🍴 The 400-Year-Old Restaurant Where Napoleon Dined

Berlin's Oldest Gastronomic Landmark 🖍 A Time Capsule in Mitte How many times have I walked past Waisenstraße without noticing? This unassuming wooden building is actually Berlin's oldest surviving restaurant, Zur letzten Instanz (translated: "At the Last Moment"). It wasn't until a friend mentioned, "Napoleon dined here," that I realized this structure holds four centuries of stories ✨ 🏛️ Restaurant Profile 📍 Address: Waisenstraße 14-16, 10179 Berlin 🕐 Hours: Mon-Sat 12:00-23:45 🚇 Access: U2 to Alexanderplatz, 10-min walk 📜 A 400-Year Timeline ✨ 1621 Origins Founded by a politician's equestrian servant as a "Biedermeierstübchen," with original distillery blueprints still on the walls 🗂️ ✨ Golden Age (1920s) After transitioning to a restaurant, it hosted celebrities like Henry Porten and Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin's signature still adorns the fireplace guestbook 🎩 ✨ The Renaming (1924) Named after the nearby Littenstraße courthouse, the title implies lawyers often dined here late into the night ⚖️ ✨ War and Rebirth Rebuilt after WWII, the restaurant preserved its 18th-century tile stove—Napoleon once dined at Table 3 beside it, now marked with a bronze plaque 🔥 🏺 Interiors Through the Ages Oak beam ceilings inscribed with 17th-century vintners' names 1850 Berlin map on the wall, marking the restaurant's original location The oldest dining table (270 years old) bears indentations from centuries of diners' cutlery 🥘 Historic Dishes to Try ✨ Signature Braised Pork Knuckle (Eisbein) €18 Unique Method: Unlike Bavarian roasted knuckles, this simmers in beer+spices for 3 hours, resulting in tender, non-greasy meat Classic Pairing: Sour cabbage cuts the richness, while mustard adds a kick. Traditional : Use a bone knife to serve with dark bread Portion Note: One serving feeds two. Opt for the half-portion + sausage platter (€25 combo) for better value 💡 Insider Experience Tips Reservation Code: Request "Napoleon's table" to sit beside the stove Best Photo Spot: The copper candelabra on the second-floor landing, perfect for vintage-style shots Hidden Perk: Spend €50+ to get a commemorative restaurant beer mug (ask staff) 📝 Cost & Tips €30-40/person for dinner (main + beer), €15 lunch sets available 9% cash discount; 1.5% card fee applies Traditional folk music every Wednesday night—consider dressing in vintage style #BerlinCuisine #GermanHeritageRestaurant #EuropeanCenturyOldEatery #NapoleonLandmark #BerlinMitte