Upscale fare from the underworld
Former cult pub in the basement as a new home for successful German cuisine: Das Dorf in St. Georg.
Breakthrough in the underground realm: Not only can you see into Das Dorf and onto an appetizingly set table from the Lange Reihe since its reopening; the former wine tavern in the vault built in 1848 has also become a proper restaurant. Sebastian Weskamp and Axel Strehlitz, the operators, have made upscale German home-style cooking their flagship and put it on the menu. Weskamp, who learned his craft at Rexrodt Koch, and Timo Dahlmeier (formerly of Steigenberger Treudelberg) expertly implement the concept in the kitchen, while Strehlitz is more often found in the service.
Guests can start with „happas“ in the lightened, but fundamentally preserved, beloved furnishings of the former cult pub: classic German dishes in tapas size as appetizers, lovingly and extremely tastefully prepared (e.g. herring tartare on potato rösti or Labskaus, both €6.50, Baden snails on vegetables €9). The „Heftig Hungar“ section, i.e. for the big appetite, gets more expensive: main courses cost between €16 (medallions of pork fillet) and €32 (entrecote double „for the whole guy,“ 400 grams with fries and salad), which, given the quality, is a fair price range. „Muttis Rinderroulade“ (Mom’s beef roulade) with homemade red cabbage and mashed potatoes is tender and can compete with maternal quality standards (except for the slightly bland vegetables). And the Wiener Schnitzel (the original from veal) with delicious fried potatoes is not much better at the relevant Austrian establishments in the city.
Those who love fish will find fried zander fillet on lentil vegetables and herb-stuffed trout from the oven with hearty bread crust on shallot-mushroom vegetables (about €17). The desserts, especially the Bergische Ballebäusken (fried quark balls with vanilla sauce and ice cream for €5, baked in clarified butter), are delightful – not necessarily something light for the night, but very, very tasty.
Everything goes well with the well-tapped Lübzer (0.3 l €2.90) and predominantly German wines with a few Austrian diversions (open from €4.20 for 0.2 l, bottles €19 to €33).
Conclusion: A charming, convincing program is skillfully played on the new gastronomic stage in the former kind of theatre canteen in the basement – it’s worth considering a subscription.
By: Monika Wien