Supper Clubs | Hush, Hush!

Supper clubs work behind closed doors and mostly without beverage permits. Their hosts are friends of fine dining that open their homes to fellow epicureans in an air of exclusivity, privacy and semi-illegality. Berlin, always on the lookout for new, exciting fads, is the perfect setting for this development. Here are five of the best supper clubs in town.
 
Fisk & Gröönsaken

Regional, seasonal, vegetarian –  the three principles of this Prenzlauer Berg supper club, a project by two amateur chefs with a knack for high grade cuisine. Most other establishments of the sort are run by British and American expats, but Fisk & Gröönsaken is the baby of two Northern Germans (Fisk & Gröönsaken is low German for fish and vegetables). In “real life”, its two proprietors are a biologist and a librarian. 

www.groonsaken.wordpress.com, groonsaken@alice.de
 
Loteria Supper Club

Rosemary Downing has been running Loteria from her Friedrichshain apartment since 2010. She shops for her ingredients at the Boxhagener Platz weekly market and her favorite wine shop around the corner. 6 to 12 invited guests are greeted with a “cocktail hour” before settling at a large table to enjoy five course menus consisting of mostly So-Cal and Northern Mexican cuisine. If this makes you think of the touristy tex mex offered in Berlin's rip-off restaurants near Alexanderplatz, it's high time you got a taste of the real thing at Rosemary's!

www.loteriasupperclub.blogspot.com, LoteriaSupperClub@gmail.com

 
The Shy Chef

Fans of the shy chef can dine at his chique Kreuzberg flat or order him for small dinner eventsat home. But since everyone wants to catch a glimpse of the man behind the amazing food, it's wise to book well in advance.

www.theshychef.wordpress.com, theshychef@gmail.com
 

Owling Supper Club

The Owling Supper Club is run by Nathalie, a chef at the former underground spot Little Otik in Kreuzberg, and Cyril – a Swiss film director. Nathalie is half Lebanese, which is why British and Italian dinners alternate with Near Eastern influences at the couple's monthly dinner events somewhere near Rosa Luxemburg Platz in Mitte. Guests may bring their own drinks and should register via the club's website.

http://theowlingsupperclub.com
 

Metti una sera a cena

Chiara and Marco, artists from Italy, set their table for up to eight dinner guests once a month, most of which are either “foodies” or anyone that wants to share an “underground” food experience. The secret location is revealed to those in the know one day before the dinner.

www.mettiunaseraacena.wordpress.com, musacberlin@yahoo.com
 

Thyme Supper Club

There's no exact German translation for the word “mingle”, which is exactly what participants are in for when participating at a Thyme Supper Club dinner. A German-British couple hosts dinners in their private apartment somewhere in Prenzlauer Berg's Winsviertel for up to eighteen people. Strangers might very well become close friends at the end of the night, especially after they've shared an exquisite six course menu.

thyme-supperclub.com, caroline@thyme-supperclub.de

 
Good Stuff Supper Club

The Good Stuff club meets in monthly intervals at varying locations. Themes and cuisines may range from Arabic over British, Asian and German.  Good Stuff offers lunch and brunch in addition to traditional dinner events. The recommended donation for the five to six course menu is usually around 40 euros.

facebook.com/Good.Stuff.Supper.Club.,  curlystew@hotmail.co.uk