Freischwimmer in Berlin

We used to love going there so much. Unfortunately, the service and the whole ambience have deteriorated significantly. Even though only half of the tables were occupied, it took over 25 minutes to take the order and then another 20 minutes until we got our drinks. Unfortunately, it was incredibly cold in the restaurant even though the oven was on. We ate in jackets. The food was delicious. But the overall package can no longer be recommended. Very unfortunate

Great place, Anner Spree, great service, pleasant people

The best restaurant in Berlin, fantastic location and even better atmosphere. I recommend

Very cozy place! Nice that you have an options to sit inside or to be outdoor - closer to the water. Tasty food, pumpkin soup was sooo good! And very friendly people working there. : )

A very atmospheric place with vintage furniture and incredibly delicious fusion cuisine, offering a peaceful view of the water. The staff is very welcoming; we felt like we were visiting old friends. Highly recommend!

Very relaxed atmosphere and pleasant people and excellent food! I always enjoy coming here! Best regards ! :-)

We wanted to have lunch after visiting the Badeschiff. There were only 5 tables occupied. The menu was quickly brought to us and that was it. Ignored several times, we fled after 15 minutes. Waiter was fidgeting on his cell phone and professionally ignoring us. Wash your hands? Oh well. 1 consolation star for the location. Out of the street and to the right towards Schlesisches Tor there are many great shops that are happy to welcome customers.

Restaurant opened too late, brunch offer was simply reduced (without informing us). Food was ok, but disproportionate for the price. From our point of view, not a recommendation.

I'm sorry, but the waitress was completely overwhelmed and, in my opinion, had no idea at all about the service. Yes, there was a buffet, people served themselves independently and only for coffee with cake, the service staff was not able to serve both together. Cake came after the coffee was drunk, 15 minutes. later. Have fun when the free float is full.

I went to the frei Schwimmer with my visit from Dortmund - super courteous staff, delicious food and all in a place steeped in history.

Sexy Spreebar... furnished with love, cooked with love... Since

Zero stars are still too many today on Saturday August 19th. Without reservation Comment from the admitter: Since you're high or something, go somewhere else" so much for respect for paying customers, the very last thing in the store. I would like to talk to the manager because their restaurant manager is not compatible with dealing with paying guests.

We were here for our wedding. Absolutely recommended!

A very nice store perfectly located on the water. Really very beautiful! The service is usually a bit chaotic and disorganized, but that's part of it... Overall, really cool. Absolute recommendation.

We celebrated an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime wedding here. Great location, loving decoration, friendly and relaxed staff. Everything went great that day; Only the arrangements in advance were a bit chaotic.

The meal was very good but then the service needs to be reviewed. In terms of friendliness, we are at the best in Berlin, not a smile, the impression of annoying the waiters, a crazy amount of time to be served, etc. Then, the cleanliness of the premises (terrace) needs to be reviewed, we had spiders falling on us. The wooden beams were full of them and the chandeliers were filled with them. Really rubbish. When we questioned the waitress she told us that it was normal, it is certainly authentic but above all very disturbing and disgusting! To top it all off, it’s impossible to split the bill. A good 0/20 for service and customer experience However, quite pleasant surroundings.

I love this place in Berlin, a most visit. Recommend to experience something out of the ordinary

- July 23, 2024 Annoyed service despite pre-ordering for our group, only a few tables occupied. Apparently there was no interest in sales: drinks had to be actively requested, desserts that were ordered were no longer available, and main courses were at a good canteen level. - sometime 2023: Service was good, tarte flambée was completely covered in paper, there was an apology but no discount.

Incredible scenery, the last oasis in the city

Nice staff, very good cuisine... worth a visit.

Jebus Chrisp the CAKES!!!🤯 Also super nice atmosphere and friendly service!

I would recommend the free swimmer at any time: great location, great ambience, first class food, nice staff. Thank you for the lovely dinner. My guests also loved the “Berlin charm” the evening before our wedding party.

The atmosphere was super pleasant, the food was very tasty and the employee who introduced himself as Julius did a great job

Fantastic location.. we went boating and then had a good meal, the schnitzel is highly recommended! The service was also nice, especially the gentleman with long hair and a red dog was very helpful! Thank you for the lovely experience

We celebrated our wedding here, it was great. The finger food buffet was super rich and very tasty.

