Pondji
Pondji is one of the few places in Berlin dedicated to Brazilian food, with its menu centred on pão de queijo, the small, chewy cheese buns that are an everyday staple across Brazil. Owner Carolina Paoletti has turned the format into the focus of the restaurant, serving the tapioca-and-cheese dough both in its classic form and in filled savoury and sweet variations. Options move from combinations with pulled pork, caramelised onions, cheese and thyme to sweet versions with guava jam or dulce de leche, while the weekend menu expands into more substantial Brazilian classics such as feijoada, the slow-cooked black bean and pork stew. As a fully gluten-free restaurant, Pondji has also developed into a key address for Berlin’s gluten-free and coeliac communities, offering a rare setting in which the entire menu can be enjoyed without concerns about cross-contamination. It also functions as an easy gathering place for the city’s Brazilian community, so come and hang out for a piece of Brazil in Berlin.
You can buy frozen Pao de Queijo and Brazilian Cream Cheese to bake and eat at home! Our favorite: Cream Cheese and Guava Jam!
