Pier dinner Exclusive dinner with a tour on board of the Riethoen

Berlin at night begins in bright sunshine. In the middle of the city and yet removed from any hustle that could be associated with it. It's early on a Sunday evening, 25 degrees, the fine bubbly cremant is reflecting in the sunglasses. Today, and on other balmy summer evenings, a floating restaurant, a saloon ship and a jetty become a congenial symbiosis of romance, fine cuisine and dancing lights on the Spree.

Blue sky, a few fleecy clouds and the waves of a passing paddle steamer lapping up to the shore - the scenery in the middle of the city, at the foot of Moabit Bridge, could not be more magical. Two, at most three tables are set up for a romantic dinner on a narrow wooden jetty. In the "galley" of the Patio restaurant ship, "culinary sailor's yarn" is already being spun. The evening begins with a four-course surprise menu and excellent wine accompaniment before the Riethoen sets sail.

The Riethoen is a twelve-metre saloon ship built in 1938, carefully restored over three winters and now cruising Berlin's waterways as a magnificent classic for exclusive events. "The last rays of sunshine of the day are the most beautiful," says Mathias Böhme, owner of the restaurant ship Patio and captain of the associated Riethoen. A thought that already inspired him last summer for his event consisting of a jetty dinner followed by a casual boat tour through the nocturnal centre of Berlin.

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The salon ship presents itself already during the dinner. It lies moored at the jetty, within reach. Polished mahogany gleams in the sun, dark wooden chairs with white cushions turn the bow into an inviting lounge. In an hour and a half, it's time to board, pleasantly satiated by the soul-food dinner that begins with an asparagus-cream soup, pistachio mini-crib and plums wrapped in pancetta as a greeting from the galley.

The Riesling from Schneider in the Palatinate turns out to be the ideal companion, just as it is for the first course, a tartare with cauliflower florets and egg yolk on Mediterranean bruschetta. As if you had already boarded the salon ship and were already gliding gently through the enchanted waterways of the Spreewald, fine diced gherkins appear in the soup and broth of sorrel, in the colour-contrasting peperona salsa.

The beetroot chip in the shape of a sail could decorate a ship in a bottle. It seems as if the Patio kitchen team enjoys filigree and maritime gimmicks. But they are also masters of shore leave. The Havelland apple pork with broccoli cream is earthy and acquires a summer attitude through fermented radishes.

The culinary story concludes with dessert, plum again, this time as a mush and sorbet with a cupcake. A lovely finale, but one that heralds the start of the night through the patio's saloon ship. At a maximum of twenty kilometres per hour, the Riethoen leisurely sails east, following the meandering Spree past Bellevue Palace through the Tiergarten and the government quarter to Museum Island.

Boat tours through the city centre during the day and in the evening are nothing new. But on the Riethoen, which is designed for a maximum of twelve passengers, everything is different. No loud tour guide information through the microphone, instead discreet chill-out and lounge music as well as lively, cheerful conversations with fellow passengers from Berlin and Switzerland over Patio-typical great wines. On the salon ship, Berlin at night feels like an embrace of the illuminated centre, colourful, tender, wild and just for this one moment.

Manuela Blisse

Author Berlin