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The dining room is very nice, but doesn’t quite escape that "hotel-dining room" feel. There is a life-sized statue -- entitled none other than "Harlekin" -- that sits in the middle of the room, and from which the restaurant gets its name.

The food is incredibly creative, blending old-world favorites with very modern inventiveness. The menu consists of such items as venison fillet in lime sauce and lamb baked in a spring roll. Everything that Chef Roland Blecher turns out of the kitchen uses only locally-grown, incredibly fresh ingredients. There is also a prix-fixe option, which I didn't try. Service is, of course, very smooth.

I had the turbot in a potato coat with assorted vegetables, which was outstanding. The fish was flaky and flavorful, and the vegetables roasted to perfection. I had a really nice, light Reisling (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, 1998) with it, which washed everything down beautifully.

Harlekin was a really nice fine-dining experience. If you seek creativity and artistic flair in your haut-cuisine, then it is probably the best place in Berlin to dine. Prices are high, as expected.

After dinner, there's a great pub on the premises, "Eck-Kneipe," for cocktails or beer.

Tues-Sat 6-11pm. Closed Aug.

Entering the restaurant is really a remarkable experience -- I felt like I was stepping into a 19th-century Bavarian ballroom. The ceiling is dripping with antique chandeliers, dark wood and mirrors line the room, and huge floral arrangements exploded from several tables. I would describe it as Belle Epoque if I were in France -- in Berlin however, I suppose I should say it was like the pinnacle of King Wilhelm’s regime.

Once seated, a courteous, knowledgeable waiter brought us our wine menu, with its extensive assortment of libations -- there’s an especially strong collection of European wines. Although I’m not a huge deer fan, I had venison with a juniper sauce for my main course, and it was incredible. It was as tender as lamb, and the juniper sauce was flavorful without overpowering the meat. All of the food was perfect, and the service was impeccable.

Alt-Luxembourg oozes luxury and old-world charm, yet lacks any pretension in its service and atmosphere. People look fantastic, but seem more concerned with Wannemacher’s creations than with affectation. If you want to have a really memorable evening, the elegant Alt-Luxembourg is a wonderful spot for it. (Prices, of course, match the luxury of the food and atmosphere.)

Hours: Mon-Sat 5-11pm

Vivaldi is one such establishment, located inside the Ritz-Carlton Schlosshotel. This hotel was built in 1912 with the Renaissance in mind, and its castle-like appearance has remained intact to this day. Indeed, you’ll feel like royalty as you’re seated in a room that exudes old-world charm with all the antiques adorning this comfortable setting.

Be prepared to fork over a pretty penny if eating here -- most entrees range in price from 27–30€ each -- but rest assured that you will be compensated for your financial sacrifice. The attentive staff will wait on you hand and foot, and treat you with a courtesy that is sometimes fleeting in such high-end resto's. For your meal, I recommend the lasagne of scallops with white truffle oil sauce. The prix-fixe menu is a good way to sample a few different dishes. A four-course prix-fixe costs 79€, while the six-course will run you 100€.

Vivaldi is open Monday through Saturday from 6 to 10:30pm.

Marjellchen specializes in East Prussian (Germany’s now-extinct province in the southeast), Pomeranian, and Silesian cuisine, thus the German fare has Austrian and Swiss inclinations. They offer substantial, old-world fare such as red-beet soup, East Prussian potato soup (which I had--delicious), and a variety of meats, including marinated elk and lamb. We had a long, relaxed meal, watching the mostly couples and families enjoying the hearty food. It seemed pretty evenly mixed between tourists and Germans. The service was attentive, but not overdone, and everything we tried was delicious.

For the quality of the food and punctual service, Marjellchen is a great deal--main courses ran from about 12-24€. This is very stick-to-your bones food, and is not for the light-eaters or faint-of-heart. It is perfect, though, for a chilly, rainy Berlin evening.

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 5pm to midnight

Located within The Four Seasons Hotel in the shopping-friendly neighborhood of Mitte, Seasons offers both old and modern approaches to French cuisine classics, courtesy of head chef Drew Deckman. Candles scattered around the dining area help set a relaxed tone, while the open fireplace perfectly compliments the wooden chairs around the tables and shimmering chandelier that nonchalantly hangs from the ceiling. Indeed, this room seems that it was airlifted out of an 18th-century castle and dropped in the hotel.

A variety of meat and fish dishes are offered, all of them braised with some kind of delicate sauce sure to stimulate your taste buds. I tried the pumpkin gnocchi with red onion marmalade and hazelnut sage butter, and couldn’t have been more pleased with this selection. For dessert, try the warm, soft center Valrhona chocolate cake with licorice ice cream. I’m usually a little iffy on anything with licorice involved, but Seasons is one of the few places that made me enjoy that distinct flavor.

Seasons is open daily from 11:30am – 2:30pm, and 6 – 11:30pm. Call for reservations.

There’s no better way to burn some extra money than to treat yourself to an exquisite, world-renowned meal at First Floor, one of Berlin’s finest and most renowned gourmet restaurants located inside the Palace Berlin Hotel. Near the Memorial Church and the much-ballyhooed shopping strip of Kurfürstendamm, First Floor specializes in regional German and French cuisine, prepared under the watchful eye of master chef Mathias Buchholz.

A comfortable elegance is sure to engulf you as you walk into this uniquely lit space, chiefly illuminated by a glass-paneled ceiling. The carefully polished décor spills over into their cuisine, which is every bit worth the price tag it carries. Try the crème of fresh peas with langostino and mint for 11€ or an assortment of cheese for 13€ that was so creamy and rich that I think it met my dairy needs for the next few weeks. For dessert, I dove into woodruff mousse in a chocolate drop with wild strawberries for 11€. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, it tastes even better.

Meat eaters will feel right at home at First Floor, as the menu offered such dishes as breast of guinea fowl with goose liver on morel risotto (32€) and salad of saddle of rabbit with mixed vegetables and crayfishes (26€). I didn’t try any myself this time, but the dressy patrons surrounding me seemed pleased. Don’t forget about the whooping 800 wines that First Floor has to choose from either.

A few bottles of cheap vodka and two cartons of Camels at the airport may sound tempting, but the chance to eat at this international restaurant superpower should take precedent.

First Floor is open daily from noon-2pm and 8-11pm.