eßkultur

Between the botanical garden and the Dahlem campus

The esskultur has its place in the south west of the city, at Takustrasse 38-40 in Dahlem, a quarter where villas, gardens and institute buildings sit close together. The campus of the Free University begins all around it, the botanical garden is a few minutes away, and the museums of the district are within walking distance. The stations Dahlem-Dorf and Freie Universitaet bring guests almost to the door. Behind the name stands Birgitt Claus, who does not simply run a restaurant here but a whole series of formats, all of them concerned with eating and storytelling: a dining room with a changing menu, the BluemchenKAFFEE on Arnimallee 23, cookery courses to join in with, guided walks, writing weeks on an estate in Brandenburg and journeys to Sicily and the Marche. For brunch this understanding means that no permanent buffet table stands here. Individual dates are set instead, and each of them comes with a programme of its own.

A fairy tale breakfast with a reading and live music

The best known of these formats is the fairy tale breakfast, and it is the reason the esskultur belongs in this list. Birgitt Claus reads aloud and cooks to what she has read, so that table and text belong together and nobody has to choose between the entertainment and the food. At the flower brunch in the BluemchenKAFFEE the subject is literature about the chrysanthemum, a floral brunch is served around that autumn flower, and a seat costs 35 euros. For the same price a Bedouin tent is laid out on Takustrasse as part of the Berlin fairy tale festival, where she reads oriental tales to live Arabic music on the long-necked lute and brings an opulent breakfast to the table as though out of the Thousand and One Nights. At the fairy tale matinee a renaissance traverse flute, a bone flute and a virginal join in, a generous English teatime breakfast comes with it for 40 euros, and children under fourteen pay less. Because each of these dates happens only once and the number of seats stays small, a reservation by mail is made in advance.