You never get tired of this look. When you turn into Schloßstraße and walk towards Charlottenburg Palace, you get a little of the “like-God-in-France” feeling, especially on a balmy spring evening. On this evening, however, “How-God-in-Germany” would be more appropriate, although that is a less well-known saying. It goes to the Hoffgarten and thus to a restaurant that is entirely dedicated to German cuisine.
With great attention to detail, chef and owner Christian Wemhoff has created a place where you can completely indulge in the culinary delights of German cuisine. In addition, there are enchanting rooms in the picturesque Wilhelminian style building, blue metro tiles and an old tiled floor, which was once specially imported from a castle in France and laid here.
Starting with the color scheme, which extends to the already mentioned blue Metro tiles, to the logo designed by the owner himself, a reminiscence of Westphalian heraldry, whose insignia point to the basics of the kitchen, the Hoffgarten surprises with heart and soul. In addition, a pinch of spontaneity and improvisational talent that these times need. That’s what gastronomy is all about: you have to celebrate the festivals as they fall! That’s what we’re doing tonight and start the evening with a sparkling glass of Crémant from the Moselle.
The “large menu”, charmingly brought to the table and explained, includes four appetizers and as many main courses, always with the choice between veggie, meat and fish. The small menu is complemented by two desserts (you can guess three times what’s behind a flamed cream) and cheese from Charlottenburg cheese enthusiast Fritz Blomeyer, who runs his specialist German cheese shop just around the corner.
A small menu that, thanks to its focus on upscale German cuisine with a focus on good basic products, leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. Every now and then something is deleted or added, so that the map changes organically. Christian obtains all the meat on his menu from farmer friends, many from his native Westphalia. In this way, you can also come across the tried and tested in the Hoffgarten. The Iberico ham has the special feature that the Iberico pigs, which are actually native to Spain, are bred on a farm in Münster by an acquaintance of Christian’s.
While we nibble away the delicious sourdough bread baked on site with large air bubbles and incredibly fluffy butter, the Hoffgarten owner tells us that he is a supporter of the Slow Food movement and therefore focuses on German cuisine. He doesn’t need pineapples, which are flown 3000 km “After all, we have orchards here!” says the born host.
The result is a German cuisine with French sophistication that blends into a combination of tastes of childhood and youth. More than once, when tasting the delicious beef tartare with lovage and mushrooms or the flamed cream with strawberries and (of course) homemade raspberry ice cream, we remember the cooking skills of our grandmothers. Everyone knows that’s a huge compliment.
French sophistication is no coincidence: Before the opening of the Hoffgarten last summer, the boss completed an internship at Lamazère to see whether gastronomy would still be his cup of tea after 24 years in the event industry and as a major caterer. That was it. So he started looking for a shop and found what he was looking for in the former Le Piaf in Schloßstraße. He is connected to this neighbourhood and the neighbourhood. He lives nearby, cultivates relations with neighboring shops such as Don Camillo and the donkey of A.
Perhaps this is one reason why the Hoffgarten already seems like a sworn part of the local gastronomy after just one year, including seven months of lockdown. With ease, the service and chef know how to entertain the beautiful terrace full of cordiality, weave in an anecdote here and in the next moment give a wine recommendation at the next table. It is not for nothing that Christian bears the nickname “Walking Wine List”.
And so, before our famous main course, the fabulously tender Duroc pork with green asparagus and a shallot cake and a wonderfully sloppy pearl barley risotto with asparagus and sliced egg yolk, we unceremoniously enjoy a small wine tasting by Christian appearing at our table with a small selection of suitable wines.
We opt for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc fumé from the barrique of the Sander winery. “This was one of the first wineries in Rheinhessen to switch to organic,” Christian informs us. The Lord is not only a host through and through, but also deeply convinced of his concept. And so, at an advanced hour, we make our way home, full and satisfied, and are already sure that this was definitely not our last visit. And behind us, the castle shines.
Source: https://www.cremeguides.com/berlin/restaurant-hoffgarten/
