An absolutely delicious experience with exquisite service: Restaurant Diekmann (22. February 2022)
Sometimes you find one of these gems which are rated good but when you try it, you’re still surprised – positively! I went for the “4 course tasting menu” (EUR 60.00) with the appropriate “wine pairing” (EUR 36.00) and was already surprised how much (or rather how little) it would cost. The first little surprise from the kitchen were “anchovy fish” which did not only look like fish but were also nicely filled with anchovy spread in the middle. Definitely on the salty side of things but since I love anchovies, I absolutely enjoyed the bite.
Then, you were served “three different breads (a traditional one with old wheat, brioche, and a regular one) with butter” and while I tried all of them, I must say that the ‘old wheat’ one was the most surprising and at the same time the most delicious one.
The first course of the evening were “scallops, dill, cucumber” accompanied by a “2016, Riesling Westhofen, Weingut Wittmann, Rheinhessen”. Firstly, the dish was superb. The combination of the different ingredients really got the best out of the dish and made it quite unique. And that despite the fact that I am very often disappointed by scallops. What surprised me even a bit more was the quality of the wine – it really made for a great pairing creating happy moments in your taste buds.
Secondly, it was the turn of the “Jerusalem Artichoke, mustard, cress” accompanied by a “2020, Weissburgunder “Kalksteinfels”, Weingut Philipp Kuhn, Pfalz”. The combination of the cress and the mustard reduction with the base taste of the Jerusalem artichoke was, again, a great combination. I was postively surprised – and the Weissburgunder turned out to be a great match again.
The next course was incredible. Especially for the fact that it was a main course since they are so often so disappointing compared to the rest of the courses. The main I had chosen was “rabbit, potato, tarragon” accompanied by a “2018, Tavel Rosé, Domaine Pierre Amadieu, Rhône”. The rabbit was tender and full of flavor – but in combination with the asparagus, peas, carrots, and two types of potatoes, it made for an exquisite dish. Especially the old potatoes (the blue little balls in the picture) were quite incredible. And while I’m usually not a big fan of rosé wines, the Tavel Rosé was absolutely mouth-watering. Also quite intense in terms of alcohol but definitely enjoyable.
The last course was definitely interesting. Not a typically sweet dessert but more something of an experiment – one I liked but didn’t entirely persuade me either. The “milk, oat, watercress” accompanied by a “2018, Neumagener Rosengärtchen, Riesling Auslese, Clüsserath, Mosel” was interesting as it combined different flavors. The “milk icecream with the oat crumbles” was one nice combination. The “cream puff filled with goat cheese foam and sprinkled with dried water cress served on a bed of dulce de leche” was definitely an interesting combination which worked well in combination if you chewed for long enough so the flavors would mix properly. The “watercress with chili granita” on the other hand wasn’t really doing it for me. For me, it’s more like three individual dessert elements and less of an actual dessert – interesting but not my favourite course of the evening.
Besides the quality of the dishes and the great wine pairing, I also liked the atmosphere of the place quite a lot. It’s spacious, modern, and overall lovely. On top of that, the service really does an exquisite job in taking care of you, refilling your wine glasses, and ultimately just being attentive and friendly. On top of that, the waitress was very knowledgable about the wines and the dishes – a trait which you don’t see as often as I wish to see it. Make sure to book with enough time in advance at the Diekmann to make sure to score a table – worth it!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Diekmann
Meinekestraße 7
10719 Berlin (DE)
Tel.: +49 30 883 33 21
E-Mail: meineke@diekmann-restaurant.de
Homepage: http://www.diekmann-restaurant.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. 