This place has no idea about how to run a restaurant. The were in no way cable to manage a group. The risked our health by serving raw chicken and insulted our intelligence by arguing that if you overcook a chicken, it turns raw again. The drinks that should be sweet are bitter and the Campari drinks are sweet. The only reason for going there would be to experience the dessert that I cannot describe in words.

We arrived around 9pm and were asked if we wanted to eat or drink. We also wanted to eat, so we were seated and given the menus straight away. We ordered drinks immediately. After a quarter of an hour the waiter came back - without drinks - to inform us that all of the grilled dishes on the menu were not available, including the schnitzel. Hmm. So we all reoriented ourselves again regarding our choice of food and when, after about 30 thirsty minutes, the drinks finally came and we wanted to place our food order, the waiter told us that we couldn't order any more food because the kitchen was overloaded is. Strong. This was a very frustrating visit. We finished our drinks and left immediately. I don't need it again.

Beautifully right on the water. Delicious food and treat yourself to a piece of cake for dessert🫶

We celebrated part of our Wedding at the wonderful garden (called Inselgarten) at Freischwimmer. I can highly recommend Inselgarten specifically and Freischwimmer in general. It's a really amazing typical Berlin location that is hard to come across these days...

Freischwimmer in Berlin is an absolute gem! The location is simply incredible—right on the river Spree, offering stunning views and a relaxing atmosphere. It’s the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy a meal with friends or family. What really impressed me was the wide variety of vegan options on the menu. Each dish was thoughtfully prepared and bursting with flavor, catering to all tastes. The service was also top-notch; the staff was friendly and attentive, making sure we had a fantastic dining experience. Highly recommended for anyone looking for great food in a beautiful setting!

Sitting right by the water is great. Brunch was now so-so. There were three types of salami and three types of cheese. Croissant. Bread. As a main course two types of bratwurst. Mashed potatoes, vegetables, hash browns... Interesting 😁. There was also dessert... I actually expected more. Still a nice place.

Top location, good food. The service changed often.

Great and delicious food! The waitress was very polite. It is right next to the water so don't be afraid if a spider or bug gets close to you... It was overall a bit more expensive than most restaurants and their are a few other clubs and event locations nearby, so don't expect it to be quite !

Had a company party with 65 people - everyone was thrilled with the location, everything else went as agreed.

Super nice and helpful staff, great food. Tasty vegan options.

Great place to eat and drink in a fantastic location. Right by a side canal to the river, it’s super nice to sit outside and enjoy the sunset whilst sipping on a delicious glass of aperol spritz or a nice cold beer. The flammkuchen is delicious and service has always been friendly. I recommend making a reservation if you decide to go for food.

Wait behind the sign otherwise the waitress will get wild 😅

A very nice place but the blonde waitress took more than 30 minutes to order us for some beers and there were barely 5 tables to serve. It also seemed like he had slept little the night before...

Since I work in the catering industry myself, I usually always tip generously, but this time it just wasn't possible, even though I know that the service staff is only to blame for a maximum of half of the gaffes. We went to the Frei Schwimmer for a birthday brunch on Sunday and were initially overwhelmed by the double sound system, despite the beautiful water location and the loving furnishings. Over there it was booming from the Kreuzberg festival hall - fair enough, people should celebrate! A good reaction from the free swimmer would have been to simply leave out his own music instead of opposing it just as loudly. Well, maybe we're just old and other people like that. Then we ordered the drinks for our brunch. We waited over half an hour for 3 of 5 cappuccinos before we asked. "Okay, we'll take care of it." Another 20 minutes have passed, we ask again. “Yeah, right, what was that, 3 cappuccinos?” Nothing again. We actually had to ask a third time, now quite angrily, until three lukewarm cappuccinos finally reached the table. That just doesn't work at all. Likewise, the Eggs Benedict or scrambled eggs served at brunch took a very long time and arrived at the table well after guests had arrived later, even after asking twice. At least they were good. The buffet was a huge disappointment. For 25 euros you expect a little more than 4 unlabeled, partly empty chafis, butter that was once on ice and is now floating in water and collapsed salad when brunch has been going on for over 3 hours. No one had looked there for ages. Oh and the undercooked chicken legs aren't all that safe. The only dessert: a huge bowl of red jelly. Okay, so unfortunately a shop with a lot of potential that rests on its good location and doesn't seem to have any ambition to really offer its guests something for their money. Too bad.

