Tuesday till Saturday 11.00-1.00
Ilsebill Restaurant
Kastanienallee 100
10435 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
.How to get there
Vegetarian and vegan meals of the highest quality are served in a casual ambience at restaurant Ilsebill. Meat and fish are also available – as side dishes. The aesthetic is that of a bodega, and the good wines offered at Ilsebill also bring the wine industry to mind.
But that’s not what this is! The restaurant presents an incredibly simple idea: getting a bite to eat with friends without compromises for vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters. Three undogmatic vegetarian-vegan courses, which can be combined any way you want, are served. Fish and meat are served as side dishes without being made irrelevant.
A zucchini cashew flan with sweet carrots, crisp mangetout, and creamed horseradish is excellent in its simplicity. The addition of grilled octopus wouldn’t make the dish even better, but rather simply demonstrate a balance between garden and sea.
The "red white cauliflower" also plays with your taste buds. The beetroot couscous along with cubed beetroot, chickpeas, brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes seasoned with nutmeg offers a variety of colours and textures which represent a modern groundedness which does not require a desire for meat but also does not derogate slices of veal. On the contrary.
Autonomy is key at Ilsebill. The design of the shop with about 30 seats – the best spot being the round table in the benched corner – floral wallpaper, brick walls, old photographs, and mirrors is an odd mix. The music is also anything but mainstream.
The final coconut tapioca with pineapple reduces the meal at Ilsebill to the best- and smallest- common denominator. There is no need to explain yourself or label your intolerance to gluten, but rather to simply enjoy a dessert together.