A very well-deserved Michelin star with amazing service: Restaurant CORDO (5. March 2022)

The Restaurant Cordo was recommended to me and I must say it definitely deserves its Michelin star. I went for the “Tasting Menu ‘harbour tour'” (EUR 169.00) with the respective “beverage pairing” (EUR 90.00) and it was worth the spend. The evening started with a few amuse bouches from the kitchen, namely, “crab tartelette, smoked fish profiterol and Wagyu naan”. It did not only look lovely when being served but it was also absolutely delicious. One bite of the crab tartelette and a few chews and your taste buds are in heaven getting ready for the rest of the evening.

When I saw the “black pudding sourdough bread with braised onion butter” on the menu, I had an immediate flashback to the Restaurant Steierereck where they serve “Blunzen bread” (blood sausage bread) and was super excited to get that kind of bread again. And while it was good, it didn’t match the Blunzen bread you get in the Steirereck. What I absolutely loved though was the braised onion butter – and even more so since it was served in an actual onion. Loved the way it was presented.

The next course was “Oyster | Leek | Walnut” and it looked quite surprising since the leke is fully charred and then cut open where the actual dish is put in. I must say, I was a bit skeptical since the charred leek is not really what you’re looking for but it turned out that it was actually a quite nice dish.

The “Trout | Smoked Almond | Eggplant” was a great, mouth-watering combination of different flavors. Especially since it was served in an eggplant broth which was super intense, it was an interesting combination of textures and flavors.

Next in line was the “Shrimp Tatar | Horseradish | Buttermilk” and while it looked super simple, it turned out to be quite interesting. The shrimp tatar by itself wasn’t much of a dish (good but just that), however, the combination with the buttermilk reduction made for a great combination of flavors.

Next in line was the “Scallop | Mole | Hazelnut” and for me this dish was doomed to fail. And yet, it surprised me and it actually didn’t fail. Since I had my best ever scallop at the O Paparico, I was not expecting much of the scallop and to be fair, it still didn’t get to that level but it was great. Secondly, since I just have had one of the best mole of my life in the Pujol a few months earlier, I was like, come on, this is never gonna be something since I have had better mole and better scallops. While still both was true, it turns out that the mole was actually quite nice if you tried it by itself (with a nice hint of chili) and the scallop was better than expected. Most importantly, the combination of the different ingredients, textures, and temperatures made for a good and tasty bite.

The “Cabbage | Sorrel | White Roasted Chocolate” served as a palate cleanser and was absolutely tasty. The only challenge was the fact that the dish was a bit too cool, i.e., you would almost freeze your teeth. Else, a great and interesting bite.

Earlier that day I had a discussion about sweetbreads – yeah, stuff like that actually happens. And it was super fun to then get “Sweetbreads | Chives | Spinach” as a course later the same day. Turns out the small pieces of sweetbreads were mouth-wateringly delicious. I don’t get why people don’t like sweetbreads – of course, it’s an intestine and it’s something one has to get used to in terms of texture but it’s also something truly delicious.

The “Wagyu | Roasted Garlic | Onion Jus” looked so pretty when it was served …

… which was still true with the onion jus. What surprised me was how lean the “wagyu” was, so I asked the waiter mid-course if this was actually wagyu. Turns out, it was but it wasn’t the wagyu you would naturally think of from Japan but a more ‘local’ version which makes the meat less fatty.

The pre-dessert was “Apple | Celery | Lait Cru | Pecan” which was a nice combination of sweet and savory and, therefore, quite enjoyable.

What was very surprising to me was the next dessert. The “Chervil Root | Chicory | Raspberry” didn’t really look like a dish for a dessert but it turns out that it was actually absolutely perfect for dessert. A great combination of different flavors and textures – and while there is supposedly some bitterness through the chicory, it was actually not bitter at all. Not sure, how they did it, but it turns out to be super surprising dessert.

Last but not least, you would get some ‘friandises’ like “Franzbrötchen” and “blood sausage and something macaroons”. While the Franzbrötchen was good like a Franzbrötchen usually is, the “blood sausage and something macaroons” (unfortunately, I don’t recall what that something was but it was a fruit and it provided the sweetness) was, again, a great surprise.

What I love about the Cordo is the fact that they are super knowledgable about what they do. All waiters attending the table would actually know a lot about their wines and about their dishes. And you would be able to have an interesting combination about both.

The fact that the decoration is somewhat arbitrary but entertaining added to my perception and experience in the Cordo.

They even pay attention to details – guess for which gender this bathroom door is ;-)

All in all, an experience at the CORDO isn’t what one would call cheap but it is definitely something worth trying. The dishes are great and innovative and if you break it down to the different courses, the actual price per dish is absolutely reasonable. The beverage pairing is, overall, quite interesting as well and they have some super exciting wines to try. On top of that, the staff is very well educated in all things food / drinks and also fun to discuss and talk with. All in all, I can definitely recommend you to visit the CORDO when you’re in Berlin – worth booking in advance and getting to discover their cuisine!

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Contact Details:

Restaurant CORDO

Große Hamburger Str. 32

10115 Berlin (DE)

Tel.: +49 30 27 58 12 15

E-Mail: cordo@cordo.berlin

Homepage: http://www.cordo.berlin

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.