By Sara Orlos Fernandes
With her homemade cherry liqueur and borscht like Grandma’s, Alina Neumann (30) brings a piece of Ukraine to Charlottenburg. In her restaurant “The One with the Cherries”, Berlin-Ukrainians find home on a plate.
On the wall of the restaurant on Wielandstrasse hangs a map of Ukraine on which many guests have marked their hometown. On the counter in a large glass container is the popular cherry liqueur that gives the restaurant its name.
The homemade cherry liqueur is the restaurant’s trademark Photo: Ufuk Ucta
“We often made the cherry liqueur ourselves in the family. My husband makes it for our restaurant. It is well received and is our trademark,” says Alina Neumann.
A friendly round table – the best way to eat is in community Photo: Ufuk Ucta
The bestseller is borscht – the Ukrainian national dish. A beetroot soup with beans, potatoes and white cabbage. There are also a few secret ingredients.
The soup is the famous Ukrainian dish borscht – available for 6.90 euros Photo: Ufuk Ucta
The homemade pork and blood sausage is made according to her great-grandmother’s recipe – as are the small garlic rolls “Pampuschki”.
Svetlana (38) is tapping at the counter; she fled the Ukraine Photo: Ufuk Ucta
Alina previously worked in the hotel industry. But with the war and the flight of her compatriots, she made the decision: Berlin’s Ukrainians needed a home. “My main goal was to make people feel at home. I think I did that and I’m a little proud of it,” she says. 70 percent of their guests come from Ukraine. Most of the employees also fled the war.
The restaurant founder came to Berlin when she was ten. Although she did not experience the war, it is omnipresent in everyday life. Her father and cousin are fighting at the front.
There is a map of Ukraine hanging in the restaurant, with each guest marking their hometown Photo: Ufuk Ucta
“I haven’t seen my dad for two years,” she says. Soon, she hopes, she will be able to sit with him at one of her restaurant tables and enjoy Ukrainian delicacies together.
Alina even offers cookies in Ukrainian colors Photo: Ufuk Ucta
“The one with the cherries”, Wielandstraße 38, 10629 Charlottenburg, Tue to Thu 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. (closed on Wednesday)