Beef 45 Where Tender Cuts meet Juniper

Lust, pure lust. For meat. For dry-aged beef fillet and US flank steak. And on the very gentle. Not only does Beef 45 enrich the fine dining scene, but it also shows that the new generation of steakhouses can go their very own, unusual ways - into the world of sous vide. And they can start by opening a cage.

In 2018, the Palace Hotel, vis-à-vis the Elephant Gate, repositioned itself gastronomically. The bar, the House of Gin, has moved to a presentable location on Budapester Straße. Design-wise, it's a fancy thing. An eight-metre-long golden bar with bar stools already well occupied in the early evening and velvety club chairs for cosy after-work drinks.

The team also has a desire. The desire to bring the personality of their guests into the glass. Utilizing 150 gins(!), partly from limited bottlings, from Germany, Japan, the Amalfi Coast, and in-house juniper schnapps. In addition, there are finely tuned own creations, such as the puristic "The Voyage", the fruity "The Occasion", or the summery "The Infinity", gins whose list of ingredients is long and promises nuanced enjoyment. 

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Golden Counter is the second. It's only a few steps through a spatially lit corridor to the temple of tender carnal pleasure, Beef 45. Black walls, shiny stone floor, half a dozen tables and three black and gold bowls with salt. Salt is the seasoning kick for steak and fillet, and the kitchen at the golden work counter flavours itself, for example, with dried tomatoes or juniper berries.

The menu at Beef 45 is finely balanced and changes every six months. There are classics such as roast beef, boiled beef and Berlin calf's liver, as well as more unusual beef dishes. Vegans will also find an option, a small but delicious pepper dish as a starter and a lentil and turnip stew as a main course.  

To be honest, it's the dry-aged beef tartare that will make two pairs of eyes light up here at Beef 45 - small or large, as a first or second course or both. Either way, it's a delicious must-try, pimped with mushrooms, feta cheese, onion and anchovies. The tartare is also the constant on the menu, which always remains.

The carnivorousness continues with dry-aged beef fillet, plus chickpea, aubergine, green peppers and a purple curry. A successful blend of flavours and textures. The beef could not be more tender, and that is due to the preparation.

Instead of being cooked in the Beefer, it is first marinated for 24 hours in the Beef 45 and then prepared using the Sous Vide method, i.e. cooked in a water bath under a vacuum. Although this does not produce the roasted aromas that we are used to and rightly appreciate, it does open up the world of a different kind of meat enjoyment. Quiet and tender - let out of the cage like another Nightcap back at the first golden counter.

Manuela Blisse

Author Berlin