Estelle — Restaurant in Berlin

I've spent a few summers in Berlin largely looking for the best restaurants, especially those that serve pizza--until now I have not been so moved as to write a review.

Food: I had their most basic pie, mostly for comparison's sake but their more signature options and the new collaborative monday menu were both so enticing I can see myself trying every one, and their menu is by no means limited to pizza, in fact it feels misrepresentative to call it a pizza spot. Nonetheless, their sourdough crust is superb, (coming from New York this is especially important to me), their toppings were more flavorful and fresh than the half a dozen other pizzas I had here this month (most of which were about 5 euro more expensive), and the dessert was the best sweet treat I have had in at least a year. Straciatella, topped over with warm chocolate mousse with a sprinkling of roasted hazelnuts (assembled before my eyes)--it tastes even better than it sounds. The wine selection was expansive, the cocktails blanced well between reliable and inventive, and the schnapps were also very well-rounded.

Service: At this point it is a bit of a trope for Americans to complain about European restaurant service. Believe me, I am no stranger to the modicum of truth behind this phenomenon. Having just recently had some ludicrous wait-time experiences, I was so impressed by my server and the rest of the staff this evening. I was very promptly accomodated, despite the fact that I had not made a reservation. The only available seating was outside, which is normally a hot commodity in July in Berlin, but it happened to be raining somewhat seriously today so I had little competition (though the awning did its job well)--still they promptly offered me a warm tea, and brought out warm blankets for me in case it got cold. These may seem small, but they are examples/elements of outstanding service that I haven't experienced at any of the more expensive, fine-dining restaurants elsewhere in Berlin that I have patronized, let alone anything at this price-point, which is shockingly low considering the quality. Perhaps my familiarity with NYC prices is part of this, but such outstanding dinner and dessert for under 30 euro is a marvelous discovery. I will be returning here as often as I can manage.

I started recommending Estelle to my local friends (and even some back home) halfway through my main course, I expect I will continue to sing its praises even as the memory of dessert fades months from now.

Lastly, I do not review many restaurants, and this may seem a sign of inexpertise. I would understand that skepticism, but on the other hand I ate dinner out almost every night for the last month, and (again) nowhere in Berlin sparked such passion, no other dining experience moved me enough to take the time to...

Great new place on the edge of Prenzlauerberg. The service was warm and attentive and the food was tasty and well portioned.

Focaccia with whipped ricotta - found the ricotta a bit too salty but it went well with the beets and the focaccia was nice. Could go well with some honey and roasted nuts perhaps?

Cesar salad - it was a pretty standard Cesar but tasty nonetheless as I'm a big Cesar fan. Preferred this over the ricotta.

Pizza - didn't get to try as they ran out of dough but they very kindly gave us some complementary focaccia pizza to make up for it.

Pork shoulder - at €21 I was worried it would be pricey for little food. But it did not disappoint. It was a big piece of shoulder with accompanying sides. The meat was tender, not too fatty, and falls apart with a fork. Goes really well with the pickled onion provided. Yum!

Pacheri - I found it a bit salty but the pasta was good (seemed homemade) and my bf really liked it

Only point of improvement is perhaps I would have liked the pacheri and pork shoulder coursed out so I could enjoy each individually rather than feel rushed to eat both as once before they got cold.

Look forward to coming back when they update their seasonal menu to try...

I love this place. Lots of different and interesting combos that change with the season. I don’t actually know what half the toppings are and don’t usually like eating at places where the ingredients seem so obscure, but it’s very unpretentious and Rebecca always has a smile and offers excellent service.

Some of the seasonal pizzas I like more than others, but I really can never get enough of the mushroom pizza. The attention to detail and freshness of flavor and ingredients make it obvious this is a labor of love. The cookies are nice and chewy adultish desserty. Some friends don’t like that it’s not authentic, but there’s plenty authentic Italien pizza around here. This place is great bc it’s different and bc the dough is so perfectly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside with a slight hint of its sourdoughiness.

Everything is so pretty there, outdoor seating is so nice on a warm evening, two playgrounds for the kiddos next door, opening hours can change and they aren’t open every day, reservations are recommended for the busy weekend nights, takeaway is slightly cheaper and gets you a loyalty card, but you should live super close, or you won’t taste how good...