simsim levantine eatery — Restaurant in Berlin

For a person who is as middle eastern as it gets and a very picky eater, believe you me when I tell you this place is LEGEND-wait for it-ARY!

You can close your eyes run your fingers on the menu and whatever you choose, it is going to be YUM-MY. I believe by now I have tried every single item on the menu including the seasonals and boy I love it.

My top items are the Kibbi Nayyi (it is awesome,trust me, I'd put money on it, even if you are not a fan of eating raw meat you really need to try this otherwise you will really be missing out), the shrimps, the Batata Harra (Jesus Christ it is delicious), Frikeh, Baba Ghannouj and the mixed grill. I think one of best reasons I love this place is the consistency, no matter what time you go, what season, who is standing in the kitchen you will be served the same high quality product always.

Wine selection is great especially the middle eastern wines. I'd recommend trying the Arak though for the authentic experience (Ksara Arak is my favorite there). The new cocktails they have are also delicious (cardamom & rosemary infused gin and tonic is a definite go to).

Staff is very friendly and very culinary knowledgeable , which is very rare to see elsewhere. I'm actually very proud to have a middle eastern place at this standard here in Berlin. I've recommended this place to work colleagues, managers, family and friends and I was always sure they would come back with a great experience.

Prices meet the quality of the food, the service and the ambiance. From where I stand and my view of the middle eastern culinary scene in Berlin, they deserve every single cent. Best tip is to go in bigger groups (4+) and order food family style and share! You will get to try a lot more an pay less!

I leeeeeeeeuve it here, you really need to...

From the moment you walk in you are greeted with arab hospitality. The classic dishes are so authentic you would think you took a trip to the middle east or better yet your mother/grandmother's kitchen. The staff are extremely attentive and are always ready to ensure you leave smiling, most importantly satisfied. What makes this restaurant unique is its ability to be consistent. I have recommended it to various friends, had birthdays, business dinners and the food, service as well as environtment were always on point. This restaurant is a pearl of the Berlin food scene were great service is hard to comeby simsim shines brighter than the rest. The chef's attention to detail is a masterstroke with regards to how he fuzes various elements of cuisine from across the middle eastern world into dishes which though unique do not lose their essense. For an arab this is food for the soul, I have eaten the same dishes countless times yet they never lose their luster which is a testament to how well prepared they are.

The team at simsim are making arab culture proud by representing it to its fullest. This is more than a restaurant but a familiar place, with incredible drinks (mint lemonade is a staple) which accompanies you through all the stages of your life. For any large group, event, date whatever it maybe this is a must visit restaurant. The cool part about the menu is the bigger the group the better value you get as this is all meant to be shared. Also make sure to ask them about catering, corporate events and make sure to consistently stop by as they are constantly adding new things...

Very nice atmosphere both inside and also for sitting outside right next to Kollwitzplatz, but significantly overpriced for the quality of food and service provided. If you go there for dinner, I would recommend making a reservation (also on weekdays). However, the reservation policy is extremely brazen: be aware that there is a charge of 35€ PER PERSON if you don't show up or cancel late. Didn't happen to us, and I would understand charging a small fee, but I find this amount extremely outrageous.

The food is good, but nothing special. One dish was extremely peppered (I don't might spiciness and that was not the issue, you simply could not taste much else). In total we ordered 5 mezze between 2 people. The other dishes were fine, but nothing extraordinary for essentially a 20€ course. You only get a single bread per person and need to pay for any extra, which seems a little petty when ordering dishes that are meant to be eaten with bread like hummous and baba ghannouj. Not 100% sure if the waiter understood correctly, but apparently the ~20€ main dishes do not include any sides either.

Also, I was there about two years ago and from what I remember service was much more professional at the time. Now, it felt at times that service prefers hanging out together over really paying attention to customers. Personally, I am not too picky about that, but again at this price level you should be able to...