Review: Lykia

Feast on excellent cocktails and food for almost no money at all

Review by Vincent Alblas

Lykia is a restaurant and cocktail bar in Friedrichshain, a raw downtrodden lively formerGDR student area, which is full of small bars, affordable restaurants, cool clubs, 24/7 supermarkets, and loads of immigrants. The food served at Lykia is more than ok, especially for the price you’re paying (between € 4 and € 8 for a main course), and there’s a big variety of dishes and styles, like Italian, Turkish, German and everything in between. The place is locally world famous for its cocktails and Sunday brunch.

My experience

Thinking about Berlin I think about Friedrichshain, thinking about Friedrichshain I think about Lykia, thinking about Lykia I think about Flying Cangaroo. So basically the essence of Berlin is all within one cocktail served in my favorite restaurant. But it’s not just some random cocktail, it’s white rum, vodka, Galliano, orange juice, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and cream with a big chunk of fresh pineapple on the rim of the glass. You might think right now: isn’t there anything else than cocktails to this great Lykia place you’re talking about? My answer is yes, and I’m going to tell you all about it right now.

Lykia is on the corner of the Sonntagstrasse and the Neue Bahnhofstrasse, right next to S-Bahn station Ostkreuz. The ambiance of the restaurant/cocktail bar/local hangout is very much to my liking. The mood is being set by a colorful lighting scheme and some sexy German waitresses. But even without these girls the place still would be awesome. My favorite dish is the tagliatella with spinach and gorgonzola. For almost no money you get a big pile of good tasting pasta and a friendly smile from the cutie that serves you.

But the main reason to go to Lykia, as you may have understood after reading the first few sentences of this review, is the extensive assortment of cocktails. For just € 4.50 you get some of the most excellent cocktails this world has ever known and will know. And yes, I truly recommend the Flying Cangaroo, so move your feet and go visit Lykia.

By the way, I can’t promise that your waitress will actually be a hottie. Perhaps Lykia has hired some hairy muscular broad-chested athletes in the meantime, so please don’t hold me responsible for any disappointments.

Hot tip

Don’t forget to visit the Sunday morning (and afternoon) brunch. All you can eat for € 9, and there is an abundance of fruit, pies, sweets, bread, boiled and baked eggs, hot meat dishes, vegetarian salads, etcetera. In the summer you can use the street side terrace and watch the people of raw but colorful Friedrichshain live their lives.

Directions
Walk to the S-Bahn station behind the Generator Hostel. Take the S-Bahn train S41 to Ostkreuz. Take the exit Sonntagstrasse/Neue Bahnhofstrasse. Lykia is on the corner of these two streets.

More info

Official website: www.lykia-berlin.de.

You can read reviews on www.qype.com and www.tripsbytips.de.

Address: Sonntagstrasse 1, Friedrichshain, Berlin.

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