A wine fan in Berlin

In this blog post, I'll tell you about my trip to Berlin, where I naturally went in search of the best wine spots. I took the train from Rotterdam Central Station for a journey that was supposed to take 7 hours, but actually took 9. Can I complain a bit?! Then we'll talk about the fun stuff. I was truly surprised by the number of stops in—in international terms—not so exciting cities: Hilversum, Almelo, Reine, Bad Oeynhausen? Anyway, on to the wine!

Hungarian wine in Berlin

Weinbar Noble Rot (not related to The eponymous magazine was my first stop. They have a wide selection of natural wines, which is certainly not unique to this wine bar. You could find that kind of "hip" wine virtually everywhere in Berlin. I'm not always a fan, and here too, I mainly opted for regular wines.

The bar owner is Hungarian, and that was reflected in the selection. Plenty of Hungarian and some German, because, as the sommelier told me, "You can't have a wine bar in Germany without German Riesling." She might have been right. Anyway, I had some really cool things, like the Hungarian Boldogságos Egri Csillag Grand Superior and a fantastic 2009 Silvaner from Weingut Emmerich. Silvaner doesn't always produce a perfectly balanced wine, but I found this one—even with its age—still really fresh and exciting. Cool!

That also made me want to try an orange wine, as a transition to red wine. I got a Hungarian one: Bio Zeus from Szászi Wine Estate. And honestly, it was quite nice. Orange, honey, coffee. Interesting aromas.

I then drank a few more red wines and devoured an eight-cheese cheese board. The presentation was downright awful, and although the enormous amount was consumed, I still found some of the cheeses tasted a bit artificial. Not the best ever.

But: the drink I finished with deserves an honorable mention: Gelber Muskateller Tokaji 4 puttonyos from PaanGold. Incredibly rich. You can keep smelling it for a long time, and what you'll definitely encounter are peaches, nuts, and honey. Delicious!

Extensive dining in a former kebab shop

Berlin's smallest Michelin-starred restaurant, housed in a former kebab shop, named after a renowned wine region, Restaurant Bandol* seemed like a fitting choice for a great dinner. And it was. The setting felt a bit odd: tables were crammed together, the interior seemed barely updated after the kebab roll's departure, and that didn't quite match what you'd expect from Michelin.

It quickly became clear that the inspectors were definitely right. We had a fantastic dinner with some truly memorable dishes and wines to match. The aperitif, a PetNat Tempranillo (Vendedor de Humo), was the most surprising: super fresh, slightly tart cherries, and a fine mousse. Very nice! This one deserves a spot on your list if you're willing to spend a bit.

Planet Wein

Many Berlin liquor stores also have a few tables set up as small cafés. Because of the beautiful interior I'd seen in photos, I chose Planet Wein. I passed the wine barrel outside where they were selling mulled wine ("No, sorry, I still have to drink") and before I knew it, I was sitting in the middle of the store, drinking wine and listening in on the sales pitches. Some salespeople were doing a much better job than others, in my opinion. Quite amusing.

I drank a white Montsant, a 2017 Spätburgunder from Weingut Zelt, and another Tempranillo from Ribeira del Duero. Honestly, they were all fine, but not spectacular. I was the only one there, but if there are others, it might be much more fun to choose a good bottle from the store. For just €10 corkage fee, you can drink it there. Very reasonable!

Bar-Restaurant Kink

That evening, I dined at the bar-restaurant Kink, a restaurant known for its excellent wine list. Situated in a courtyard with a large fire pit out front, the atmosphere was already great outside. Inside, the staff had arranged the chef's table for me; that gave me something to do, since I was coming alone. It was a perfect arrangement, as it gave me the opportunity to chat with the bartender. I started with a delicious Mosel crémant made with Spät and Weissburgunder. A pleasant start.

With my appetizer, an Ibérico tataki, I wanted to go for the godello. The bartender agreed, but… didn't I want to try his accompanying cocktails? I wasn't immediately enthusiastic, but I'm easily persuaded, so I opted for both. It seemed by far the best option, and it was. I got the Yamahai Junmai Sake with jasmine extract, and it was unexpectedly delicious. Wonderfully smooth, a flavor reminiscent of pear ice cream. A real surprise, and a better pairing with the Ibérico than the godello.

I was able to maintain this rhythm, and the bartender really enjoyed surprising me. So, I drank several more wines and cocktails with my subsequent courses. I'll reveal one more, because you absolutely have to try it if you get the chance: the gnocchi with beets, roquefort, and fermented berries paired with the Turf & Blueberry cocktail. It also featured fermented berries and strawberries with Laphroig whisky. A truly fantastic combination! This restaurant deserves a place on your list; there's so much to discover here!

A French wine bar in a German food hall

It took me a while to find the wine bar Tastavin, because I didn't know it was located in a food hall. Actually, I didn't even know a food hall existed, and I didn't notice much of it in the area. When Google Maps finally said it had to be somewhere in the middle of a building, I opened a few doors and found myself amidst the steaming aromas of various stalls in Arminius Markthalle, and I quickly found the wine bar. It was a bar that only served French wines. I didn't have much time and had to eat somewhere else afterward (more on that in a moment), so I only had two glasses. A Beaujolais from Gamaret de l'Eclair and a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay from the Loire. Excellent wines, and if you want something to eat with them, you can simply grab something from one of the many stalls and eat it at the wine bar. It would have been nice to have a more detailed look around than I did: let me know your experiences!

A good ending

There's definitely much more to discover in Berlin. I had a list of bars and restaurants that was much longer. If you have any good tips, share them with Le Club in the comments below!

The final stop on my Berlin trip was Restaurant Golvet*. Situated on the eighth floor, it offered a magnificent view of the city. Berlin doesn't have many true high-rises, so this was plenty high enough. We had a fantastic meal, with a dish of apple and ponzu under a slice of beetroot, with a beetroot macaron as a highlight. Especially paired with Johannes Kopp's superb Spätburgunder Roter Porphyr from 2017. Not cheap, but a very enjoyable meal!

The CO2 emissions from our travels are offset.

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