We‘ve been here with the family for dinner which was really nice because in summer sitting outside at the waterfront is priceless. the service was a little bit chaotic the dishes didt come at the same time, but the staff was friendly and polite. the food is tasty but not outstanding and for my kind of taste to overpriced. but all in all we had a nice evening

The restaurant is very nicely located on the water if you hadn't been constantly bombarded with the music from the questionable location opposite that takes getting used to. It's also a shame that the expectations of a delicious brunch were in no way met. Unfortunately, with the scrambled eggs you didn't get the crispy bacon you would have wanted, but rather something that looked like it had been pulled through hot water. If you expect a selection of rolls, bread, sausage, cheese, labeled warm dishes or a selection of sweet things like jam, Nutella etc. then you are definitely wrong here!! Unfortunately, the coffee was also hard to enjoy.

The service is an absolute disaster. Although there is a buffet on Sunday and most people get their own food, we waited almost half an hour for 2 drinks. Asked several times, motivation to serve us faster was somehow not apparent... just sad.

Very nice scene location right on the water. A bit crazy. Food very tasty. Music is a bit loud for a restaurant, conversations are hardly possible. Otherwise really cool.

Great local Berlin-style food and wonderfully calm river-side atmosphere.

Idyllic little pub right on the water.

We weren't served for half an hour and then left. Tables/chairs/restaurant have the appearance of a wooden shed, which there are certainly fans for. There's something about the waterfront location but overall it's more of an alternative setup. Unfortunately we cannot give a rating for the food. If you don't like spiders you should avoid the location. It's out in nature and populated by eight-legged creatures.

The brunch buffet is very clear, normal and quite expensive. It tastes good but you also pay for the cult of the location. The place is of course great. The waiters are very busy and taciturn.

Lovely place next to the water. Food is great. I highly recommend it. This was not our first time. It would not be the last.

Lage, Lage, Lage - mit kühlem Getränk neben leckerer Wurst mitten in der Stadt am Wasser zu sitzen hat etwas! Am Anfang gab es ein paar Schwierigkeiten, bis das erste Getränk serviert wurde vergingen gut 15 Minuten, aber danach war das Personal auf Zack. Das Essen (verschiedene Bratwürste, Burger,...) war zwar keine kulinarische Offenbarung, es schmeckte uns aber trotzdem ganz gut.

Restaurant on the water, as you would expect from Berlin. A bit loud, a bit outdated. Food was good, vegan alternatives were delicious, service wasn't really great...

Wir haben gezielt im Freischwimmer reserviert, nachdem wir vor Jahren dort gute Erfahrungen gemacht haben und wurden maßlos enttäuscht. Der Service war gnadenlos überfordert und chaotisch. Es war nicht besonders voll, trotzdem haben wir ewig auf die Getränke gewartet. Dann kam das Essen und zwar erst der Hauptgang obwohl Vorspeisen bestellt waren. Auf Nachfrage ernteten wir nur hilflose Blicke. Kaum drehte er mit den Hauptspeisen ab, brachte etwa zeitgleich jemand anders die Vorspeisen. Kurz drauf wurde mit uns tatsächlich diskutiert wie mit den Hauptspeisen verfahren würde (man war erstaunt daß wir weder alles auf einmal am Tisch haben wollten, noch damit einverstanden waren, daß alles unter die Wärmelampe gepackt wird sondern wir tatsächlich gerne frisches Essen nach der Vorspeise wollten) Schließlich hat man sich wiederwillig darauf eingelassen, allerdings bezweifle ich arg, daß das Essen später frisch zubereitet wurde. Das Essen selbst war maximal mäßig. Die Gurkenkaltschale zur Vorspeise schmeckte wie püriertes Gurkenwasser. Weitere Getränkewünsche kamen falsch oder am Ende garnicht mehr. Zusätzlich wurden wir von einer Party nebenan laut beschallt. Dafür konnte wohl niemand was, aber hat ein reingepasst in den Abend. Schade um die schöne Lokation, aber wir kommen nicht mehr wieder.

