Zwiwwel

Excellent food and service, though atmosphere may be a little too stiff or formal for many. Cuisine is Swabish with a little flair, so while you can get your maultaschen and spaetzle, plus all of the usual big meat-and-potatoes dishes, look out for creative appetizers improvised by the kitchen crew.

The restaurant is only a few blocks from a big park and tucked into a residential area. Waitresses were extremely nice and, rare for Berlin!, seemed pleased by the presence of (gasp!) a child in their restaurant. A complimentary bowl of ice cream for him helped make the feeling mutual, I'm sure.

The restaurant's ambience leans a bit toward your (great?)-grandparents' parlor room - lots of knick knacks and doilies, and furniture too blocky and solid for such a small space. Just means that Zwiwwel is unlucky to wind up with a brightly colored photo spread in some magazine highlighting Berlin's trendiest new eateries. Otherwise, food and attitude are spot on.