At Restaurant Volkskammer, East German history is served on a plate. The restaurant offers a direct journey back in time to 1980s Berlin and combines traditional GDR dishes with an ambiance reminiscent of an authentic retro living room.
Beef roulade and Rote Brause
The culinary offerings focus on well-known classics of East German cuisine. The meal begins in true style with an ice-cold Roter Brause, which arrives at the table in small bags for you to mix yourself. A central dish on the menu is the homemade beef roulade. It is served classically with apple-red cabbage and dumplings for 24.20 euros. Alternatively, a pork schnitzel with Leipziger Allerlei is available for 24.90 euros. The restaurant serves this with steakhouse fries—a deliberately chosen modern twist, as such dishes were typically accompanied by salted or fried potatoes in the past.
The sweet finale is the “Kalter Hund. “ This layered chocolate-cookie cake costs 5.80 euros and immediately brings back memories of that era for many guests. The menus themselves pick up on the historical theme and are designed with the coat of arms of the GDR.
Historic ambiance in the dining room
The interior of the Volkskammer is consistently designed with nostalgia in mind. GDR flags fly on the building’s exterior, while the interior is furnished with red armchairs, orange-brown patterned wallpaper, and old radios. A portrait of former State Council Chairman Erich Honecker hangs on the wall, next to which dangles a small disco ball. Alongside old pennants and certificates, the walls also feature vintage clocks and humorous signs from everyday work life. This makes the restaurant feel almost like a small time capsule from the GDR era.
Amid old radios, GDR-era packaging, portraits, and original furniture, the restaurant feels almost like a small museum of everyday culture. It is precisely this blend of nostalgia, curiosities, and authentic atmosphere that makes a visit here so special for many.