“Please make my burger spicy”. Service: “Spicy? What do you mean by spicy”? It wasn't snippy, but actually questioning in surprise. Yes, how should you explain that? I show her some chili I brought with me. Tabasco sauce unknown. The burger was very good. For the toilet, we recommend a gas mask or smearing the stuff under your nose that pathologists use. The table by the water made up for it.

It was a nice break by the water and we really enjoyed our stay. The service was nice. Unfortunately, such iconic places are becoming fewer and fewer as everything is bought up by investors, built on and made unaffordable.

Really nice, food selection not that great.

Super nice cozy location. Food is delicious. Very nice part of Berlin.

Nice ambience by the water, service OK, food (schnitzel with potato salad) rarely bad, unfortunately part of the order was forgotten

Good cocktails but if you don't get a table next to the water it is very dark and loud music. Go there if you're in for the mood!

A wonderful location in Kreuzberg, pure Berlin with great food and sometimes great service. A great brunch buffet and a good start to your Sunday. Great recommendation for and with visitors to Berlin.

The best experience in a long time! Great service, absolutely friendly and accommodating. The area & location is generally super charming & idyllic. Food was incredibly tasty (schnitzel with potatoes & tarte flambée) and the cocktails were really well made (espresso martini, amaretto sour, gin basil smash). Card payment possible.

The large glasses for cola, cocktails etc are not washed. We sit right at the bar and see everyone's glasses and ours. There's still sour cream hanging on the edges everywhere. Disgusting.

I really liked it. Rustic and unusual. Staff very friendly and forward-looking

Cool place by the water and tasty cake but sadly the waitress was very rude. For example, we got told other seating spots were reserved so we got a very bad one, but while we sat there we could see clearly that the tables were not reserved and there were a lot of other nice spots we could have sat at.

The food and service made me feel rich for a moment 5/5

A really nice atmosphere, with very attentive service and very good drinks. The location is easily accessible. What really bothered me was how close the tables were to each other. I sat back to back with the next table. If the person sitting next to me moved on the chair, I could feel it because the chairs were almost stacked on top of each other. This lack of privacy is really unbearable and I didn't feel the hospitality that this place exudes, especially from the staff. One less table by the water and everyone sits more relaxed and comfortable. We left after a drink because this unwanted closeness was unbearable. This meant that we were able to hear every word spoken by both neighboring tables perfectly, unintentionally.

Nice atmosphere, right on the water, especially in summer, lots of clubs in the surrounding area if we still want to party. Reservation is possible otherwise some queuing is necessary.

Disastrous ! Had last been here years ago when it was great. This time the food, three out of four dishes, was so over salted it was nearly inedible. 🤮 My cucumber soup was in fact inedible, so salted I couldn’t eat it, and my partner’s potato soup was so salted she could only eat half. A Greek chef came out and agreed to refund the cucumber soup. Then my partner was served a Wiener Schnitzel and whole potatoes, both of which were salted to almost the point of inedibility once again. Another chef from Tenerife came out, and to our utter surprise picked up a piece from her plate with his fingers and tasted it, insisting the salt was “normal”. 🙄😡 She was so hungry, after not being able to finish her over salted soup, she ate some of the disgustingly salted schnitzel and potatoes which were also drenched in salt. 🧂😬 I had liver which was mediocre, but the only dish which was not wreaking of SALT ! This was a special occasion between my partner and I which was ruined by this restaurant’s food and the staff’s rotten attitude. 😧😩

Cool shop 😀 very nice service, great food

I like it there! This is Berlin... lots of different people and music ♥️

Class. Nice water view. Food was very tasty and so were the drinks. What more could you want? Card payment possible.

Absolutely bad service. Incredibly rude. If you feel like being yelled at, this is the right place for you. Otherwise, go a few steps further to the Birgit beer garden. He's great.

