Editor Pick
A Touch of Real Andalucia on Kurfurstendamm
- May 22, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Praskipark from Warsaw, Poland
The first night of our stay in Berlin we chose to eat in the Berlin Plaza's Hotel but from then on decided we would eat out every night because there are so many wonderful and varied restaurants in Berlin. Taking a walk down Kurfurstendamm, or down Ku'damm as the locals call it, is an enthralling experience. A beautiful boulevard full of cafes, restaurants and high class boutiques. We hadn't walked far when we came across a Spanish restaurant called El Dorado. From the outside the interior looked very bright, warm and welcoming and as we knew steak would be on the menu due to the fact that it says STEAKHOUSE in huge neon lights on the front facade we decided to give it a go.
On entering the restaurant you immediately get a Spanish feel. Classical guitar is playing softly in the background, waiters are busy buzzing around and the overall atmosphere is one of calmness but vibrant at the same time.
The decor is absolutely beautiful - so very colourful with pale yellow walls adorned with stencilled motifs; strings of garlic, peppers and Serrano hams hung from the ceiling.
Dried flowers and fresh flowers are everywhere to be seen giving the dining area a rustic and country feel. Wall mounted candle lights give off a mellow yellow light making the pale walls richer in colour, Andalucian style.
The furniture is very dark - possibly solid oak. Tables are long and solid with bench like seating having solid backs with bright red scatter cushions. On each table a solitary candle in a long candle holder sits with the table set with bright yellow serviettes. Everything colour co-ordinated which is simple but very effective.
Above the table and chairs are rows and rows of bottles of wine intermingled with bunches of flowers and candles which illuminate the reds and golds of the wines. Mirrors are placed on the walls along with paintings of rustic Spain. Apart from the hundreds of bottles of wines surrounding the restaurant there is also a corner area filled with dark mahogany shelving, holding wines from the New World.
Once I had taken in my surroundings for the evening I sat down with my husband and immediately the waiter came along. As soon as he spoke I realised that he was Portuguese and not Spanish which was an added bonus for us as both my husband and I are fluent in Portuguese having lived in Portugal for ten years. My husband spoke to this small, cheerful and enthusiastic man in Portuguese and immediately a huge smile beamed out towards us. Then we started to chat and he talked about home - he was from Oporto and said he missed the warm sun although Porto is quite a rainy place but I guess it isn't as cold as Berlin in the winter. After chatting about Portugal he then gave us the menu and recommended certain dishes and wines and then left us alone for a short while to decide.
Before choosing our food we decided to have a cold beer first which is the normal procedure for us. We had a Berliner Pilnser which had a good wholesome flavour - very similar to Czech Pilsner. That went down a treat. When our friendly waiter, called Jose, came to take the food order he gave us another smile and said a few words and then we ordered.
Firstly we ordered from the cold tapas menu and I chose Serrano ham because wherever I go if air dried ham is on the menu I have to try it just to compare it with Portuguese proscunto as that is my favourite of all time. The ham was thilny sliced and came with a salad decoration and a basket of fresh bread. The texture of the ham was smooth, not too salty and melted in my mouth. My husband ordered Pimientos Rellenos de Queso which are small cooked red peppers filled with a soft cheese served on a bed of salad drizzled with olive oil. Of course he added more olive oil being an olive oil junkie. He said they were exquisite.
There is no point eating at a steakhouse if you are going to order fish but you can if you want to and there are some fish dishes on the menu; salmon. prawns and lobster. Apart from steaks there is a menu of house specialities which consist of mixed grill, lamb, chicken and pork. My husband chose the mixed grill and I had a sirloin steak cooked medium rare. The mixed grill came served on a huge white plate and consisted of Argentinian steak, freshly grilled (well done - that's the way hubby likes it), pork steak which was extremely lean and tender, small piece of lamb and a chicken fillet. This plate of grilled meat was served with chunky potato wedges and a small pot of sour cream. To add a little colour to his meal my husband ordered from the side dishes and dressings menu, a bowl of Mediterranean vegetables which had been baked and drizzled with olive oil and fresh herbs. The vegeatables came served in a terracotta dish and the bowl of sour cream came in a white pot placed on top of a plate decorated with a blue mosaic design which was very pretty and colourful. What was his verdict? He said that all the cuts of meat including the steak were soft and tender and delicious. The wedge potatoes were a little dry for his tastes but he thought the Mediterranean vegetables were scrumptious and he could taste a drop of balsamic vinegar mixed in with rock salt, oregano, basil and of course olive oil.
My sirloin steak weighed 250gm - the largest available. I asked the waiter to ask the chef to make sure it was medium rare when cooked and any good chef should know just the correct amount of cooking time to achieve this. I looked at the side dishes and didn't fancy chips so I chose a baked potato with herb butter and a side salad. I have to say that my sirloin was spot on so full marks to the chef. The minute I sliced into the steak I could tell it was cooked how I liked it. The taste was so meaty, juicy and smooth. No amount of chewing was necessary - it just glided in my mouth. It was delicious. My jacket potato could have been cooked a little longer but it was okay and the herb butter was very creamy and added an extra taste to the potato. The sald came in a lovely Spanish decorated bowl filled to the brim consisting of lettuce, garlic, onion, red and yellow pepper and lots of sliced tomatoes and olives.
To accompany our main meals we had a bottle of Luis Canas Crianza Rioja which was a bit pricey for us at nearly £18 a bottle. Rioja is one of my favourite Spanish wines and when you get a good one the taste is heavenly. I love that smooth, fruity but dry taste. Yes, this was a good wine so after the first sip I had stopped thinking about the price. Our friendly waiter poured the first drops into large, balloon type glasses and then left us in peace to enjoy the flavour.
Did we have any desserts? If you read most of my restaurant reviews you will notice that we generally skip desserts but this was such a lovely restaurant and the ambience was perfect that we did order two desserts and another bottle of wine. Very naughty but you hvae to have some pleasures in life.
My husband ordered Creme Catalana which is like a Portuguese egg custard type of dessert with a caramel sauce poured over the top. Actually I had a taste and it wasn't too filling. My dessert was almond tart or more like a cake with a hot orange sauce poured over the top. I had to eat this slowly because I knew that if I gulped it down I would get indigestion. So I took my time, taking each spoonful gracefully and being totally intoxicated with the tangy orange flavour and smooth almond taste accompanied with my full bodied Rioja wine. After the meal I just wanted to go to sleep but my husband said that I would be arrested for vagrancy if I did that.
So I didn't - I paid the bill which came to 98 euros. To say we had two bottles of wine I didn't think that was a bad price. Of course we gave Jose a tip because he was an excellent waiter and lovely person.
From journal Four Days In Berlin