Berlin, Germany – More to Explore

As a frequent visitor to Berlin, the capital of Germany, I am always on the lookout for what is new to explore in this vibrant city when it comes to restaurants, entertainment, and of course, new spas, and invariably, I always find something wonderful.

Berlin is a city that is waiting for visitors to discover its luxurious treasure trove of multi-faceted riches to explore, from its diverse museums, a castle in the city center (Charlottenburg Castle), stunning architecture, gorgeous gardens to stroll and relax, world-class shopping, history, and entertainment that runs the gamut from ballet, opera, symphony, theatre, to jazz clubs, and of course, there are the restaurants, which vary from simple fare to haute cuisine.

The city has its share of luxury hotels, and with the InterContinental Berlin celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2008, Edward F. Nesta and I wanted to get an early start on the celebration by staying at the hotel and extending our congratulations to the 534-room and 50-suites hotel on achieving its golden anniversary milestone.

The hotel has two restaurants, L.A. Café where we enjoyed breakfast each morning, and HUGOS Restaurant, which has one Michelin-star, where we spent an enchanted evening having dinner amidst the starry-view. The Marlene Bar, named after the legendary Marlene Dietrich, features live music every evening with the exception of Sunday, and we danced away the night during our stay at the hotel.

For those pursing other types of exercise, the hotel has a Health & Fitness Center with saunas, swimming pool, and a Spa.

The InterContinental Berlin is centrally located on Budapesterstrasse within walking distance of the Berlin Zoo, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, and of course, shopping on Kurfurstendamm.

Read other articles on the InterContinental Berlin in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes -in English, Chefs’ Recipes – in German, and Luxury Products sections.

InterContinental Berlin
Budapesterstrasse, 2
10787 Berlin, Germany
Telephone:      +49 30 26020
Fax:                 +49 30 26022600
Email:             belin@ihg.com
www.Berlin.InterContinental.com

The culinary scene in Berlin continues to grow and improve with each passing year, and when Edward F. Nesta and I visited in March 2008, Berlin was proud to boast that it had achieved yet another Michelin-star restaurant bringing the total number of restaurants to 11 (VAU, Fischers Fritz, 44, Die Quadriga, first floor, Facil, Lorenz Adlon, Margaux, HUGOS Restaurant, Vitrum, and Rutz). The city has another reason to be excited as well, as the restaurant Fischers Fritz, which we had experienced on a previous visit, was the first Berlin restaurant to receive a second Michelin-star. Heartfelt congratulations go out to Chef Christian Lohse on his great accomplishment!

After having experienced 8 of the 11 Michelin-starred restaurants on previous visits, I was delighted to add yet another of the restaurant stars to the notches on my culinary belt, when Edward and I had dinner at the Michelin-star, 18 GaultMillau rated HUGOS Restaurant where Chef Thomas Kammeier clearly shines from the lofty height of the 14^th floor of the InterContinental Berlin.

The stunning HUGOS Restaurant and HUGOS Bar offer incomparable panoramic city views that pay complement to the culinary artistry of Chef Thomas Kammeier, which has Asian elements.

A few of the many highlights of our tasting menu at HUGOS Restaurant included sole on a bed of brunoise carrots and ginger, and accentuated with drops of coriander oil; scallops in bouillabaisse with saffron; and char and lemongrass that was pooled with a rich sea of sweet citrus foam, with lettuce hearts and tiny croutons. Service as you would expect is attentive and professional, and Chef Thomas Kammeier creates a culinary experience that lives up to its reputation.

Please note that HUGOS Restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6:00 pm until 10:30 pm, and is closed from July 21 until August 21, 2008.

HUGOS Restaurant
InterContinental Berlin
Budapesterstrasse, 2
10787 Berlin, Germany
Restaurant Telephone: +49 30 2602 1263                
Hotel Telephone:          +49 30 26020
Fax:                              +49 30 26022600
Email:                         mail@hugos-restaurant.de
www.HUGOS-Restaurant.de
www.Berlin.InterContinental.com

The nightlife in Berlin is always varied and wonderful, and as many times as I have been to Berlin, I just "discovered" the Friedrichstadt Palast Berlin on this trip. The theatre was built in the 1920s and is where the iconic Marlene Dietrich made her revue stage debut.

We saw the performance, Glanzlichter der Revue, a stunning revue that had the appeal of the celebrated Berlin cabarets, the glamour of Paris, the glitz of Broadway, and the size and lavishness of the old Hollywood musicals.

The Glanzlichter der Revue runs until June 29, 2008. Please visit the Friedrichstadt Palast Berlin website at: www.Friedrichstadtpalast.de for information on the Glanzrichter der Revue or for information on future shows.

Friedrichstadt Palast Berlin
Friedrichstrasse 107
10117 Berlin, Germany
Box Office:      +49 30 2326 2326
Fax:                 +49 30 2326 2323
Email:              tickets@friedrichstadtpalast.de
www.Friedrichstadtpalast.de

Of course a trip to Berlin had to include a stay at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski to experience the latest endeavors of this luxurious grand dame hotel. This is one sophisticated lady that continues to excel in service, as well as always adding something new to its repertoire of offerings to pamper and cater their guests. On this trip we experienced their new Spa, and also experienced the new Italian Gabriele Restaurant.

