FACIL

Facil at Potsdamer Platz: Two-Star Restaurant in The Mandala Hotel

Facil is located at Potsdamer Straße 3, just a few steps from Potsdamer Platz, where subways, S-Bahn, and regional trains converge. The restaurant is on the fifth floor of The Mandala Hotel, and once you arrive upstairs, there’s no trace of the hustle and bustle below. The dining room is entirely glass-enclosed, allowing daylight to flood in from all sides, making the space feel more like a rooftop garden than a hotel restaurant. Tall bamboo plants stand between the tables, lending an Asian touch to the whole setting. In front of the glass facade lies a small terrace with chestnut trees and a fountain, pleasantly shaded in summer. Facil opened in 2001; in 2026, the establishment celebrates its 25th anniversary, and some of the staff have been there since day one. The dining room is wheelchair accessible and air-conditioned.

Creative Menus by Michael Kempf and Joachim Gerner at Facil

Executive Chef Michael Kempf, named Chef of the Year in 2014, and Head Chef Joachim Gerner have maintained two Michelin stars for years. Kempf himself describes their philosophy as evolution rather than revolution: the cuisine is considered creative and modern, working with carefully selected products, remaining precise rather than playful. The gourmet menu can be ordered in five to eight courses, with the eight-course version costing 295 Euros. The menu features dishes such as Norwegian scallop with parsley root and bonito vinegar, dry-aged turbot with Jerusalem artichoke and fermented pear, or Faroese langoustine with Hokkaido pumpkin and hazelnut, concluding with “The Forest” (Der Wald) featuring sea buckthorn, chestnut, and rosemary. A vegetarian version of the menu is also available. Those wishing to experience the restaurant more affordably can order from the lunch menu, where three courses cost 88 Euros. Thomas Yoshida is responsible for the patisserie, and Felix Voges for the wine cellar as sommelier.