Neu Helgoland

Neu Helgoland: An Excursion Restaurant with History

Anyone visiting the Neu Helgoland excursion restaurant for the first time will need a bit of a sense of direction. Of the more than half a dozen large excursion restaurants that once dotted the shores of the Großer and Kleiner Müggelsee in southeastern Berlin, only two remain today, including Neu Helgoland in Müggelheim, at the eastern confluence of the Müggelspree into the Kleiner Müggelsee. The restaurant is hidden between forest and water, directly on the Berlin Müggelspree, near the Großer Müggelsee and the district of Rahnsdorf. Those who find it will want to return.

The traditional waterside restaurant Neu Helgoland was founded in 1897. It was completely destroyed by arson on the night of January 2, 2002; except for a few walls and the small hall, everything was rubble and ashes. Since Neu Helgoland had already been in existence for four generations, the family, still in tears on the night of the fire, decided to rebuild it in a way that would evoke old traditions. One year after the devastating fire, the new Neu Helgoland was able to reopen. Today, it is a living piece of Berlin’s restaurant history.

Dagmar Tabbert and her husband Stefan Marggraf initially leased Neu Helgoland in 1986 and purchased it in 1991. Since 1995, Ms. Tabbert has been named as the owner. Once there, visitors can enjoy relaxing hours in a forest and water-rich environment, directly on the Müggelspree, under linden and chestnut trees. The restaurant also offers the possibility to moor boats at its private guest berths, making it one of the few true waterside excursion restaurants in Berlin that you can literally enter directly from a boat. The large terrace with 500 seats is located directly on the Müggelspree with a downstream view.

What’s on the Menu?

The cuisine at Neu Helgoland is down-to-earth, no excuses. The hearty home-style cooking tempts with culinary delights from eel to pike-perch, and the good old Eisbein (pork hock) as well as some vegetarian dishes are also on the menu. The menu ranges from Berlin potato salad to catfish fillet with spinach and roast pork with brown beer sauce. This is Berlin cuisine without frills. Those who appreciate seasonal dishes will also find constantly changing options, for example, a pumpkin cream soup with ginger and roasted pumpkin seeds, or a crispy breaded schnitzel with potato-pumpkin mash and fine gravy. The prices are such that you leave a tip because you want to, not because you have to. The menu is traditional and offers seasonal, local products. Sometimes, for that waterside excursion feeling in Berlin, that’s all you need.