Visiting the restaurant Kreuzberger Himmel next to the St. Boniface Church in the Yorckstraße in Kreuzberg is not just about the food. The association Be an Angel eV, which supports refugees when they arrive in Germany and their integration into society, runs the restaurant and wants to give refugees and Germans the opportunity to get in touch with each other in a casual atmosphere with a nice dinner, expand language skills and reduce prejudices. In addition, refugees here in the restaurant are given the opportunity of an apprenticeship in gastronomic professions. Many of them are then transferred from the Kreuzberger Himmel to hotels and other restaurants.
The team from Kreuzberger Himmel is a mixture of Germans and refugees from Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. For the realization of the restaurant there was not only a lot of support from the parish of St. Boniface. The furniture and dishes of the restaurant are donations. The dining room with its enormous ceiling height and floor-to-ceiling windows is reminiscent of a church room. The room is adorned with orange-washed walls with some photographs and chic lamps by Bocci. There are candles on the wooden tables. A cozy and lively atmosphere welcomes the visitors.
The food offered in the restaurant deserves attention. A fine Syrian cuisine is served here. Baba Ganoush, Hummus, Tzatziki and Sabaneh are offered as starters, but also stuffed pita bread with goatcheese or lamb chop or Sanbousak, crispy deep-fried dumplings with stuffing. Kibbeh, the Syrian meatballs with nuts, onions and pomegranate, Mnazala, a Syrian casserole with eggplant, onion, peppers, tomatoes with minced meat or frikeh, roasted unripe wheat with lamb chops, cooked with onions and cardamom and then grilled with cashew nuts and almonds are some of the main dishes. The sweet finish of the meal is made up of changing desserts such as rice pudding and baklava. There is beer from the monastery Andechs and wines from Lebanon.
The restaurant is well attended every night. A reservation is recommended. An evening in the restaurant Kreuzberger Himmel makes cultures melt together. You can tell that the waiters and cooks, who have fled from persecution and war and have often experienced unimaginable, like to work in the restaurant.
In addition to 60 seats in the dining room of the restaurant there is a private dining room for about 25 guests connected to the restaurant.
