The Aviation Project – Having an Aviation at Provocateur

The Aviation Project – Having an Aviation at Provocateur

Provocateur is a hotel bar and is located close to Berlin’s famous boulevard Kurfürstendamm. It is as provoking as the name says and belongs to the successful Gekko Group that has become a well-known brand in the hotel industry and gastronomy.

For my part: Provocateur is not a bar I have fallen in love with, as I prefer more intimate and calm bars. This place reminded me more of a noble-minded establishment with its red velvet interior bathed in a golden glow and playing a 20s wickedness theme. Some might ask at this point what I’m doing here exactly? Well, they host interesting events on a regular basis and they lately launched a nicely illustrated bar menu.

What makes me come back are the friendly and talented bartenders.

You will find them spread around the creative key element of the room, the bar. A central pillar, to look at from all sides, hosts the illuminated spirit selection. The bartenders’ work stations are strategically placed around this central column. The square shaped bar is perfect to do some people watching. For the beginning of the summer they have just opened their terrace that is more playful and equipped with nostalgic metal furniture in the style of the 20s for garden romantics.

Let’s have a look at the new menu. The illustrations combine historical people of the 20th century with obvious places of the bar. The drink Applause, for example, shows Josephine Baker in her banana skirt dancing on the terrace. It contains rum, banana, coffee and is served with a amuse gueule. Every drinks comes with a nice gimmick. My favourite of that night was Ikone, a tribute to Marlene Dietrich. A strong and spicy blue libation based on Tequila.

 

A propos blue, I hadn’t planned to have an Aviation, but when Dennis Keiner, one of the lovely bartenders, asked me I couldn’t resist. He told me that especially American guests ask for this drink. Here is his recipe:

6 cl Plymouth Gin

1.5 cl Lemon

0.9 cl Luxardo Maraschino

1 barspoon Bigallet Crème de Violette

Shaken and served in a beautiful Nick & Nora glass. The colour was nice and the taste very pleasant. Plymouth Gin suits the Aviation very well.

Visit Provocateur Bar

 

To be continued …