Edward and I luxuriated in the gorgeous 900 sq. meter tri-level Adlon Day Spa where the sensory experience begins the moment you exit the elevator and enter the Spa. Professional, well-trained staff, plus a diverse Spa treatment menu including such exotic treatments as Lumi-Lumi Nui Temple Massage and Royal Thai Massage make the new Spa a definite winner.

Read other articles on the Adlon Day Spa and the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in the Spas, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes – in English, and Chefs’ Recipes – in German sections.

Adlon Day Spa
Behrenstraße 72
D10117 Berlin
Germany
Telephone:      +49 30 3011 17200
www.Adlon-Day-Spa.de

As I had noted, the Berlin restaurant scene keeps getting better and better, and another new restaurant to make its culinary debut is Gabriele Restaurant at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin, Germany, which opened in December 2007.

We had had a wonderful dinner at Gabriele Restaurant where the menu is Italian, the ambience is warm and inviting, and the Chef Björn A. Panek pours passion into his creations.

A few of the highlights of our dinner at Gabriele Restaurant included Cocktail di Astice, (lobster claw and lobster meat with celery, bell pepper and lattuga); Brodo di Vongole Veraci et Capesante, (vongole stock, vongole veraci with thyme, marinated tomatoes, and scallops with a curry foam); and marinated duck with artichokes and mustard.

Gabriele Restaurant is open for Dinner Tuesday – Saturday from 6:30 pm – 11:00 pm.

Gabriele Restaurant
Behrenstraße 72
D-10117 Berlin, Germany
Telephone:      +49 30 2062 8610
Email:             Gabriele@gabriele-restaurant.de
www.Gabriele-Restaurant.de

Read other articles on the Hotel Adlon Kempinski: Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Happy 100th Anniversary Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Lorenz Adlon, Lorenz Adlon Recipes, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Recipes, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Recipes in German, and Destination: Berlin – A Feast for the Senses.

Hotel Adlon Kempinski
Unter den Linden, 77
D-10117 Berlin
Germany
Telephone:      +49 30 2261 0
Fax:                 +49 30 2261 2222
Email:             Adlon@kempinski.com
www.Hotel-Adlon.de

Whenever we are in Berlin, we always try to squeeze in a little sightseeing, and stepping outside the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, we noticed a crowd gathering in the square in front of the Brandenburg Gate, and although that is certainly not an unusual event in itself, when we saw the uniformed "guard" handing out replicates of the visas used during the time of the Berlin Wall, we took our turn to pose and receive our visa.

Continuing on our historical discovery of Berlin, we took time to read and experience the large-scale exhibit of the Berlin Wall, which stretches for several blocks and provides visitors with a look into history through a series of photographs and captions that explain the history of the wall, how it was constructed on August 13, 1961, and remained and divided the city until the unification in 1990.

We followed the partial route of the Berlin where sections are still marked by bricks in the street, and also made a stop at the historical landmark of Checkpoint Charlie.

                   
Edward at Checkpoint Charlie      Bricks Marking The Berlin Wall                  

Touring the city we saw several large pieces of the Berlin Wall that now have a new purpose in life, as the inspiration and backdrop for artists. Some of the pieces reflect the historical elements, and others have taken on new meaning.

Of course, walking and seeing the sights of the city always works up an appetite, and in the mood for an afternoon light snack, we stopped at Bäcker Wiedemann a baking tradition since 1895, which has 23 locations. Offering a large selection of German breads, pizzas, pretzels, sandwiches, and pastries, the location on Friedrichstrasse was the perfect spot to enjoy a little pick-me-up before we continued our search of other "new" discoveries of Berlin.

Whether you are interested in art or architecture, history or culture, Berlin is a city that offers something for everyone, and is a city that I never tire of exploring. Until next time … "Auf Weidersehen."

Important information for Germany:

The currency for Germany is the Euro. As of June 2008, the exchange rate was 1 US Dollar (USD) to 0.65 Euro. The Euro is divided into 100 cents. Euro coins are available in the following denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2 Euro. Banknotes are available in the following denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro (€).

The electric current in Germany is 220 volts, and has 2 round pin sockets, so it is advisable to bring your own adapters. Time in Berlin is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 6+ hours Eastern Standard Time in the United States.

While many Germans speak English, it is always helpful to have some basic language knowledge when traveling.

Guide to pronunciation:

ß = strong S sound (like a hiss)
j = sounds like y
ie = sounds like ea
ü = sounds like ou
w = sounds like v

Basic Vocabulary

Health

Food

Beverages

Read other articles on Germany in the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Spas, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes, and Performances sections.

For information on Berlin and Germany, please visit the websites, www.Berlin-Tourist-Information.com and www.ComeToGermany.com.

© June 2008. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.