Beneath the rumbling Stadtbahn, within earshot of the Bellevue Palace and the Tiergarten, just north of that huge snaking block of flats built for government workers from Bonn, Weitzmann has two entrances and two ways to eat: in the brightly lit, cheap Imbiss or in the cosy old-fashioned Kneipe on the other side, which has outdoor tables from which you can watch the reflections of passing trains in the windows of the building opposite – a pleasant pastime on a warm summer evening.
While you’ll find everything from Maultaschen (giant dumplings sprinkled with crispy onions and served with potato salad, €8.90) to a plate of sausage with lentils (€7.70) at this Swabian joint, it’s all about the homemade ‘Käsespätzle’ (those thick, eggy South German noodles, pan fried ‘Munderkinger’-style, melded together with gobs of melted cheese). Weitzmann strike a subtle balance: the Spätzle is sufficiently greasy (i.e. not too dry) but not overly cheesy (i.e. not sickening) and served in two sizes: large, and even larger (priced €4.20-8.90). A token pile of oily salad adds a bit of diversity to the huge pile of stubby, cheese-infused noodles that are served either Natur or with your choice of ham, fried onions or mushrooms.
Beer-wise, you can’t go better than a ceramic mug of Rothaus pilsner from the Black Forest poured from the tap – a rarity in Berlin.
