At Hugos, chef Thomas Kammeier’s Michelin-starred Berlin restaurant, the panoramic views of the German capital are matched by equally panoramic views of the world’s food and wine. In dishes such as rabbit leg, saddle, melon, pineapple, coconut, and Thai basil; and goose liver glazed, Pattaya mango sorbet and compote, Kammeier mixes international influences with locally sourced ingredients. On the wine list, the sommelier team pulls off a similar trick, matching a strong collection of German wines, with the best of the rest of the world.
What the judges at the World’s Best Wine Lists awards found particularly impressive about the Hugos list, however, was its pick of producers. The list is long, but it has personality, whether the team is picking out Stéphane Tissot in the Jura, Yann Chave in the Rhône, or Wittmann and Jochen Dreissigacker in the Rheinhessen. With creative pairings offered for Kammeier’s multi-course menus, this, clearly, is a restaurant with wine close to its heart.