Travel

Inside Berlin’s newest hot spot

The industrial-chic look reigns at the downstairs cocktail lounge, Le Croco Bleu.

The industrial-chic look reigns at the downstairs cocktail lounge, Le Croco Bleu. (Botzow Berlin)

Would you fly all the way to Germany to dine on American cuisine? You might for Berlin’s quirky La Soupe Populaire, the newest restaurant venture from Michelin-starred chef Tim Raue and a collaboration with chef Michael Jaeger.

In the scruffy-cool Prenzlauer Berg district (which once was part of East Berlin), tucked deep inside the cavernous 1885 Bötzow Brewery — a dimly lit building that still retains vestiges of its beer-making past — the industrial-chic, 54-seat spot has been booked solid since its May 17 opening.

There’s the novelty of the space, of course. But just as much of a draw is La Soupe Populaire’s unique concept — “art meets the culinary arts” — whereby an exhibition inspires the menu (two to four appetizers and main courses, two desserts), with everything entirely changing every six weeks.

Starting July 4, in conjunction with the new exhibit “Independence Day,” featuring photos from the series “American Housewives” by German actress Eva Hassmann, Raue will riff on American classics like barbecue — “short ribs, coleslaw, butter corn and sweet potato fries” — and California-healthy fare like “Eva’s Veggie Burger.” No checked tablecloths or paper plates here — dishes will be served on Urbino porcelain, a design from the 1930s produced by Berlin’s Royal Porcelain Factory. And rumor has it that Brooklyn Brewery beers will make their Berlin debut on the menu very soon — though likely not in time for Independence Day.

If you can’t score a rezzie at the restaurant, it’s still worth stopping by to enjoy a fine crafted cocktail at Le Croco Bleu, its ground-level lounge. Sip on tasty concoctions like the Thyme (with Tanqueray, lemon juice, raspberry-thyme syrup and an egg white) in the company of a large stuffed bear and a cuckoo clock.

La Soupe Populaire (lasoupepopulaire.de/en) and Le Croco Bleu (lecrocobleu.com/en) are open Thursdays to Saturdays; dishes average around 18 euros, cocktails around 10 euros.