Gugelhof

A mature Alsatian restaurant that pioneered the Kollwitzplatz scene in the 1990s. The food is refined but filling, the service formal but friendly, and the furnishings are comfortably worn in. The choucroute contains the best charcuterie in town, and the Backöfe - lamb, pork and beef marinated in riesling and stewed and served in an earthware pot with root vegetables and a bread-crust lid - shows the kitchen at its most characterful. There's also a fine selection of Alsatian tartes flambées. Reservations are recommended. Breakfast is served until a leisurely 4pm at weekends.