Vapiano takes pride in being an international restaurant where “people meet to share their love of life and spontaneous and genuine companionship.” Vapiano Berlin AlexanderPlatz conveniently located at Rathausstr.6 10178 Berlin between the famous Ritz-Carlton luxury hotel and the Berlin Mall did not fall short of the goal of sharing their love of life and spontaneous and genuine companionship.

As I walked into the Italian style restaurant, a smile took over my face as I was welcomed by the greeter with a friendly smile and an offer of complimentary chocolate bars in bright red wrapping o Haribo gummi bears. The greeter handed me my service card. (Vapiano in Berlin is a self-service restaurant. You are handed a card that is placed on a reader that records your order for a quick and easy checkout.)

Fresh aromas filled the room. I had trouble deciding if I wanted to stand in the pasta, pizza, risotto, antipasti, zuppe, or insalate line. Everything seemed so appealing and the music was soothing. It was the kind of music you would play to set the mood on a playful but romantic date. That sort of music eliminates any rush you may have for time.

I was able to watch the chefs make the meals through a clear glass bar that separated us. I finally decided that pizza and pasta were the best way to go. After all, statistics informed me that those were my best options. According to a 2015 article written in 2015 by Jana, for Vapiano’s Magazine, Vapiano guests chomped their way through 17.5 million pasta dishe-equivalent of 600 elephants! This figure sees pasta top the popularity charts, closely followed by pizza.

I ordered Pesto Rosso with Fusilli. It was comprised of homemade semi-dried tomato pesto with roasted pine nuts and fresh cherry tomatoes. I was so surprised when the chef asked me what kind of pasta I would like. The restaurant had almost every type of pasta you could imagine wrapped for individual servings. I chose linguine. I also asked for added chicken. All five of my senses were waiting to be part of the indulgence while I waited for the chef to sprinkle every spice of love she had. I tested the pasta right away. The chicken was well seasoned and perfectly juicy. The pine nuts gave the pasta a nice kick.

Next, I ordered pesto con spinaci pizza. It was so different from the Pizza Hut, Dominoes, and Papa John’s pizza that I am used to. This pizza had fresh baby spinach leaves and marinated tomatoes on creamy pesto sauce, with mozzarella. It was like heaven on earth. It was so delicious and light. It would be the perfect pizza for someone with acid reflux.

The restaurant looks so expensive. The décor is outstanding. There’s phenomenal art pieces on the wall, fresh green plants everywhere and tasteful highlights of the color red throughout the restaurant. I was surprised to find out that each dish that I ordered was only 6,90 euros. If you ever visit Berlin, Vapiano is the place to dine. The restaurant will keep your heart and stomach warm while protecting your pockets.