Tapas, now their novelty has long faded, have become a rather dreaded tourist fodder, all greasy and cheap-seeming but progressively expensive. Here, though, the small bites lead to progressively orgasmic taste experiences, all far from the usual backpacking muck. A sister restaurant to their Barcelona location, Dos Pallilos interprets the Spanish tapas tradition with surprising grace.
Located on an unbusy corner underneath the Camper (yes, of the comfortable Ibizan shoes) hotel, just a short trot away from the bustling Hackesche Höfe, Dos Palillos is a stylishly restrained affair, aside from the gold mylar curtains. And standards may be different here in Berlin, we know, but it’s still refreshingly shocking to see a restaurant like this be so crazily affordable. At night, 45 euro buys you a 12-course meal, and you get to enjoy a 16-course one for 60 euros. Now don’t imagine these courses in German terms; these bites look to Japan in both their refined taste and compact elegance.
The best seats are at the bar facing the kitchen, where you can watch how chef Albert Raurich (former head chef at the legendary Catalonian taste laboratory El Bulli) and his team create their addictive takes on sunomono, aemono, or tsukudani (warning: Google these tantalizing dishes at your own gastronomic risk).