The Berlin Gourmet Odyssey was never going to be an evening event. There was no late arrival, no build toward sundown, no expectation that the experience would peak at night.

Instead, it began late morning inside the Ritz-Carlton Berlin and unfolded in stages across the afternoon. In my mind, that choice, more than any individual dish, explains best why it worked so well.

From 11:30am, guests gathered inside the Curtain Club at the Ritz-Carlton for Ruinart Champagne and a selection of canapés. Arrival was staggered. Glasses were topped up quietly. At this point there was no effort to force energy into the room. Often food events try to manufacture momentum. This one did not.

This opening phase was intentionally subdued. Conversations were brief and practical. Toward the end, staff outlined logistics, assigned groups, and explained where we would all be headed. The room never quite came together socially at this stage.

Three groups would move through the restaurants in different orders. The Odyssey would only properly begin once we took our seats at the first restaurant.

Handily, the first seated course for our group took place right around the corner, at POTS, the Ritz-Carlton’s modern German restaurant.

The opening plates were composed and restrained. An anise-marinated salmon arrived with cucumber, apple juice, ginger, and red radish. This was followed by a beef tartare with smoked remoulade and crisp onions, which leaned into texture rather than emphasizing richness.

Wine pairings set the tone. Riesling from Maximin Grünhaus (Mosel) and Karl Haidle (Württemberg) were clean, dry, and well judged. For my wife and I, who have often declined Riesling offerings historically, the first was unexpectedly convincing. Neither sweet nor sharp, it paired comfortably with food. Should we have been surprised? We were in Germany after all.

This was also where conversation began. Group members had arrived for different reasons. One couple builds entire holidays around Marriott Moments. Others were long-standing Marriott loyalists, trading notes on properties in Miami, Vietnam, and elsewhere, positive and negative alike. Another pair were clearly food-driven. One guest was Berlin-based, using the event to bring a friend to the city, along with the hotel night that came with it. Another couple appeared to be expats living in Switzerland.

Roughly sixty percent of the table spoke German, but conversation moved fluidly between languages. English became the default when needed, without pressure or self-consciousness.

From POTS, the group transferred across Mitte to Lutter & Wegner on Gendarmenmarkt.

Founded in 1811, Lutter & Wegner is unapologetically Austrian-German in style. Classic dishes. Generous portions. Traditional feeling interiors with no impetus to change. The restaurant also maintains its own winery, an unusual detail that fits the place.

The first dish here was pike-perch fillet over kimchi risotto with beech mushrooms and sesame foam. The portion was substantial. Several did not finish it, deliberately leaving room for what we knew was coming next. That said, it was good, and most of us took a proper run at it before stopping.

It was paired with a dry Pinot Gris from Schloss Vollrads in the Rheingau, structured and steady.

Then came the centre of gravity of the entire Odyssey: Lutter & Wegner schnitzel with potatoes and cucumber salad.

No reinterpretation. No reduction in scale. Crisp, broad, and unapologetic.

The pairing shifted to Bründlmayer Kamptaler Terrassen Pinot Gris. Slightly broader, still controlled. The wine did not attempt to modernise the dish. It simply stayed alongside it.

Having Lutter & Wegner positioned as the mid-course was a big win for our group. Missing this at this particular restaurant, and catching only a starter or dessert would have changed the day entirely.

From Gendarmenmarkt, the group walked to Bocca di Bacco on Friedrichstraße.

Dessert began with vanilla parfait and mulled wine pear, paired with Moscato d’Asti from Marchesi di Grésy. Aromatic, light, and appropriately tapered.

This was followed by panettone tiramisu with coffee. Familiar flavors and textures, that work well merged into the one dish.

By mid-afternoon, the formal Odyssey concluded. People dispersed, and later that evening we returned to the Ritz-Carlton for drinks. A live band played in-house. The hotel credit was used, and the evening tapered off.

This dinner was the fixed-date anchor for the Berlin trip, with the rest of the itinerary built around it.

I’ve since written more about how Marriott Moments auctions behave in practice, including how max bids get exposed and why identical packages can drift apart over time.