Restaurant Maximilians Berlin

Maximilians Berlin Restaurant: Hacker-Pschorr in Kontorhaus Mitte

Maximilians Berlin restaurant is located in Kontorhaus Mitte on Friedrichstraße, less than three minutes from Stadtmitte subway station. The location has a brewery past: until the middle of the last century, the Pschorr Bräuhaus was located here, so the brand has returned to its old spot. Bavarian cuisine has been served here since 2003, after a renovation with light oak, steel, tiles and brass, featuring benches, solid wooden tables, relaxed standing areas and a copper bar system. The real showpiece stands in the middle of the dining area: a glass cold room where the wooden barrels are stored under block ice. They arrive fresh weekly from Munich, roll over a rail onto the counter, and are tapped by hand after a bell rings. The establishment does not have a beer garden, but it promotes its air conditioning in summer, which is probably the more convincing argument on Friedrichstraße. A virtual tour of the premises is available online beforehand. Reservations for up to eight people can be made online; larger groups use a separate form and can pre-order group menus.

Wooden Barrel Beer, Beer Tastings, and a Contemporary Kitchen

Hacker-Pschorr from Munich is served, along with Hopf wheat beers, Berliner Kindl Weisse, and a gluten-free beer. A liter of Münchner Hell costs 10.80 Euros; the Edelhell from the wooden barrel is only available in half-liter and as a “Schnitt” (a smaller, pulled-off amount), because it is served so fresh. When it comes to food, Maximilians Berlin restaurant remains classic where it should be: The whole pork hock with Bavarian cabbage and bread dumplings is on the menu for 28.90 Euros, alongside roasted pork neck, beer roast, meatloaf (Leberkäs), and white sausages with pretzels. At the same time, the kitchen dares to go further than most traditional inns, for example with beef tartare on grilled bone marrow and kimchi, Alpine carpaccio, suckling pig shoulder, or an entrecôte. Vegetarian and vegan options are not an afterthought but a dedicated section with beetroot dumplings and burrata, Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), dumpling trio, and roasted vegetables, and for children, there is a separate small menu with fried chicken. In autumn, chanterelles, half an Oldenburg duck, and suckling pig shoulder are added. For lunch, there is a weekly menu with schnitzel, trout, and a vegetarian dish at single-digit and low double-digit prices. Those who want to delve deeper can participate in a beer tasting with the in-house beer sommelier.