#7 | Fabelei, Berlin, Germany
Visit: Summer 2022
Berlin is big. Berlin offers a lot.
Be it culture, art or culinary experiences.
For that I love it here. It is my home for over a year now and I have still seen only a fraction of the good cocktail bars, but one bar that I discovered very early and even before my move to Berlin, was the "Fabelei".
I strolled on a Sunday afternoon through Schöneberg. Young families are enjoying the day along Akazienstraße, people are taking their Sunday walk and all the cafes are full. Accompanied by two friends, I am also looking for a cozy place for a cappuccino. But: all tables are occupied, wherever we go.
Looking down a side street, I suddenly notice a glowing neon sign sticking out from the wall of a house - "Cocktail Bar". The light attracts me magically and as we get closer, we see a display with the inscription: Now also coffee and cake. Perfect. Just to remind you, we are talking here about a time of Covid-restrictions for the bar scene back then and because of the limits on occupancy, as well as a curfew, the Fabelei expanded their opening hours to include the afternoon.
The old school neon sign / Copyright: Fabelei
We take a seat, drink a cappuccino. The cake is fantastic and then of course I'm curious and take a little look at the menu. The drinks look damn good and without any hesistation a round is ordered. I can't remember exactly, but I think it was a Martini Twist with a fresh Shiso leaf as garnish in the drink. Not only did it look sexy, it was a really well balanced, creative and delicious drink. When we asked what "sour grapefruit juice" specifically meant, which was an ingredient in one of the other drinks, the bartender explained in detail that he adjusts the acidity of the juices individually. He explained us also patiently and nicely which acid combination limes or lemons have and that one can simply imitate something also for oranges and grapefruits, in order to be able to use these juices with more variation in drinks (reminds one of Liquid Intelligence by Dave Ardnold).
The friendliness and openness has left a lasting impression on us back then. Meanwhile I know that the bartender from then is also the owner of the bar and runs the business with his wife and brother. In the meantime I was a few more times in the bar and always had nice evenings and very good cocktails. A bar that made me realize once again how diverse bar culture is, how much influence a bar has on my mood and how much influence my mood in turn has on the choice of bar. Not only the look and the interior, but also light, volume, audience and so many other factors are of considerable relevance.
The main room / Copyright: Fabelei
The Fabelei is far from a dark, gritty speakeasy style bar, as you find them all the time nowadays. Large windows, lots of light, bright furniture, warm colors characterize the image of the bar. There is less audience under 30 than in other bars. The bar is adult, dignified, relaxed. No loud music, no dark corners. Everything is very inviting and friendly. You can have a good conversation.
Although it is certainly for me in the top tier in Berlin, it has remained a relaxed neighborhood bar, you see many regulars. So the place is not overrun by tourists, which is probably also due to the location.
Another angle of the Fabelei
After a few visits, the bar continues to impress me while discovering ingredients on the menu that I have no idea what they are supposed to be. And not even in a form of pretentious, aloof nerdiness, but sprung from a lot of passion and down-to-earthness. Rare herbs that got explained to me and afterwards I thought: this just makes sense. - This herb has to be in this drink and didn't end up in it just to sound cool. You can also find many homemade ingredients on the menu and in the background there is also a small laboratory, where quite a lot of the ingredients are made and prepared. Another highlight is also the bar food. Weekly changing small dishes in a manageable number are available here. A small bistro kitchen is hidden in the back. In the Fabelei I actually had my best pelmeni so far. The Russian background of the two brothers is usually reflected in the menu. To give you a better impression of the drinks, a selection of my last, recent visit:
Even before I saw the menu, it was already clear to me which drink I would order. It was recommended to me several times beforehand and I wanted to experience the spectacle of the hand-operated, mechanical ice-shaving machine. So I order the Bourbon 'n' Berry.
Bourbon 'N' Berry
Bourbon 'n' Berry – High West Prairie Bourbon, Punt e Mes, Blackberries
In comes in a delicate tumbler, a fine, thin-walled glass full of ice snow with a bouquet of mint on the side and a small decanter with the deep red drink in it. You pour the drink into the glass yourself and get a drink with optimal temperature and dilution. Tart, fruity, strong. I wonder briefly if the inexperienced visitor expects more sweetness in a berry drink. But that's exactly why you have competent advice at the bar and with the service too. The drink is not overloaded, rather simple and yet mature and by no means boring. Interesting here is especially the mouthfeel and technique. The manually shaved ice gives a completely different experience than one is used to from a stirred drink for example or standard crushed ice drinks. The technique is therefore not just for show, but pursues a goal and this was achieved. The mint again pleasantly loosens up the drink. I am completely satisfied and sip at the glass of my friend.
Feel. On the Beach / Copyright: Fabelei
Feel. On the Beach – Ketel One Vodka, Yuzu Rocks (Liqueur), Cranberry, Lime, Terragon
Mh. A vodka drink. Wouldn't have picked one for myself... But a nice twist on a Cosmo. Tastes good, is light & fruity. The tarragon (dripped on the drink in the form of oil) adds some depth, the yuzu liqueur peps it up a bit. My companion is happy, myself with my drink choice even more so, but for a vodka cocktail it is more than solid and entertaining.
My drink is already empty. Do I want to wait on dry land now? No. So a second one follows for me, while my companion still lingers at the Feel.
Banana Fashioned / Copyright: Fabelei
Banana Fashioned – DonQ Anejo Rum (Banana infused), Plantation Rum OFTD, Chartreuse M.O.F., Lime, Peychaud's Bitters
I've often mixed Banana OFs myself at home, using banana liqueurs or Crème de Bananes, but I've never managed to build such a strong, but still fresh-fruity result, because if you want a lot of banana, you often get a cardboard-sweet drink in the self-test or other bars. At Fabelei, they make their banana infused rum with the rotovap, if I remember correctly, and the result is terrific. With the delicate herbal note in the background, it gains some depth and contrast without losing its direction. You get what you expect and yet are surprised at how good this drink is (I think by now they've switched to DonQ Reserva 7). So a relaxed and short evening comes to an end. But the next visit won't be too far in the future. Hopefully this one will finally fall on a Thursday. The Tartare Day on Thursday is supposed to be great and all the photos I've seen of it so far make your mouth water.
PS: For those who can not make it to Berlin, you can enjoy the drinks perhaps soon at home. There is a project with a bigger variety of bottled cocktails in the planning stage and judging from what I was already allowed to taste, it has definitely peaked my curiosity.
A recent example from the Tartare Day, with organic beef from the Uckermark / Copyright: Fabelei