My go-to every time I'm in Heidelberg. This place is under-rated at anything below 5 stars. I've…read morebeen here alone, on dates, with colleagues and even with my parents - all were equally impressed by the wine, the food and the ambiance.
The wines by the glass are fantastic - my favourite is the Montepulciano - and they've a full selection in bottles. It's a wine bar so maybe that's expected; where they really excel is with the food.
When ordering a main course, you're first treated to a flavourful amuse bouche. The steaks are top-notch, and the other mains (I've tried most of them) are large (sometimes too large), scrumptious and well-presented.
The starters really stand out here too. My favourite is the Antipasto Italiano (great for sharing), while the salads are excellent too. Another favourite is the great-value, brine-cured mountain of Italian olives for €5.50.
On ordering food you'll also be served freshly baked Italian bread, high quality olive oil with a slightly sharp bite, and sea salt. This is such a tasty combination that I find it hard to resist filling up on oil-dipped bread before the food even arrives!
Finally, I love the friendly staff, who recognise and greet me every time, even though I live thousands on a different continent. Service is attentive and friendly by European standards; it's not the US so don't expect to be annoyed every 2 minutes by someone sniffing for tips and filling your water glass and asking how everything is.
This restaurant is open late and takes credit cards - perfect for the jetlagged international traveller. They're located in Weststadt, right beside most of Heidelberg's international hotels. So you've no excuse not to stop by when in town.
