of them, the Lausebengel goes a bit in all directions with a broad understanding of Berlin cuisine. As a Berliner, Janosch would have eaten his first kebab before the first currywurst, Tim jokes.
The beer sommelier is responsible for the beer selection at Lausebengel and has “a penchant for manufactory beer and beer with an honest history.” That’s why there is mainly beer in the Lausebengel, which does not exclude the large breweries, but prefers the small ones. This also means that there is no large wine list, but a wide variety of beers.
On a total of ten taps and from a few other bottles, some of the approximately 150 existing beer styles are demonstrated in the Lausebengel, including a Bavarian brewery such as the Bayreuther Hell or smaller Berlin breweries such as BRLO or Berliner Berg.
That’s exactly how you have to do it here and just like the self-proclaimed louse angels do, everything is incredibly coherent. The Berlin and its influences concept runs charmingly and undogmatically through the shop: Inside, you can still see where the bar and the pedestal of Café Rizz once stood, the bar was built from old doors from antiquarian bookshops.
The seat cushions are reminiscent of Turkish cafés and the large-format mural was specially designed by Milli Fuller, Janosch’s wife. Almost half a year of renovation was followed by the opening in mid-2019 and a few carefree months before March 2020. It has just reopened with a new head chef after the Corona forced break.
In principle, however, nothing has changed in the Lausebengel concept of modern Berlin cuisine and beer diversity. On the contrary, Janosch and Tim have found a chef in Dean who can strongly identify with their gastronomic vision of creating a kind of neighbourhood living room here.
“That was very convincing, because that’s actually exactly what my kitchen describes,” explains the chef, who found his way into the kitchen late in life, but already has some well-known stations, for example as head chef at Crackers.
We feast our way through his homemade Berlin bites, which are meant to be shared or as pub food for the small hunger. Wonderfully tender matjes with capers and pickles, beetroot with goat’s cheese and, of course, the black pudding croquette with black pudding from Neukölln in filo pastry, which can already be described as a modern classic with a clear conscience.
Dead granny in modern. In addition, larger dishes are also available from the regularly changing menu. Everyone will find what they are looking for here. Simply having a beer is just as welcome as having a bite to eat – just like Berlin, everyone a little bit as they want.
If you are not yet convinced, you should not miss the “Kanten Brot”. In addition, there is Brandenburg quark with fresh-bitter linseed oil, Dean’s secret weapon, his homemade celery salt, and his homemade beer butter. Really a dream, which also fits perfectly into the concept of beer variety.
And then there’s this incredibly charming corner in the middle of Kreuzberg’s greenery. So here in the former Café Rizz somehow everything comes together wonderfully simple. “It’s a magical thing,” Janosch becomes romantic for a moment, “the light on this corner is incredible. When I sit here between 5 and 7 p.m., it’s always good.”
We can only underline this. Well thought-out, but undogmatic, well-kept beer and fine cuisine, and this – yes, that’s fine – magical place in the Graefekiez.
