Restaurants
Schmidt Z & KO A multi-talent from Steglitz
Map
Opening Times
Tuesday + Wednesday 12-18 h
Thursday to Saturday 12-22 h
Address
Schmidt Z & KO
Rheinstraße 45 - 46
12161 Berlin-Steglitz
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What do you get when a successful wine shop joins forces with two TV chefs? A restaurant that is now in its tenth year of a successful mixed concept. Schmidt Z & KO in Steglitz is a lunch restaurant and wine shop, and on top of that, it serves a sophisticated yet unpretentious 4- or 5-course menu in the evening.
Schmidt Z & KO stands for the union of the Schmidt wine shop with the successful TV chefs Ralf Zacherl and Mario Kotaska, who launched this versatile restaurant back in 2014. With them from the very beginning: chef Marcel Woest, who previously co-cooked at Hartmann's, which had a Michelin star at the time.
Marcel guides us through the culinary evening while sommelière Christiane Dutschmann presents us with her matching wine selection. We start pearly with a Juvé & Camps Pinot Noir Brut Rosé, which is not only visually impressive, while we already get an amuse: a tapioca chip with smoked oyster on cheese cream next to a cream puff filled with horseradish cream cheese with imperial caviar know how to inspire.
We can see the hustle and bustle on the street through the wide window front, but we are more interested in the interior. You can clearly recognise the Schmidt wine shop in Schmidt Z & KO. The straight-lined, modern room in light shades of grey and white is warmed at the sides by the illuminated wine racks that frame the food court.
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In the centre is a large, square counter around which the action is centred. The kitchen is easily visible so that those interested can always catch a glimpse of the delicacies to come. The open kitchen concept makes sense, as Schmidt Z & KO also offers regular cooking classes or wine seminars in its gourmet school.
For the first course, a butter-confected trout from 25 ponds with watercress and watercress oil, which create a beautiful play of colour in the salt lemon beurre blanc, is delicious. The counterpart tastes the vegetarian version: chickpea couscous with smoked paprika, tomato, goat's cheese spuma and candied wild garlic.
To match the respective plates, we get two special bottles in our glass. With the fish, a Königsberg Riesling from the Rauen family winery, and with the couscous, a Scheurebe from Wagner Stempel in Rheinhessen. The latter convinced us so much with its spiciness that we bought a few more bottles for home. Of course, it's practical when the restaurant is also a wine shop.
Marcel's cuisine gives us a wonderful evening. Whether it's the rabbit ballotine, a tender meat roll with dashi, pea puree and yuzu gel, or the likewise rolled chard capuns with duxelles and green spelt. Marcel brought the Swiss speciality back from his time there as part of the vegetarian menu.
The dessert of incomparably light white chocolate ice cream with rhubarb compote and popped wheat with white chocolate and cocoa butter is accompanied by another drink highlight: Ferdinand's Rosé Vermouth is an excellent dessert wine that brings the wine accompaniment (32/39 euros) to a worthy conclusion.
Schmidt Z & KO is not only a great place for lunch but also for an excellent dinner menu. With a few bottles in our luggage, we leave satisfied and look forward to the next time.
