Berlin’s gastronomy is in a class of its own – hardly any other European city offers such a wide variety of culinary influences. Dishes and food trends from all over the world come together here in countless restaurants to offer you exactly what you fancy at any given time. It is not without reason that Berlin was named “City of the Year” for Food & Travel in 2024. In addition to the classic Michelin restaurants, we long for more warmth, heartiness and a touch of history– especially in the cold season. All of this can be enjoyed perfectly in Berlin’s oldest restaurant – or in a Gothic-inspired restaurant that once served as a courthouse. For those who want to combine the modern and the historic, the city also offers exciting options: from the luxurious restaurant in the former communications center of the German Empire to Frederick’s, once considered a social hotspot of the Golden Twenties.
The Hotel Esplanade before the Second World War
The Hotel Esplanade was built between 1907 and 1908. The construction costs amounted to around 23 million marks – a considerable sum for the time. The façade was richly decorated with Belle Époque ornamentation, while the interior incorporated elements of neo-baroque and neo-rococo. Its location on Bellevuestraße, close to Potsdamer Platz, made the hotel a central transport hub and social center of Berlin. With 400 rooms, it was designed from the outset for an upscale clientele – including aristocrats, members of high society, and later international stars and prominent guests.
An inner courtyard with a large garden and the legendary “Kaisersaal” (also known as the Red Room) offered space for lavish gentlemen’s evenings – including with the last Kaiser Wilhelm II. In the 1920s, the Esplanade developed into one of Berlin’s social hotspots: celebrities met here for afternoon tea and dancing – Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo also spent time in this glamorous ambience. An atmosphere of entertainment, glamor and international flair made this place a symbol of Berlin society in the Weimar Republic.
Today’s Frederick’s Restaurant
With the rise of National Socialism and the beginning of the Second World War, the Hotel Esplanade lost its former glory. In the winter of 1944/45, around 90% of it was destroyed in air raids. Part of the building – including the famous Kaisersaal – survived the bombing and was later integrated into the modern Sony Center on Potsdamer Platz. Although the original hotel no longer exists, its legacy as a hotspot of Berlin society in the Golden Twenties remains alive to this day. As the Kaisersaal was a listed building and could not be demolished, it was extensively restored and restaged in 2001 – resulting in the Frederick’s of today.
It is a modern homage to the historic Hotel Esplanade – a combination of restaurant, bar and social space with the cosmopolitan flair of times gone by. The focus is on European cuisine with international influences and creative cocktails. Today, Frederick’s is a trendy meeting place for stylish dinners, after-work drinks and cultural events. Here, the charm of the Belle Époque meets the glamor of the Art Deco revival – a place where historical splendor and urban zeitgeist come together. Between elegance, nostalgia and creative energy, a space is created that inspires and is reminiscent of both the old and the new Berlin.