The evening before by the water is absolutely great - as long as you get a place :)

So no accusations and that's probably due to the location... but rats occasionally run around and disappear between floorboards. I think it's difficult to control in any way given the situation. But sometimes the little things scurry onto the seat if you're not careful and try to grab something or run past the bar and almost run into it. Food really wasn't bad, very high quality. Very very reasonably priced, service very serious. Not always a must for me personally, but if you like something like that it's definitely a good idea. The entrance is also very, very artistically clever and interesting!

The local thrives on the ambience. Food was ok, beer selection is a disaster.

Aan het water, heel leuk uitzicht, zeer eenvoudige keuken maar goed (de kalfslever is aan te bevelen), zeer uitbundig sfeertje, verzorgde en vriendelijke bediening, heel Berlijns (maar is dat niet de essentie van Berlijn)

Drinks take over 20 minutes to prepare, with 15% empty tables. The food came quicker. The meal, a vegan tarte flambée, tasted as if it had been seasoned with four tablespoons of refined sugar. People. that was avoidable. When I order something savory, the last thing I need is sugar. I'm not a stoner.

At best 0 stars very disrespectful reception, were good regular customers until today but as of today they are gone. What kind of employees do you have? You're going bankrupt with such morals!!

Never in my life have I experienced such an unfriendly atmosphere from the staff! There were countless tables available and then you are told we won't accept any more. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Apparently you have to be lucky whether the staff is in a good or bad mood. That doesn't work at all!

Lovely setting by the river, service was friendly but we got two missed orders. Fair price and okay good, regardless. I'll be back!

The restaurant is honestly beautiful and cosy, the beers were great, but the waitress was super rude to us since the beginning. A real shame.

Was there for a company event. By far the worst gastronomic experience in Berlin in the last 10 years. Perhaps a highlight for drunk 18-year-old tourists from a village environment, but the wrong place for people with medium expectations of quality, service and friendliness. Anything over €5 as a combined price would be a disgrace. Sorry...

Super nice location. Service was very nice.

Apart from an adjacent place with loud music it is a really pleasant place on a barge lying on the river. good and typical food. Prices in line with

Wir waren extra zu diesem Lokal unterwegs, weil bisher gute Erfahrungen gemacht wurden. Leider haben diese sich in keiner Weise bestätigt. Wir hatten nicht reserviert- allerdings waren nach unserer Beobachtung genügend Plätze für drei Personen da. Das Lokal war gegen 17.30 Uhr maximal halb gefüllt. Servicekraft Nr.1 hat uns bereits am Anfang abgewimmelt mit der Begründung, dass man nicht genügend Personal hat, um noch Gäste anzunehmen ohne Reservierung. Servicekraft Nr.2 hat uns dann trotzdem auf nochmalige Nachfrage einen Tisch gegeben. Genau diese Person hat uns dann 5 Minuten später des Tisches verwiesen mit der Begründung, dass Nr 1 ja schon abgelehnt hätte. Sie hätten zu wenig Personal und könnten die viele Arbeit nicht bewältigen. Genau diese Dame stand die meiste Zeit allerdings am Tresen und sprach mit ihren Kollegen..... Stressig und engagiert sah das nicht aus. Fazit: Wer es sich erlaubt, Gäste so abzufertigen..... dem sei hoffentlich der weitere Erfolg versagt.

We only had a drink, so I can't comment on the food. The location is nice, the service staff could be a little more empathetic.

We couldn't judge the food. Despite many empty tables, there seemed to be no interest in guests. We were turned away on the grounds that there were not enough service staff. It's not the attitude that makes a restaurant successful, but rather the guests who like to come back.

Arrogant, stroppy service, long waiting times. We waited more than 1.5 hours for our tarte flambée. I asked when to expect food - and received a stroppy and unprofessional answer. Half an hour later the service person came to our table and said that something had been mixed up. 10 minutes later we were finally able to eat. But I didn't get the tarte flambée that I ordered. The location itself is nice, the tarte flambée was average.

My mom can't stop talking about her dish. She says: The liver was excellent. She wants to go back tomorrow. Big compliments to the kitchen. Service was also top and atmosphere on the water anyway!

