Since our first post-partum date night was such a success, Marlon and I decided to make it a monthly commitment. This month’s date night was extra special because we did it in Berlin.
We hired a babysitter for the evening, fed Tala and put her to bed before setting off. Before leaving our hotel, we just had to stop and take a few outfit photos by the street art park along the riverside. It is such a highlight for me when I get to wear non-nursing clothes!
Berlin has some amazing nightlife, but since we were exhausted from the day’s activities—a conference for Marlon, wrestling with the stroller and public transport for me—we weren’t too ambitious. We just wanted somewhere nearby with a cozy, intimate atmosphere and superb food.
That’s exactly what we got at Bar Raval, a tapas bar right beside the Görlitzer Park (which I hear is a prime spot to catch the sunset). With the huge windows thrown open in summer, it’s a great place to watch the hip Kreuzberg crowd stroll by. I didn’t see a single baby or child while people-watching, so this was the right choice for our baby-free date night.
We were attended to personally by one of the owners, who put a stop to our gluttony after we had chosen five small plates from the speisekarte. “I think you should stop here,” he said gently. Point taken, señor.
Luckily, the fantastic tataki of Iberico pork made it into our party of five. “People come back here just for this dish,” he said. For this—lightly charred and crisp on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside—I would, too. Also, I can’t go to a tapas bar and not have pulpo (octopus); they do a delicious one here, served over warm and creamy potatoes.
Bar Raval is not a budget eatery by Berlin standards, but I thought it was terrific value: five (generous) tapas plates, two sinful desserts, and four glasses of Spanish red wine for a hair under €40. The babysitter was more expensive than this meal, but I guess I have to get used to that.
We capped our date night with a romantic evening stroll over the Oberbaum Bridge back to our hotel. The lights reflecting off the river almost made me forget about the aroma of pee welling up from various nooks in the bridge. Oh Berlin, you sure know how to treat a girl.
Date night in Berlin! That is something one could get used to, right? Your Berlin reports are very nice all, Deepa, being a fan of that incomparable city, I have enjoyed your posts a lot!
Raval by the way, is a barrio here in Barcelona, quite understated, cool, never sure if it gets hip or stays with lots of immigration and its very own characteristics. But always interesting.
Thank you Gudy! Berlin is indeed incomparable. Please come back tomorrow, I’ve scheduled a post about my most favorite thing that I discovered on this trip
Nice to know about Raval. I hope I have a chance to visit the real Raval!
hi Deepa!!!
I could imagine your trip to Berlin with your baby… my bestfriend is from Berlin too and last time we visited there I was pregnant, now we’re planning to visit again this coming august but I’m afraid we couldn’t tour around as many as we did last time.. my baby is 3 years old, no need for straller anymore and other baby stuff but he’s now more active and can’t even sit still.. he’s just so makulit and malikot hehehehe…
love your pictures by the way!!!!! if one day you pass by Italy again let me know… I’m from Turin
take care. xoxo,Meg of Sweet Gala’s
Hi Meg! I can imagine, you probably need to chase him a lot if you travel. Have a nice time in Berlin!