The Best Steakhouse In Berlin: Zum Goldenen Kalb

Munich is like colorful palette that can satisfy everyone from all walks of life.

It’s a colorful palette that can please the young who want to complement their chat with a bottle of beer which was originated in Munich and is currently marketed under thousands of brands that lead the beer market; the football fanatics on seats of the mega stadium, waiting for their team Bayern Munich, one of the richest teams in the world, to score a goal; the car enthusiasts that would fall in love with the dazzling colors of the “roadstars” in the BMW museum; the elderly who try to find some peace on the seats under the sun in the Englischer Garten; every man from every age who knows how to have fun in the Octoberfest where the young showcase with their dark green German alpine hats.

When it comes to our main topic, Munich, again, does not frustrate us. I shared with you, before, the list of “the Top Ten Refined Restaurants in Munich”.

Today, I’m going to introduce you to the restaurant which was opened in 2011, and proved its success in a short time being voted “The Best Steakhouse in Germany”: Zum Goldenen Kalb (The Golden Calf).

A Typical Steakhouse

Very close to Marienplatz, Zum Goldenen Kalb is located across Viktualienmertk.

Viktualienmerkt is a historical outdoor market with the numerous kinds of game meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits and cheese from all corners of the country, covering an area of 12.000 m2. I highly recommend you to pay a visit to the market to know more about the city.

Another place that I recommend the gastro-enthusiasts to visit is Schrannenhalle which is a modern and indoor version of Viktualienmartk. If it cannot satisfy you with the kiosks of the famous brands such as Tantris, Käfer and Dallmayr, Zum Goldenen Kalb would be a fine alternative situated on the ground floor of a typical German brick house as opposed to the giant steel constructions.

The name of the restaurant means “the golden calf”. The walls of the restaurant are covered with illustrations that inform people about the cuts of meat. The first thing that you will notice on your right side when you enter the restaurant is the refrigerators with glass lids that exhibit the “dry-aging” cuts of meat, which means they are kept in a stable temperature for one month for the enzymes to be broken down, hence for the meat to have a more concentrated flavor with a decreased amount of moisture. The refrigerators may serve as a menu as well.

Because, although there is a black board in the middle of the restaurant that displays the daily recommendation from the chef, the customers generally decide their orders after spending some time before these refrigerators.

As I visit the restaurant specifically for the business lunches, Zum Goldenen Kalb offers a wide variety of meat and drinks.

Among the choices ranging from the porterhouse genuine to the Bavarian region, to the USA prime, the US longhorn, t-bone and Pomerania filet mignon, it is also possible to order Wagyu ribeye which is still satisfactory although not as the ones I ate in Japan.

When you order your choice of meat, they serve some side dishes to keep you engaged during the wait. These are grilled little peppers that are called pimientos, potato gratin flavored with some yoghurt that has goat cheese in it, Mediterranean salad with fresh ingredients enhanced with a delicious sauce.

Having been slowly grilled, the meat is left to rest for 10-15 minutes and then comes to the table on a wooden trolley to be cut and shared equally between the diners. Although I can say the meat is generally served in one piece because the most of the tables are relatively small and small groups of people visit the restaurant during the lunch hours.

Of course, a perfect, medium rare piece of meat can be brought to perfection only with a glass of drink as an accompaniment. Starting with some fine choice like Bourdeaux, Burgundy or Pinot Noir, the list for that is highly crowded with lots of wines as against the main menu.

In addition to the wine selections, you can also find the draft beers of Hofbraeuhaus in Zum Goldenen Kalb. Although, I recommend you to have a try at the non-pasteurized, non-filtered fresh beer of Hofbraeuhaus (opened in 1589) in its own authentic nostalgic atmosphere.

But if we’re talking about the best meat in Munich for a fine dinner, Zum Goldenen Kalb deserves a visit.

Bon appétit and enjoy the taste of life…

Zum Goldenen Kalb

www.zum-goldenen-kalb.de

Utzschneiderstraße 1, 80469

München, Almanya

+49 89 23542290