Roca, Waldorf Astoria Hilton, Berlin

Located in West Berlin’s upmarket Charlottenburg district, the Waldorf Astoria Hilton boasts the Berlin Zoological Garden, the Kaiiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and countless upmarket designer boutiques as neighbours. Walk through its grandiose entrance and signatures of famous guests, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Miley Cyrus, Carla Bruni, gleefully decorate its walls. The reception area, all marble and shine, is an exercise in calmness and tranquillity and, to the left, is the entrance to the hotel’s brasserie Roca.

Pincered by roads on either of its flanks, Roca Brasserie is a neat triangular shape by necessity. Grounded on street level, the Hardenbergstrasse side serves as the brasserie’s outdoor terrace whilst the Kanstrasse side looks onto the area’s rich history and busy footfall. We sit in one of the mustard booths in the restaurant’s middle. Together the booths form a pentagon inside of which books and treatises on contemporary art are scattered. Marble table tops practically sparkle and French blinds hang from windows, revealing slats but not obscuring the exterior’s bustle.

The Waldorf Astoria has recently started selling its own branded wine (of German origin, not only in its restaurant but in shops throughout the country. We chose its sparkling rosé which is perfect for a hot summer evening. 

The menu displays a mixture of influences which vary from the Waldorf Astoria’s idiosyncratic history to the national, to pan-European. We aim to accommodate all in our choice of starters. The Homemade Falafel are crispy on the outside and moist within. Served with pomegranate and sesame seeds, sun-dried tomatoes and with cooling mint yoghurt dip, lettuce hearts work as wrapping for a light but flavoursome dish.

The Roasted broccoli is a healthy portion in every sense and comes with strips of halloumi. The vegetable is perfectly al dente, has a nutty undertone, maybe from a tahini oil, and sumac provides a hint of citrus. And who in their right minds would visit a Waldorf Astoria without ordering its globally renown eponymous salad? Created in 1896 for a charity ball at the original New York Waldorf Astoria, the salad is a dense and zesty bird’s nest of chopped celery, chicory, apples, grapes and walnuts. The walnuts are candied and add an occasional and pleasing sweetness to the slightly more sour celeriac sourness which permeates.

It’s rare to see Currywurst served in higher end German restaurants but here it is, made from veal and with fries, as the first on the Roca ‘Classics’ menu. As well as Waldorf Club sandwiches and Roca burgers, baguettes and bagels also feature. It’s a tough call but we opt for the Mains instead. The filet of steak is a mini feast. Crispy on the outside with crunchy peppercorns on top, its pink, medium rare inside bursts with flame grilled flavour. A cauliflower mousse and salsa verde add texture and breadth to the dish. The Salmon filet in crispy crust is succulent and no less special. The portion is generous and is topped with a spicy, (hazel) nutty, crunchy dukkah mix and pickled lemon rind adds pleasing citrus bursts. Two pools of lobster bisque foam accompany as does a refreshing mint pea purée accentuated with crunchy sugar snaps. 

Read our review of the Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel

The original Waldorf Astoria Hotel opened in New York in 1893 but was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building in 1929.  The hotel was rebuilt on its current site on Park Avenue where it reigned supreme until 2017. Since then it’s been closed for renovation which continues today but is projected to finish in 2025. Synonymous with glamour, quality and heritage, former President Hoover had an apartment in the hotel for over 30 years and Frank Sinatra maintained a suite there for almost a decade in the 1980s. In 2009 the Hilton Corporation established its Waldorf Astoria chain, establishing the brand as a worldwide emissary of quality. The Berlin hotel is the only Waldorf Astoria Hilton in Germany which is ironic as the hotel is named after a German family, the Astors, who made their fortune in America. And yes, they came from the town of Walldorf which lies south of Mannheim.

Our Maitre’D and waitress are both born and bred locals and offer us a detailed knowledge of the menu and the hotel’s background. As we’re deciding on dessert, the latter confides that another dish long associated with the Waldorf Astoria is not on the menu but is an absolute must. We take her advice and go with the Red Velvet Cake, a close to patriotic American desert, showing off as it does, nothing but red and white stripes. The exotic colouring is supposed to have originated from beetroot. Many take credit for its invention, including the New York hotel which even named it ‘The Waldorf Astoria cake’ but its true origins remain debatable if not mythical. The end result is a moist, sweet cake with a creamy, cheesy filling and is enough to brighten up anyone’s evening. The Astors from Walldorf would have been very proud of their enduring legacy.

The Waldorf Astoria Berlin is included in our guide to the best hotels in Berlin.