Enoiteca il Calice

Enoiteca il Calice: Charlottenburg’s Wine Mecca with over 750 Selections

Antonio Bragato originally opened “Il Calice” in 2001 as a spacious restaurant with a wine merchant. After a break, he and his son Louis, who works as a sommelier, took over the management again in 2016. Since then, Enoiteca il Calice has been an integral part of Charlottenburg’s wine culture. The wine list, with an impressive 750 selections, is undoubtedly one of the best in Berlin. The selection ranges, as the Weinplaces jury aptly puts it, “from everyday wine to cult wine.” If you’ve tried a wine by the glass, you can also buy it directly from the connected wine shop and take it home.

The bar itself is circular and encompasses an imposing column that captivates guests with light and various colored bottles. Around the bar, there are stools and some high tables, all kept in wood and rust tones. The result is an ambiance that combines relaxed and elegant without appearing stiff. From 16:00, tastings take place at the bar, which also makes Il Calice interesting for spontaneous wine evenings without a reservation.

Cuisine and Concept: More Than Just a Wine Bar

The special thing about Il Calice is that you don’t have to choose between wine and food here. The establishment combines an Italian restaurant, wine bar, and wine shop. Therefore, the wine bar also serves full menus and not just snacks like many other wine bars. Chef Danny Benedettini from Romagna focuses on product and craftsmanship rather than fashionable effects. His dishes concentrate on two, at most three components. This is already evident in the antipasti like Crudo di Ricciola or hand-cut beef tartare with wild garlic, as well as in homemade pasta like Cappelletti with Ragù alla Bolognese or Tagliatelle al Burro with 36-month aged Parmigiano. Moreover, anyone familiar with the terrace on Walter-Benjamin-Platz knows: sitting outside in summer and choosing from this wine list is simply hard to beat.