A nice address to celebrate a very special occasion in a stylish setting with a fancy meal is the Layla by Meir Adoni at Anhalter Bahnhof in Kreuzberg. Although the restaurant of the Israeli celebrity chef Adoni is located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, it is far from a traditional hotel restaurant. Guests arrive at Layla directly via a separate entrance opposite the Tempodrom and are greeted by a large bar behind which the restaurant is located. The Layla offers about 80 seats and a large open kitchen, so guests can experience the preparation of the food. The decor of the restaurant is stylishly elegant. Comfortably soft lighting, dark wood and lounge furniture and warm earth tones set the scene. Highlight is a Vertical Garden for the cultivation of herbs and vegetables used in the kitchen of the restaurant.
At the Layla, visitors can look forward to an Israeli-inspired menu with a large and extraordinary variety of flavors and surprising flavor combinations. On the menu are appetizers like smoked trout donuts, confit duck in Lebanese pancakes with beetroot leaves or the signature dishes of the restaurant, Layla Tartar from veal, smoked eggplant cream and goat labneh and smoked eggplant carpaccio with feta cheese, Tahini, dates and pistachios. This is followed by dishes such as grilled octopus with Jerusalem artichokes and carrot crème, smoked veal tongue and bream with hummus crème, grooved cabbage and mushrooms and oxtail bulgur risotto with sauteed squid and spinach. To finish dinner guests enjoy desserts like Earth, consisting of halva, cardamom stones, quince, almond crumble, white chocolate mushrooms and smoked crème fraiche ice cream or exotic soup with tapioca, tangerine sorbet and lemon and yuzu donuts. On the wine list accompanying the dinner there is a good selection of high-quality organic wines.
For those who want to let a special evening end after dinner in the restaurant, the adjoining bar with exciting cocktail variations by Italian mixologist Emanuele Broccatelli is a good choice. The drinks harmonize with the kitchen of the Layla and connect seamlessly with the dinner. The musical setting for an evening at Layla is a selection of European beats paired with Middle Eastern sounds.
