Bonvivant

Between Winterfeldtplatz and Akazienstrasse

Bonvivant stands at Goltzstrasse 32 in Schoeneberg, in one of those neighbourhoods best explored on foot. The market square at Winterfeldtplatz is a few minutes away, the small shops of Akazienstrasse begin to the south, and the stations Eisenacher Strasse and Nollendorfplatz are both within walking distance. Behind the old facade sits a room that does not call itself a restaurant but a cocktail bistro: dark wood, a long bar, tables set close together and, at the back, a gallery table where up to fifteen guests sit side by side. At the beginning of 2025 the house changed its kitchen completely. It had worked vegetarian before, and since then nothing reaches the table that came from an animal, which rules out butter, cream and eggs as well. The star the kitchen had earned before that switch stayed with it. Responsible for the cooking is head chef Nikodemus Berger, who rewrites the menu at short intervals and works strictly with what the market has to offer.

A starred brunch without butter or egg

Brunch at Bonvivant is not a buffet but an affair built for sharing. Guests order several small dishes for the table, which arrive in the order they are ready, and assemble their own menu from them. The entry point is a slice of house-baked sourdough bread at 7 euros, and the upper end of the card is marked by a crisp mushroom toast at 17 euros. In between sit plates unusual enough that the menu explains them, and for every course the kitchen keeps a gluten-free alternative ready without any need to announce it beforehand. The drinks list is taken more seriously here than in most places: house cocktails and wines chosen to suit the plant-based cooking rather than the other way round. Anyone coming in a larger group should ask about the gallery table, which can be laid for up to fifteen people. A reservation is advisable in any case, because the room is small and the number of seats is limited.