Berlin has a new ambassador of good South-Italian food: it’s called DOCG and it imports almost exclusively products from small producers coming from the Italian province of Avellino.
He is Luca, 32 years old, and in July 2018 he opened DOCG, a small, refined restaurant and wine-bar in Neukölln, south Berlin. After his economic studies in Rome, he came to Berlin in 2013.
He worked for a long time in gastronomy (an experience in the legendary Burgermeister) to save money, make experience and open a space that underlines his origins, Irpinia, lands of mountains and valleys as much apparently “difficult” as consequently rich with products that have a unique taste: black truffles, cheese, oils, hazelnuts, chestnut, garlic, cold cuts and much more besides.
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Homemade Ravioli filled with Bagnoli black truffle
DOCG, The dishes of the “Irpinian” restaurant in Berlin
DOCG, a nice way to sum up the acronym: Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin and in general underline the high quality of every product you can taste inside the place. It is the perfect combination of great quality food, and accessible prices. It could be related to the hidden street that Luca has wisely chosen, but in a few places in Berlin it’s possible to taste a dish like Ravioli with black truffle at only 16,50 euros knowing that all DOCG pasta is handmade by the Neapolitan cook Flavio and the truffle comes directly from Bagnoli Irpino. Other specialties like for examples the exeptional bruschette with Caciocavallo and truffle (7 euros), the truffle’s carpaccio and pistachio pappardelle with dry tomatoes and burrata (13 euros), and entrecôte with truffle sauce (19 euros). It’s an explosion of tastes and smells among which is very hard to choose.
Set of Bruschette topped with Caciocavallo and Bagnoli black truffle
DOCG, The wines
It’s difficult not to be overwhelmed by the wine menu too. Luca prefers small suppliers from his hometown (he was born in Mirabella Eclano) whether it concern of oils or any other products on the menu. (“only some vegetables and Parmigiano are not coming from Irpinia). He has a menu of only Irpinian’s wines, among which many are natural, from Aglianico, Taurasi, to the Fiano, the Greek of Tufo and the Irpinian’s Rosè. The interior design and the nice contrast of colours inside his two rooms (the blue of the walls, the white plaster, the wooden tables, and the yellow and green of the decorating flowers) as well as the terrace, make it a great place where to spend time after dinner, tasting a glass of wine, maybe with one of the various djsets on Saturday evening (starting from 10 pm). The DOCG is also the story of a beautiful friendship born in Berlin. “My right-hand man, fundamental pawn of the entire project is Sali, a guy from Sri Lanka, that I met at the time of Burgermeister. Even with a unique concept, and an eye for quality, if you don’t have a strong team that believes in the project, it’s easy sometimes to lose the courage to follow choices that nobody’s ever tried”. Like, for example, bring- successfully- Irpinia to Berlin.
Cold cuts and fried Mortadella entrecôte
DocG-Berlin
Emser Straße 120, 12051 Berlin – Neukölln
Open Monday-Saturday from 6pm to 12am
info@docg-berlin.de
+49 30 61081586
