St. Bart — Restaurant in Berlin

I am writing this review for my wife Chris and felt compelled to do so after she returned from a recent trip to Berlin. I encouraged her to try the local (Kreuzberg) cuisine and quite frankly expected her to tell me about the kebabs (she is impartial to them, but only if they are done authentically well) she had whilst there. Needless to say I was surprised (and impressed) when I picked her up from the airport and all she could talk about was the amazing pub/restaurant she discovered whilst there. She babbled incessantly about St Barts for the whole drive home and beyond. She discovered this amazing place in her trip and it was a so good she frequented multiple times whilst there. She sampled a lot of the menu, from the divine scotch egg which was the best she has ever had, to the chicken pie and of course could not resist the pavlova for dessert. She even visited for the bacon sandwich. The food offerings coupled with unique wine and beer selections make for a true standout location, locally and generally. She can be a harsh food critic (she knows what she likes) and she did not hesitate to give every dish a 10 which is exceptionally rare. Combined with the atmosphere and exceptional staff who made her feel like a close friend or even family she just cannot wait to go back to Berlin to visit again. She confided in me that she even offered some suggestions for their delightful potato gratin (which I am sure were not necessary) and it is a testament to the team that they listened patiently to her. She sincerely wishes she could score higher than 5 stars. The innovative ways of serving with delightful tasting plates for sides coupled with the supreme flavour in even what initially appeared as the simplest dish on the menu completely won her return patronage. Without a doubt in her mind this is one of the freshest and exciting locations in Kreuzberg and Berlin. She is already looking forward to her next trip so she can sample again and is wanting me to come and sample this progressive level of offerings. Whilst St Barts does not necessarily aspire to covet star ratings she feels with what they are doing there it will only be a matter of time before they are recognised whether they seek it or not. She strongly recommends to get there now and experience simple food done exceptionally well by a Chef and team that deliver on all items on the menu. She and I have eaten all over the world and her review of this gastro-pub is the most glowing I have heard in a long time, including some of the 2-3 Michelin star locations we have dined at. These people are nailing what they are trying to achieve and to have such great quality in such a relaxed, non-pretentious atmosphere is beyond refreshing, it is sublime. I must thank Lee, Nadin, Victor, Jacob and the entire team for making her visits a special experience each time. Thank you all for giving her truly delightful experiences which were consistent with each visit. She will definitely be returning and from what she says I certainly...

After hearing good things about the Sunday Roast at St. Bart's, a party of 4 of us plus a baby went one Sunday afternoon to sample it.

The food was very disappointing. The beef was raw in the middle, which is not how roast beef should be served. And I don't mean pink, but raw. And I don't mean right in the middle, but the majority of the slice. There was a great deal of undercooked fat on the meat too, and the bone marrow was served uncooked in the middle as well. The skill in a roast dinner is to roast the meat well and this had clearly not been achieved.

The vegetables, which had to be ordered separately, were equally disappointing. Broccoli was raw, potatoes not roasted (perhaps fried) and had not been freshly made. The carrots were fine but only two small thin ones were provided. There was a spoon of what appeared to be cauliflower cheese. There were very few vegetables in general and they were not well prepared. The Yorkshire pudding was also not freshly made, it was dry, rubbery and tasteless.

The service also left a lot to be desired. As a party of 4 with a baby, we were given a very cramped table, despite others being available. I arrived a little later than the rest of the party and was asked in passing ''do you wanna drink?''. I asked for a menu, but nobody came to take the order, despite at least 5 staff being on shift. The staff did not attend the table to ask how the meal was, or take an order for drinks, or take plates until the very end of the meal.

A restaurant this is not. The staff, although mostly nice, seemed ill informed and ill trained on how to wait tables and care for diners. Very loud music blasted out of the speakers and the interior was dark and dingy. Accessibility wasn't really considered, so it was very difficult to take in a pushchair, for example.

In summary, we were very disappointed with the poor quality and preparation of the food, despite the high price, and the service left so much to be desired.

Next time, we will make a roast...

This place has had a total fall from grace, it's shocking. Prices have gone up and quality has dropped, what a horrific trade off!

Despite the restaurant being empty, we had barely any attention from the staff. When we got the Sunday roast menu, it was totally changed from what we'd previously known. My partner whose a vegetarian was really looking forward to a nut roast that we'd enjoyed here previously, which has been totally wiped from the menu now. On top of that, a once robust selection for people who don't eat meat no longer exists on the Sunday menu.

The waiter was helpful in showing us how we could make a vegetarian meal possible with limited choices. When we did order, one of the just three vegetarian dishes that we ordered was forgotten entirely. Although it was kindly comped by them, my partner was without a full supper for the majority of the meal. For €50 per person, sitting a whole meal with just peas and potatoes is pretty bad. And when the dish finally did come (€14 cauliflower cheese) the bottom of the dish was stone cold, as if it was just taken out the fridge.

When all was said and done, we even had to ask our waiter three separate times just to pay.

We had come in that night with a friend visiting Berlin and picked St Bart as the place for her send off meal because we know if for its professionalism and delicious food. That was sadly not the case last night.

At the price point they're subjecting to their customers, the quality of dining and service is simply unacceptable. Pains me to write this review given how much I used to love it here :-(

A lot needs to change if this many former regulars are noticing such a huge drop from this...