Fame Restaurant – Katerschmaus

Fame is a Bar25 / Kater Holzig / Kater Blau familiy creation

Johanna, the restaurant manager and owner on the side, welcomed and guided me in this cosy tasty Berlin experience. As most of the partners of this business (5 ouf the 11 work here and 3 of them run the kitchen), she dedicates much time to this big „family“ creation, which has been ongoing since Bar25 to Kater Holzig and now Holzmarkt. 

This new version of the restaurant opened last May. Same vibe and furniture as on the other side. Although they did change the concept of the food and opted for a smaller place, allowing an even higher quality service. One clever thing is that apart from the mains, many side dishes stand in the middle of the round tables, getting people closer to each other and closer to the food.  The decor and setting is meant to offer a true sharing experience, one can enjoy even more in the summer on the terrasse right by the Spree.

Who is eating at Fame

You will find a great representation of the Berlin crowd: artists and punks as well as business men. The point is that anyone can come here and feel comfortable. Just as every waiter is unique, every customer should feel free to be whoever they are. A great mix which definitely adds to the atmosphere! 

Some nights, there are also some bachelorette parties or people coming already in a very clubbing mood, hoping to sneak in next door (Kater Blau). Which can be a bit heavy and is also why restaurant & club have different entries. As Johanna illustrates it :

It is as if the restaurant was the sister and the club the big brother, who doesn’t always wants the sister’s friends in his room.

Fair enough!

What is on Fame’s menu

The key thing is definitely the atmosphere and the discovery of things you didn’t expect such as the place itself : a warm tasteful easy spot under/ actually inside the Ubahn bridge, at the end of this outdoor wooden path. But Fame also offers very special food, not everything is 100% organic but for sure seasonal, fresh and regional. The fact that they grow vegetables themselves, serve homemade bread and are truly in touch with local producers plays a big part in the food preparation & appreciation. „We want to serve what we can get not the other way around!“

Even though FAME was chosen as name, meaning „Hunger“ (unlike the touristy „superstar fame“ understanding), the dishes, cocktails and deserts as well as the global ambiance definitely fill you up – tommy & heartly! The sweet balance between great professional service and easygoing vibe is greatly linked to the feeling of relief of the core team who finally landed on a ground they can keep for good!

Our favorite dish

Cocktail wise, you can really trust the girl behind the bar and let yourself be surprised by the cocktail of the day! I had the chance to try out the „Down to Earth“ : Mezcal based drink with notes of beetroot, lemon, ginger and apple – topped with an awakening sensa tonic. Another recommandation would be the Johanna Parsley, named after my host..

The meal starts with a refreshing pear, fenouil and vodka shot. The homemade bread is served with a very tasty aubergine, paprika, apple, lemon & salt spread. Good enough to make you crave for the rest to come. And here comes the baked spring chicken with Buffalo mozzarella, panceta, pea cream and apricot cashews! A surprising nostalgic texture (twisted grandma style recipe) with tasty and sweet fruity bites & crunchy tasty beats. An entry which, as almost all of them, can be turned into a vegan dish.

The Pinot noir (from a friend of the house), in a bottle with handwritten design and stars, keeps up the appetite and greed for more.

That’s when the majestic Argentinian beef comes on: tender meat, winy sweet sauce and delicious potato gratin, greatly balanced between creamy melting and cheesy gourmand. Another side I would highly recommend is the brandade, quite light thanks to the grenada grains and lemon. 

The desert is the final touch/kick to convince you to come back and bring friends along! Sarah, the sweet fanatic only taking care of this, comes up everyday with a new treat which was that day (Lucky me!) a frozen raspberry celery & blood orange delicious & elegant creation. 

When to go there: Opening Times, Reservation, Terrasse

Fame is opened from wednesday till saturday in the winter. A DJset or a live takes place every wednesday night. The kitchen is open until 11pm and you can book a table until 10:30pm. The restaurant closes at 1-2am.  The terrasse will open in May and it would be preferable to book a table in advance from then, throughout the summer.

From tuesday to friday, you can also go there for lunch (from noon till 3pm). They offer lunch combos from 7.50e to 11e. 

Although my recommendation would be to come on a thursday evening: it’s not the weekend yet, but you never know what can happen and it often comes up with good surprises .

The restaurant can also be booked for agency/ company events in the main restaurant or in the other space Fame offers, the MÄRCHENWALD where is installed the SCHWEIZER HÜTTLI : a chalet for friendly (or wild) fondues! 

The owner

The same core team owns and runs the place. The close cousin or brother of the owners work there.. which makes it a very strong team and a real friendly atmosphere. It is what built this vibe of tiny, comfy, close staff between them and towards people. 

From Bar 25 to now, you can tell this big family has grown thanks to one another and together. This is their home now and this comfort makes them even more open. The mindset and service definitely rose thanks to this.

The chefs: Hayk Seirig / Florian Selle / Stephan Werner
The bar-chef: Mathias Pastwa
The winemaker: Arno Schembs

The art

Steffi Lotta was here from the start and this time again she is to thank for the deco of the restaurant. „She is the most creative person ever!“ (says Johanna). Steffi is one of the partners of Fame and is the founder of Holzmarkt. She added a very special touch to this place as well as a vision. 

The restaurant also shows how we want to live together : a room to come together and share good food.

A simple and authentic principle and way of living, which has been around since Bar 25. Fame also often hosts exhibitions of artists such as Volker Bartsch. 

PS: The team is about we to also build a new restaurant on the site of Holzmarkt next door where they will be going back to Katerschmaus …

Text & Photos: Marie Polo

Like 0

Tweet