Il Casolare — Restaurant in Berlin

Casolare is a bit of an Italian icon for many reasons. It’s been in Berlin for so long with multiple other locations opening up over the years. It’s a little punk. It’s a little left. It’s a little alternative.

I have been eating in their locations many times over the years. Sometimes the pizza was great. Sometimes it was mediocre. The service was always with plenty of attitude. Again sometimes that's great. Sometimes it was just plain rude.

Yesterday we ate there again because I guess I was hungry and I had hopes for it being a good experience LOL I made my friends go, kinda wish I had not.

Service was ok until we ordered drinks. We ordered a bottle of water. A bottle of Apfel Schorle. And when when we wanted a cola too the waiter said that’s already a lot to drink and did not bring it. I am LOLing but also wow. We reordered it, it came.

The pizza was a solid meh. According to menu the cheddar cheese on one of our pizzas should have been spicy provolone. You can’t fool a chef. Sorry.

If you want the best pizza, I think it is elswhere. If you want the best service. I think it is elsewhere too. If you like the place though, you like the place. If you are going for the first time, I hope you catch them on a good day, because then Casolare can really have all the Berlin charm. And the pizza can be...

The food was truly delicious, but unfortunately, our experience was overshadowed by the service. We were attended by an older man with glasses who was far from pleasant. When he took our order and we mentioned we didn’t want any drinks, he pointed toward the door as if suggesting we should leave. He quickly added “just kidding,” but it didn’t feel friendly at all. His way of interacting was passive-aggressive and made us uncomfortable.

Later, he came out of the kitchen and shouted a name so loudly that everyone turned around. It turned out he was yelling at one of the people who walk around with magazines asking for support, telling them to leave in a very harsh way that embarrassed the person in front of everyone. It was extremely uncomfortable and completely unnecessary.

I’ve been living in Berlin for years and I’ve often seen people asking for solidarity in restaurants, but I had never witnessed someone being thrown out, especially in such a disrespectful manner. When you go out to eat, you’re not only paying for the food but also for the service and the way you are treated. A lack of respect like this is simply...

Good pizza, delicious tiramisu but not the best atmosphere.

To be honest, it feels like a busy trattoria in Italy. Noisy, chaotic, italian staff, dimmed lightning... Italians feel like home I think 😅

The food is really good. The pizza is thin and has a nice crust. The ingredients are nice. Tiramisu was really good. It was not that sweet and didn't taste like cheap alcohol. I could easily eat two portions 😅

I have mixed feelings about the restaurant though. The place is always packed and can be extremely noisy. Tables are so close to each other. There is a tiny room at the far end of the restaurant where the toilet is located. There is an old wooden showcase just near the toilet door. They use it to store cutlery and similar stuff. I can't say that it's the most hygienic place.

Prices are average. Around 10 Euros for a pizza.

Would I go there again? Probably yes but I would go there at the opening and get a nice table. I would go there only for food not to have a conversation with someone. It's not that easy to hear...