A very beautiful place! Only with the vegan tartare did I find the price-performance ratio a bit unbalanced. It's a single rice cake with avocado cream for €10.

Wir hatten vor einiger Zeit einen Tisch für 10 Personen gebucht, um einen Geburtstag zu feiern. Als wir erschienen, war nichts vorbereitet, die Bedienung hatte keine Zeit, zwei Tische zusammenzustellen. Wir sollten es selber machen. Der Chef(oder Geschäftsführer?) herrschte uns an, der Durchgang wäre zu eng, so ginge es nicht!! Er bequemte sich daraufhin, weiter entfernt, die Tische zusammenzustellen. Tische und Stühle waren in ziemlich desolatem Zustand, teilweise beschädigt! Tischdecken gab es nicht! Der Kaffee war gut, das warme Büffet war leider auch fern jeden Anspruchs, bestand aus trockenen Würsten und ebensolchem Fleisch. Die übrige Bedienung war freundlich! Nur dass eine von ihnen beim Öffnen eines 45,- Euro- Cremants mitteilte, dass das Einschenken desselben nicht zu ihren Lieblingsbeschäftigungen gehöre, ob wir es nicht selbst machen könnten! Wie interessant! Die gesamte Wirtschaft macht leider einen stark abgewirtschafteten Eindruck! Bitte nicht noch einmal!

Despite reservations and several free tables, the (male) and extremely unfriendly employee at the entrance told us in a rude manner that no one could/would(?) be allowed in anymore. Apart from unfriendliness, excessive demands and annoyance, we were greeted with nothing else.

Many dishes on the menu not available. Dodged. Then after 30 minutes we found out that that wasn't available either. View of a body of water ok.

Chill, relaxed. This is a great place to wind down, get a tasty bite to eat, or just share quality time with family/ friends. Super friendly staff, fresh and tasty dishes, cook drinks. And a lovely atmosphere.

We didn't even sit. The guy at the entrance was so rude, even by Berlin standards. If I could give 0 stars, I would.

An alternative junk room. Floorboards are loose, chairs tip over into cracks in the floor, open power cables hang around, no protection for children from falling into the water, rats swim erratically. The staff was helplessly overwhelmed but remained nice to the customers, service was only rudimentary, arguments between employees were heard more often. We had to get plates and clear the dishes ourselves because, as I said, there was hardly any service. The food was not worthy of a restaurant. The taste isn't subpar, but it's not the work of a professional chef either. I would say that many people can do it just as well or better on their home grill. There is a club opposite, with loud music included, so there is no peace and quiet there. This restaurant is definitely one of the worst I've ever visited. I wish that this was a flash in the pan, that those responsible would make it a safe shack and upgrade the culinary options.

So coming across as “cheeky” Berliner is cool, etc. But then the prices should also be adjusted. The wine service was unprofessional (aluminum label was hanging in the bottle), the food didn't come at the same time (I know it's pointed out but... come on... how hard can it be to bring the food at least +- 5 minutes), and the order was placed simply recorded incorrectly and ultimately billed incorrectly. Okay for a snack. If you have a bill of €100 you can replace more!

Good atmosphere but the food took an hour to be served. The BBQ wasn't working for a while which also means no side dishes available (no potato salad, no green salad...). Our waitress didn't tell us anything when we were asking about our food and was hiding in a corner avoiding eye contact. Good scenery!

Der Freischwimmer - eigentlich eine Berliner Institution - hat jedwede Qualität in Service, Gastfreundlichkeit und Professionalität eingebüßt. Hatten Sonntags für Brunch reserviert. Als wir 13:00 Uhr ankamen, gab es nur noch karge und unappetitliche Reste. Nachfüllen: Fehlanzeige. Sehr schade.

Staff make you feel like you are inconveniencing them by being there

Great location, next to water, but it doesn’t compensate for bad service (our list of preordered dishes was lost, several people didn’t get their drinks, or got incorrect ones, once instead of alcohol free beer I got the opposite). The food that we tasted (pasta with turf and surf, schnitzel) were mediocre

Super cool place for dinner and drinks