A very authentic Russian Jewish dining experience: Restaurant Pasternak (13. July 2019)
I was a bit skeptical about a Russian place with Jewish cuisine but was actually very positively surprised – and not only because the price performance ratio is quite great but also because the place is nice and the serivce is super friendly. I decided to go for the “Menu Gorki” (EUR 35.00) which started with “Russian egg with premium salmon caviar” which was absolutely fine to start.
The next course was “Soljanka (soup with dried smoked meat, sausages, olives and sour cream)” which was a very intense and thick soup full of chunks but also absolutely delicious. Only the dash of whipped cream was unnecessary from my point of view as it didn’t really add anything to the dish.
What I loved was the “Boeuf Stroganoff (beef stripes in creamy porchini mushroom sauce with hash browns)” as it was an intense and flavorful combination of meat and hash browns (or somehow I would call it roesti). So, definitely a dish you should try when you eat here.
As the original dessert looked somewhat too heavy to me, I decided to skip it but was then talked into trying at least their “ice cream” which was nice. You need to like raisins for it (which I do) which was ultimately a good deal for me.
What I liked about the place was its authenticity. It is like 30 to 40 years back how you imagine a restaurant in Russia to be at the time. There is no standard setting of chairs and tables but somehow randomly assembled with sofas and the like. So, a bit like ‘being at home’. And on top of that, the service was exquisite – our waiter was super friendly and generally attentive (only later during the night we had a moment where we had to be patient to get the bill). And on top of that, the prices are absolutely decent with EUR 7.00 for 0,75l sparkling water (on the more expensive side), EUR 4.00 for a “ginger tea” or EUR 14.00 for 0,25l of a Rosso di Montalcino.
So, all in all, if you are looking for a authentic experience in terms of Russian and Jewish cuisine, the Pasternak is a great place for exactly that!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Pasternak
22-24, Knaackstraße
10405 Berlin (DE)
Tel.: +49 30 44 133 99
Fax: +49 30 440 46 518
E-Mail: reservierung@restaurant-pasternak.de
Homepage: http://restaurant-pasternak.de
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
