Berlin
Restaurant Matthias opens
BERLIN: Restaurant Matthias opens today in Berlin's Kollwitz neighbourhood, run by hostess Janine Woltaire and chef Silvio Pfeufer - a duo characterised not only by their passion for fantastic food and excellent service, but also by their deep connection to Berlin. Now, together with an initiator couple with a great love of Burgundy wines and exquisite cuisine, who were loyal regular customers of the pair, they are fulfilling their dream of opening their first restaurant. Woltaire and Pfeufer say: "We want to enrich the city's culinary landscape with a relaxed vibe and genuine hospitality."
The name of the restaurant alludes to Silvio Pfeufer's family background and also serves as an appreciation of tradition and craftsmanship, which his grandfather Hans Matthias established with his butcher's shop in Prenzlauer Berg. As a native Berliner, Pfeufer and Janine Woltaire bring new culinary impulses to the neighbourhood. "The basis of my dishes is French cuisine, inspired from all over the world and interpreted in a contemporary way," says Pfeufer. "My focus is always on the top-quality product. For me, this includes classics such as caviar and truffles as well as home-baked sourdough bread or dry-aged beetroot."
Silvio Pfeufer completed his training as a chef in a family business in the Black Forest, followed by stints at the five-star Arosa Kulm Hotel in Graubünden and the Michelin-starred restaurant Kai3 on Sylt. From 2015 to 2018, he cooked alongside Jan Hartwig as the Atelier rose from a one-star to a three-star restaurant. In summer 2018, he finally returned to Berlin to head up the kitchen at Einsunternull after a stint at the two-star restaurant Facil. During this time, he developed an independent, modern, product-focused style of cooking, giving the restaurant its new profile and defending its star. He knows and appreciates his new, old sous chef Milan Schock from this time.
Janine Woltaire is also part of the management team and hostess at Matthias. The sommelière has gained experience at various renowned establishments such as the 3-star Restaurant Rutz, the 1-star Restaurant Cinco by Paco Pérez at Hotel Das Stue and the 2-star Restaurant Horváth in Kreuzberg. She was constantly delighted to receive awards from various restaurant guides, including Der Feinschmecker, which named Woltaire "Hostess of the Year" in 2020/2021, and Gusto, which praised her as "Sommelière of the Year 2021". This was followed in 2023 by her nomination as Host of the Year at the Berlin Master Chefs and recognition from Busche Verlag as 'Germany's Top 50 Sommelière'. Woltaire most recently worked as restaurant manager at the newly awarded Hallmann&Klee.
At Matthias, she is supported by fellow sommelier Michael Stiel, whom Woltaire knows from their time together at Restaurant Horváth. "Together, we clearly focus on selected wines from artisan wineries. We maintain personal relationships with the winemakers as much as possible and concentrate on the regions of Germany, Austria, Burgundy and Chianti Classico. With around 250 positions to start with, we hope to be able to offer a nice depth of vintages. And we love all kinds of bubbles," says Woltaire happily. Despite this, the aim is for their range to be approachable and low-threshold, catering for the local neighbourhood as well as the international foodie crowd. "Even if we have a special bottle for 1,000 euros in the cellar, guests can get a glass of wine for as little as 8 euros," promises Woltaire.
The interior of Matthias reflects the philosophy of the restaurant: open, warm and inviting, yet minimalist and clear. Earthy tones and wooden elements create a cosy atmosphere. The chairs come from the Berlin vintage chair manufacturer Terravinossa, which has refurbished the furniture for Matthias. "We want Matthias to be inclusive. It's not an elitist place, but an oasis of well-being that people want to come back to again and again - whether it's for a quick dinner with a bottle of wine or an opulent evening where there's perhaps a little too much of everything and we constantly spoil and surprise our guests," Woltaire and Pfeufer agree.
The gourmet restaurant combines quality with freshness, strong flavours and complexity. The basis is French cuisine, which is interpreted in a modern way and stands for depth of flavour. The motto: enjoyment without labels, but with a lot of heart, soul and fun. Matthias has 30 seats inside, or alternatively on the terrace in summer. The restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturday from 6.30 pm (kitchen closes at 11 pm) and also on Saturdays during the day between 12.30 and 4 pm for lunch parallel to Kollwitzmarkt. Further information and booking options can be found at www.matthiasrestaurant.com.
