Berlin - Where do the rich and powerful take their guests for power dinners in the German capital?
Although Berlin's restaurant culture can't compare with London or New York, its still impressive offerings range from Eritrean to Mongolian and elegant new German to old German greasy spoons.
Such deliberations clearly go through Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's mind whenever he is called upon to wine and dine a visiting world leader.
For Schroeder the choice is not as daunting as for most. As Germany's leader, he patriotically opts for a German restaurant when entertaining. The chancellor is known to be a fan of Italian food, but he has to forgo the fettuccine when the big boys are in town.
There remains, however, the question of how to whittle down the long list of Berlin's German restaurants. One good criterion is to choose a place that people you respect have visited.
The fact that Napoleon is said to have dropped by the historic restaurant 'Zur Letzten Instanz' may have influenced Schroeder's decision to take French President Jacques Chirac there during his February 2003 visit.
Christa Sperling, who runs the 400-year-old restaurant together with her husband Rainer, feels that its fame certainly contributed to Schroeder's choice.
"It's the oldest restaurant in Berlin and many heads of state have already visited it, and that's probably why we were chosen," she says.
Schroeder is also known for his love of meaty German food (allegedly one of the reasons he left his vegetarian third wife) and it comes as no surprise to learn that he and Chirac tucked into hearty fare at the traditional restaurant.
"They wanted Eisbein - knuckle of pork - that evening," says Christa Sperling, explaining that the Berlin delicacy is a speciality of the house. (Fellow diner Joschka Fischer, ever watchful of his weight, chose fish.)
Hefty German specialities were also on the menu in June 2000 when Schroeder took then United States President Bill Clinton to 'Gugelhof' in the fashionable east Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg.
Carola Nuebel, wife of co-owner Hans Nuebel, explains how Clinton judiciously sampled the restaurant's speciality platter. "He ate the sauerkraut and the beef but not the blood sausage or potatoes," explains Nuebel. "He was on a special diet at the time."
Schroeder has always had a nose for the populist gesture, and Nuebel believes he was swayed in his choice of restaurant by political considerations. "He could gather some Brownie points among the people by showing he also goes to the east, not just the west."
Clinton was the perfect dinner guest, according to Nuebel. "He was very nice to the whole staff, shaking their hands and saying 'hi, I'm Bill.' He was very open, very smart."
A key factor influencing the host's choice of restaurant is location.
So 'Theodor Tucher' on Pariser Platz, within easy strolling distance of the German parliament building, the Reichstag, was an obvious choice when current US President George Bush came to town in May 2002.
"It was a lot of fun," recalls Tucher manager Deff Haupt. "They ate dinner in the closed upstairs salon. Schroeder ordered Berliner currywurst - curried sausage, which is an absolute tradition here, for both of them. For dessert they had apple strudel."
However Bush's appetite did not quite match the chancellor's. "The president didn't eat such a lot, what with the time difference and the jet lag - it was 3pm his time."
Haupt had a brief chance to talk to Bush. "We made a bit of small talk. He asked me how I was, and how long I'd been in Berlin. And he praised us on the restaurant, which he liked a lot."
Haupt already had a good rapport with Schroeder, a Tucher regular. "Schroeder often comes here, so I'm used to chatting to him."
However Schroeder's days of wining and dining with world leaders at public expense may be coming to an end. He is widely predicted to lose to Christian Democratic Union (CDU) candidate Angela Merkel in the German general election expected in September.
Perhaps with an eye to future entertaining of illustrious guests, Merkel has also visited Tucher in the past. "Although at that time she wasn't yet in the position that she is in today," says Haupt.
No matter how much Haupt enjoys having Schroeder as a customer, the real politik of the restaurant trade means he has to be ready to welcome guests from the entire political spectrum.
"We've had people from all parties here in the restaurant at one time or another," says Haupt. "We wouldn't have anything against Angela Merkel eating here - we're apolitical. Apart from anything else, we can't afford to turn anyone away."
But the times may be changing. Members of Merkel's CDU and their smaller Free Democratic Party ally are often seen at the luxury Italian restaurant "Cinque", just down the street from the chancellery. - Sapa-dpa