Berlin. Contributed by N.Neugebauer.
I did a fantastic wine tasting in one of my favourite hotels in Berlin.
The lovely Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rome is located on Bebelplatz, Unter den Linden.
It is a conversion of an existing building constructed in 1889 by architect Ludwig Heim who was the appointed master builder of the government, which housed the head office of Dresdner Bank until 1945. This is a unique luxury hotel in Berlin which you will find in an original building making use of its full architectural splendor and thereby offering guests an authentic Berlin experience.
I The ornate and classical design of the original building has been given a contemporary twist by designer Tommaso Ziffer, who also designed the Hotel de Russie in Rome. Tommaso Ziffer has been assisted by the architects Aukett & Heese with Olga Polizzi and her design team at Rocco Forte Hotels.
Hotel de Rome offers 146 large bedrooms including 61 classic rooms, 27 deluxe rooms, 15 superior deluxe rooms, 30 junior suites, five classic suites three executive suites, two historical deluxe suites, two historic suites and the fantastic 105 sqm so called “Bebel” suite. Most of the rooms have high ceilings and classical proportions and the Bebel suite at Hotel de Rome has a full-length terrace which overlooks the Bebelplatz.
Amazing. All bathrooms have separate walk-in showers and mosaic marble detailing above double ended baths. The restaurant seats 120 and looks onto a large external terrace which will be used for “al fresco” dining during the summer months. The chef offer a cuisine based on traditional Mediterranean cooking.
The bar has a contemporary feel and it features a long bar overlooking Bebelplatz. The Opera Court is a grand room with its original glazed ceiling. It is the focal point for coffee and afternoon tea. During the summer months the roof top terrace offers a breathtaking view over the city.
The ballroom has a double-height ceiling with a glazed roof and accommodates receptions for up to 250 people. Hotel de Rome has a nice spa with a steam, finnish sauna and relaxation area and a fully well-equipped gym.
The original vault of the bank has become a 20 meter swimming pool… we went for a swim which is really georgeous.
It was fun.
Another tip in the Hotel de Rome: the new resto LABANCA, a bit of “stylish bella Italia” in Berlin-City.
The restaurant by Chef de Cuisine Jörg Behrend is located in the groundfloor of Hotel de Rome. The dining room is just cool. Tables are generously spaced, set with good quality linen tablecloths. The kitchen is well staffed.
We tried during the opening the whole menu, eight small courses of tasting menus, including vitello tonnato, watermelon with thuna, caprese, gnocci with parma ham, saltimbocc with spinach and seebass.
Everything was perfect, most of the vegetables are coming from local gardens.
The wine list has coverages from France, Germany, Italy and Spain in particular, with some rare wines as well. We tried Chardonnay by Alois Lageder South-Tyrol and a lovely Riesling from Anthony Hammond, Rheingau.
This worked well with the food, the textural contrast of the different kind of foods was delicious effective and everything tasted very fresh.
The food was attractively presented and also the Barbecue meat had a pleasant meaty taste, but the itself had a slight chewiness of texture, which I was not expecting.
The vegetables had excellent flavour.
The seabass with artichokes, was an unusual dish, tasty and well balanced.
Dessert came in three stages. Classic Pannacotta, Tirami Su and a lovely chocolate bar.
This is a restaurant that can produce genuinely top class dishes, and the control of balancing flavors was impressive. Yummy.
I am in love with the LABANCA, even Sir Rocco Forte joined the opening.
