I have rarely been to a restaurant where everything felt so right on a human level: the open, international atmosphere, the friendly and competent service, but above all, the fact that Lawrence – that is the name of this gleaming white café and restaurant on Oranienburger Strasse – is about the really important things. About treating people like people, no matter where they come from; and about the fact that food can build a bridge in this.
The Lawrence, which also houses a gallery, a shop and a co-working space, was founded on the belief that migration is an opportunity for Germany and that everyone can benefit from cultural exchange. It is run by a German-Syrian duo: Frank Buecheler, director and author, and Basha Hassoun, a trained businessman who fled Damascus a few years ago. The two founded the non-profit organization “Freeartus”, which organizes concerts and exhibitions with refugees, supports a camp in Lebanon – and has been running the Lawrence since the beginning of August.
German and Syrian construction workers renovated it together. Frank Buecheler and Basha Hassoun didn’t want to open a shabby café on the outskirts of the city, but a sensual, bright place in the center of Berlin. Newcomers – that’s what they call refugees at Lawrence – should meet Berliners and tourists here over good food. And that’s exactly how they implemented it. Lawrence is not just a well-intentioned project. It is a serious, stylish restaurant with ambitious cuisine.
Enjoyment without limits
The prices at Lawrence are kept low so that even “newcomers” can afford it. Despite this, there is no compromise on quality and freshness. I notice this from the starter – stuffed vine leaves and dumplings. The Kurdish chef Mustafa was poached from Hamburg, where he cooked in an upscale Anatolian restaurant. Together with his Syrian sous chef and a refugee as kitchen assistant, they show a cross-section of Syrian and Arabic cuisine.
For my taste, the menu could be a little smaller and concentrate on dishes that are less common – apart from falafel and hummus: for example, the vine leaves, which are prepared vegetarian in the Lebanese style at Lawrence and filled with juicy short-grain rice that is mixed with tomatoes, onions, parsley, cardamom, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice.
Berliners and refugees side by side
The crispy fried dumplings called Sambusek also have a very sophisticated flavor. Mine are filled with boiled minced lamb, leeks, carrots and peppers and are very spicy, the spinach filling in the dumpling called Fataier is sour and nutty at the same time. And Kebbeh Hamis, as the dumpling made of soft bulgur dough with beef and minced lamb is called, tastes really oriental because of the cumin and the pistachios and pine nuts.
You should definitely try Makloube, a fragrant, airy rice dish with fried eggplant, which is eaten with cold yogurt and cucumber. The name translates as “upside down” because the eggplant serves as the base for the rice when cooking and is turned out when served. Makloube tastes wonderfully creamy and of Baharat, a spice mixture made from coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cumin, cardamom and nutmeg.
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