Aarti Mehta-Kroll profiles one of Berlin’s first (and best) Slow Food restaurants…

Tucked away in an area of Schöneberg known as Red Island, Café Aroma has been a neighborhood institution since 1987. Joining Germany’s Slow Food organisation in the early 90s (one of the first to do so in the city), it has been quietly providing quality Italian food and service ever since—though its slightly hidden location, reasonable prices and lack of pretention has kept the atmosphere impressively low key.

Aroma’s elaborate Sunday brunch though, started in 1988, has become famous city-wide, especially amongst foodies, and indeed was what prompted a recent visit by myself and my husband.

When we arrived, the buffet had been open for an hour, the place was packed and the first serving nearly gone, but we watched with sweet relief as the dishes were quickly replenished with the anticipated spread of Mediterranean delights: vitello tonnato, stuffed veggies, mini meatballs in tomato sauce, green bean salad…

My husband observed, correctly, that most brunch buffets we’ve tried in the city usually only feature two or three things we like. Here, every time we went to fill our plates, we came back with something new and delicious. About twenty minutes after we’d been seated we noticed a sudden flurry of activity. When people returned to their seats, we understood why; in addition to the fruit salad that had been there all along, the chef had also added tiramisu and panna cotta to the dessert selection.

The restaurant itself is divided into four sections. The décor is simple, with wooden tables and chairs providing a comfortable amount of seating: not so much that it feels crowded, just enough to make the space feel cozy. The crowd when we were there was a mix of young couples and families, all fully engrossed in their meals and conversations as if they’d been coming here years, which many of them no doubt have.

Gino Pudi, Aroma’s co-founder, explained that the restaurant’s location in a residential neighborhood ha…