Parker Bowles is the new restaurant project of the crew behind club Prince Charles and Oliver Rother, the person behind Restaurant NEU, Lining Bar and Bambi Lounge. Having opened its doors just 2 weeks ago and showing a very fresh take on German food, Parker Bowles is definitely a restaurant I’ll have on my watchlist for the upcoming months.
A new and lighter take on German food with influences from around the world in a deli/restaurant/bar concept. When I heard what the creative heads behind the restaurant had in mind for their new culinary project they quickly caught my attention. If there is one thing I think Berlin’s culinary scene still is missing, then it’s bold restaurateurs with the guts to launch food projects that go head on with German cuisine and shake it in its foundation.
Located in the venue of former restaurant Coledampf, Parker Bowles is the result of a collaboration between a couple of well-known characters within the Berlin restaurant and club scene: Quirin Schwanck along with his crew who run the club Prince Charles, the famous club located right behind the restaurant in a back alley, and Oliver Rother, the brain behind Restaurant Neu, Lining Bar and the infamous club series Bambi Lounge. When it became clear that Coledampf was shutting down it was the golden chance for them to realize their restaurant vision. And what a result we’re looking at, Camilla and Charles finally united here in Berlin, how beautiful isn’t that. It makes a lot of sense, the city doesn’t have a lot of club restaurants and really, since Katerschmaus closed it’s door’s, there are actually none worth visiting. That might be about to change.
With a very spacious and bright venue, Mrs. Bowles has opened her doors to the public with a big smile and she is looking pretty damn fine as well. A cool venue with high ceilings and a window storefront ready to be opened for the summer. This venue has potential. For the culinary leadership the Prince Charles crew teamed up Oliver Rother who brought in his chef Sebastian Pfister from Restaurant Neu. Having solid experience within the field of modern German fusion cooking (that sounds pretty ridiculous by the way, please someone invent a good word for this), they seemed to have found each other in their common desire to create something different and bold at Parker Bowls. The focus lies on refined and especially very light German food with a lot of influences from Asia and South America, a pretty unique concept and definitely not easy to find in Berlin.
The menu is tough to grasp on a first look, between endless pages of dishes there is also lunch menu floating around but this is apparently something that might change over the next weeks when the early stage testing phase is concluded. What exited me most was the classics section, a selection of traditional, German dishes with a modern twist. Take the Maultaschen Suppe with Kimchi for example, a very intriguing combo that had a black hole effect on me and sucked me right in. It was very good, one of the most interesting and refreshing dishes I’ve eaten during the last months. Two handmade Maultaschen rolled up like spring rolls with perfect Korean kimchi in a zingy and delicious broth. Admittedly the Maultaschen were not the best I’ve had, but they were still tasty and the combination with the Kimchi was bloody divine. And most importantly, I totally understood what the chef was trying to tell me and what he is trying to accomplish with the menu. At the same time this concept is also fragile, a risotto dish I sampled was not up to par, the flavour combinations were beautiful on paper but lacked in seasoning and execution. Still a very interesting flavour combination and use of seasonal ingredients.
I’m pretty damn exited about the Parker Bowles opening and have also received a lot positive feedback from other sources. I believe in the restaurant concept and once they streamline the menu we could be looking at a great addition to the city’s restaurant scene. We need more gutsy Germany restaurateurs who elevate German food to the next level and I’m looking forward to seeing that happen at Parker Bowles.
Go ahead and check it out yourself, the terrace area is pretty spectacular spot for a spring day lunch.
BEST DISH – Maultaschen
GOOD TO KNOW – Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
PRICES – €€
CREDIT CARDS – Maybe
Parker Bowles
Prinzenstr. 85d
10969 Berlin
