When one speaks of BERLIN, one thinks first of the Brandenburg Gate, the TV Tower and the government district and only then of the Kurfürstendamm, the Ku’damm. In addition to many well-known stores, the luxury department store KaDeWe, there is also the KEMPI (corner Fasanenstraße / Kurfürstendamm) and almost inconspicuously the Berlin insider tip – the restaurant “BRISTOL GRILL BERLIN”.
In the Kempinski Hotel Bristol Berlin lies the restaurant with the very special history – the “Bristol Grill”, a renowned restaurant, which already exists at this location since 1952. At first glance, a discreet understatement, the smallest entrance to a restaurant I have ever known. Directly opposite the reception of the hotel is the wide, wooden entrance – only felt a meter behind the entrance directly, the large bar. I had entered – into a cozy living room – the Bristol Grill Berlin.
Bristol Grill Berlin at the Kempinski Hotel am Kurfüstendamm
Everywhere the history of the Bristol Grill Berlin is visible, photos from the early years, information about special guests of the past and just as possible – a look into the open kitchen. Where else is there that the chefs greet the guest directly when entering the restaurant. A pleasant feeling and the first thought of the historical time came up.
Beautifully set tables, a touch of star gastronomy, a friendly welcome – a table with a great view of the restaurant and a good opportunity to people watch a bit.
Tradition at Grill Restaurant
The staff in the restaurant itself, love the restaurant and you can tell from the first moment. More than 15 years in the house, some 25 years and I felt after a short time back to the historic time when first there was no wall in Berlin, then the separation over 28 years and the reunification. I felt from the first moment, arrived in a piece of Berlin tradition.
One says in Berlin not without reason only, I go in the “Kempi” or in the “Grill” and every Berliner knows what is spoken of. Who wants to have a table for Christmas Eve with the family, can now already be put on the waiting list and get with a little luck a table for Christmas 2018, for New Year’s Eve it looks no different. Every year a special consideration, a special “eye-catcher” – even after sixty years the “GRILL” – is “IN” and “hip”. People in Berlin simply love the Bristol Grill Berlin in the Kempi.
The opening hours from 12 to 12 (also open on Sunday!) – whether a small lunch with business partners, an early dinner or after the theater still in the “GRILL” – the possibilities unlimited. The audience is mixed, just like Berlin. Starting with a young couple for a great and romantic dinner, business partners to regular guests who have been visiting the restaurant regularly for 30 years.
The service in the restaurant already at the beginning perfect, the guests all seemed satisfied and I now also wanted to be enchanted by the dishes on the menu. What in any case could not be missing from my dinner, the SIGNATURE DISH.
Signature Dish at Bristol Grill Berlin – Kurfürstendamm 27
To be allowed to call a dish on the menu in a Kempinski Hotel a “Signature Dish”, there must be a special preparation, as well as a recommendation of the house and a reference to the region. If it was the “lobster soup” at the Kempinski Hotel Atlantic Hamburg, it is a typical Berlin specialty at GRILL on the Kudamm. “The Berlin Currywurst”
However, who now thinks of a normal “Bratwurst”, of course, does not know the “GRILL” yet in the KEMPI Hotel on Kurfürstendamm. No normal Currywurst is served – but “Currywurst times differently”. Chef Frank Hokamp developed the currywurst in his great-grandfather’s butcher shop and used king prawns and salmon.
Since 2004, the “Currywurst times different” is now served in the Bristol Grill Berlin of the Kempinski Hotel, accompanied by a perfectly matched curry pineapple sauce. I can only recommend – try it out! Very tasty and really a new experience… If you like to try your currywurst with gold leaf check out the Adlon…
Stories and tradition at the Grill by Kempinski
After the successful start with the Signature Dish, I wanted to be spoiled by the special service. Many dishes are not only prepared in the open kitchen, but also often prepared at the table.
Where else do you find this now, that flambéing is done, seasoning is done and sauces are prepared at the table?
I chose the title “Experience Gastronomy” for a reason – you automatically learn the stories of the past, get to know the tables where Heinz Rühmann dined, what Harald Juhnke did, which celebrities of great film history ate there and what happened. You can only find something like that at the Bristol Grill Berlin.
Just imagine that you have been employed at the restaurant for just seven days and are now supposed to look after the restaurant “alone” for the first time. At the same time there is a big buffet in the ballroom for the guests of the house who were at the award ceremony of the “Golden Camera” and therefore nobody will choose the restaurant.
From the planning surely a good consideration – however how does one feel, if one faces as a young waiter five minutes later Tina Turner, who holds your golden camera in hands and has no more desire for a buffet. Where Tina Turner is, of course other guests come quickly and what happened then, the restaurant manager Dirk Hoffmann can tell you better personally. But you can believe me, I already shed tears before my main course, because of the wonderful anecdotes from the “good old days” in the Bristol Grill Berlin.
I could tell you so much more about celebrities, celebrities or regulars who regularly visit the Bristol Grill Berlin, because that’s also part of the experience at the Grill, but I’d rather introduce you to my main course now.
Menu at Bristol Grill Berlin
Flambéed lemongrass skewer of veal fillet and beef fillet tips on rosemary potatoes with roasted mini vegetables and Dijon mustard pepper cream. Already the preparation at the table, the flambé and the rising scents – I was already looking forward to my skewer. An experience not only from the taste – but also from the show.
Of course flambéing at the table is not only for me always an attraction, but also for many other guests in the restaurant “Bristol Grill Berlin” in the KEMPI and so it was not surprising that some more guests have treated themselves to the culinary experience in the table and while I could watch the show in the course of the evening a few times, I was looking forward to my dessert.
If you start with a signature dish “Currywurst einmal anders”, which is different in every Kempinski hotel, there is one dessert, which is identical in all hotels of the hotel group. The “Kempinski Dessert of the Year”. Once I was allowed to try the dessert already and I’m looking forward to the special experience this time as well.
The “Siam Passion” consists of vanilla cream, coconut, almond, banana caramel and passion fruit couverture and is the “Dessert of the Year 2014”. Each Kempinski hotel was able to submit a dessert and then since March 2014, the winning dessert has been available in all hotels worldwide. As we also hear from the KEMPI in Berlin, the employees are also already practicing diligently again, for the next creation and perhaps the winner of the year 2015.
Conclusion – Bristol Grill Berlin at Kempi at Kudamm
The “Bristol Grill Berlin” at KEMPI on Kudamm in Berlin is different, delightfully different. Upscale cuisine with an incredible feel-good factor. Within a very short time, you feel transported back to the good old days. An attentive and entertaining team around restaurant manager Dirk Hoffmann, can tell a lot from the past and with each new story, you fall in love a bit more, in the restaurant.
The kitchen team around Frank Hokamp enchants with beautifully composed dishes and you can well imagine why the celebrities of the past, as well as the stars of the present regularly stop by at the GRILL.
Within a few hours, the unknown BRISTOL GRILL BERLIN has become for me a beautiful piece of BERLIN HISTORY. I can well understand why you have to wait until 2018 for a table on Christmas Eve – and fell in love with the restaurant…. I had a wonderful evening with a great team…. thank you very much the team and the “GRILL” 🙂
Why in Berlin everything speaks only of the KEMPI and not of the Kempinski Hotel Bristol on the Kurfürstendamm I will tell you next time – and also tell more about the special history and the many celebrities who have already stayed there… see you soon – at KEMPI 🙂
Another special barbecue story I’ll tell you here…
Update: In the meantime, the Bristol is no longer part of the Kempinski Hotel Group and the Grill Restaurant has now also been closed.
