PANAMA BERLIN

Almost every spot in Berlin is a bit hidden, especially if you’re visiting more areas than just Mitte. Hot spot Panama for example is located on Potsdamer Strasse in a hidden courtyard. Not something you would find very easily, but, in my opinion, usually the hard to find addresses are the best ones because it feels like you really discovered something unique.

Panama is a restaurant project by the Contemporary Food Lab of Ludwig Cramer-Klett, which also is behind Katz Orange. The restaurant consists of two floors with two different atmospheres – both inspired on South America (hence the name). On the ground floor there’s a bar where you can order the best cocktails in town. Try the Beijing Smash for example with juniper, ginger, lemongrass, almond, apple and lychee. Really good!

In the kitchen we’ll find a female chef called Sophia Rudolph, a well-known name in Berlin because she worked for Michelin-starred restaurant Rutz for quite some time. The menu, which changes frequently, is quite interesting. You can choose out of little things (like the crispy pig ear & oyster cream), raw dishes (like the tartare of Richard’s venison, pickled shiitake, currant and nigella), leaves and flower dishes (like the warm spinach salad), meat & fish dishes (like the duroc pork cheek, white radish, sour rhubarb and quinoa) and finally the desserts (like smoked bell pepper, flamed marshmallow and cafe caramel). Definitely worth trying, but make sure to make a reservation!

The interior is beautiful, warm and cool. The color palette (naturel with hints of yellow and pink and a lot of green of the plants) makes you feel you’re in a warm country like Panama. The ground floor feels more intimate with the thick red curtain, the beautiful photo print on the wall and the lovely chairs. Upstairs it feels more airy with the white walls, a stunning contemporary chandelier by Björn Dahlem in the middle of the restaurant, a neon sign on the wall by Kerim Seiler and Thonet chairs. Responsible for the interior are architects Karoline Butzert and Nora Witzigmann (the daughter of one of Germany’s most famous chefs, Eckert Witzigmann). Next month they are gonna open a new bar in front of the restaurant. So keep an eye on that one too!