From the Series: Europe is Hot, Berlin is on Fire!!!
In our very fast paced life, we are all trying to do good for our bodies. What we put in plays a big role in how we feel. The Bowl, a Vegan and Gluten Free organic restaurant in Friedrichshain, Berlin makes eating healthy, clean food easy. But can healthy taste good? Sceptically, I went there to find out what all the hype is about.
The Bowl *****, Vegan, Gluten Free, Certified Organic. Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Open Monday 12 noon to 11:30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 11:30 pm; no reservations accepted. Address: Warschauer Straße (Street) 33, 10243, Friedrichshain, Berlin
Located on the corner of Warschauer Street and Marchlewski Street, in Friedrichshain, Berlin, is The Bowl – a simple name serving simple, clean food with complex favours! I arrived mid afternoon, hungry, curious and if truth be known, doubtful. Dubiously, I climbed the stairs to the second floor, ready to taste my first vegan meal in a certified organic restaurant.
Our group of 4, consisting of 2 lifestyle vegans and 2 lifestyle meat eaters ? found a table in a cozy corner by the open kitchen where I could view the restaurant as well as what was the food preparation. The ambiance of the bright open room was airy and warm, giving a peaceful, breezy feeling. Servers scooted around smiling and interacting with each other as well as the customers.
Menus arrived promptly and so the fun began! The Bowl guarantees to be not only Vegan and Gluten free, but also uses no refined sugars in any of their food or drinks. Add that to strict standards of cooking with green electricity, himalayan salt, virgin organic fats and vitalised water and you have a very conscientious, responsible eatery.
Surprisingly, the menu offered many options in all categories including smoothies, alcoholic & alcohol-free drinks – not your standard offerings, think fresh squeezed mint lemonade flavoured with agave or kombucha concoctions or kraft beers – appetizers, desserts and main course bowls. All certified organic, which means all items are made with organic ingredients in addition to undergoing a rigorous, unannounced inspection yearly to attain certification.
We ordered a round of drinks, 2 Hibiscus Grapefruit Lemonades, a Recovery Colada and an Incredible Hulk, which arrived in good time, cold, fresh, creamy, delicious. We shared our drinks and nobody could agree on which was better; I believe one could just laze away an afternoon sipping on the delectable drinks! Not long after our bowls arrived.
The Mexican Bowl was red rice, red beans, salsa, guacamole and corn on the cob. Sweet potato fries, lemon quinoa, apple carrot salad rounded out the California Bowl. The Budah Bowl came with an Indonesian Curry, beets, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli and the daily special was basically an Italian bowl on steroids. All meals included salads in the bowl and fancier names and descriptions. Meals can be eaten with either chopsticks or traditional flatware. Once again, we all enjoyed our meals immensely. The only flaw one could point out was that the avocado was missing from the California Bowl.
At 70 Euro for 4, it is not cheap, but for those looking to eat clean, fresh, organic food, it is worth the extra price. Our meals were delicious, the staff was friendly, the ambiance was relaxing and we came out feeling like we did something good for out bodies. Don’t feel like going out or cooking? No problem, they will pack it up and Foodora delivers to your door, if you are within the delivery range, for a very affordable price.
Before leaving we browsed through the Vegan shoe store Avesu beside The Bowl before taking a turn through Veganz, a grocery market on the ground level, where we bought a few foodstuffs for the week. On our way out the door, we couldn’t resist some sweet vegan treats from goodies. How fantastic to have everything for a healthy lifestyle in one building!
Oh, and to answer the question, can healthy taste good, a resounding YES is the answer! I can wholeheartedly recommend The Bowl to Vegans, Vegetarians and adventurous eaters; hard core, non-adventurous meat eaters should probably stick to pre-dinner drinks and breakfast smoothies. ?
The Bowl – Vegan Restaurant
goodie – Vegan Food to Go, Sweets & Treats, Coffee
Foodora – Home delivery
Avesu – Vegan Shoes
Veganz – Vegan Grocer
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Alerts and Warnings – USA Government
