Otto Berlin has quickly become one of Berlin's most compelling culinary newcomers since its launch last fall. The restaurant is run by Berlin-native Vadim Otto Ursus, a 27-year-old chef who has worked across the globe—from the Faroe Islands and Oslo to Lisbon and Mexico. Some 70 kilometers from the capital, in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve, Ursus operates B34, a test kitchen and research laboratory. Here, he experiments with local hunters' game and produce from organic farms, exploring fermentation and other preservation techniques to develop layered flavors and textures. He's equally passionate about foraging and processing wild herbs and fruits.

At Otto Berlin's intimate 19-seat counter, guests discover pickles with Brandenburg raw milk butter, wild boar tartare with fermented tomatoes, whole roasted char with foraged herbs, and raw milk ice cream with preserved elderberries and plum kernel oil. Now open for lunch service, the restaurant inhabits the former Schädels espresso bar, nestled beside the historic Oderberger bathhouse in Prenzlauer Berg. The building itself—a seven-story reinforced concrete structure with wooden façade by BARarchitekten—stands as one of Berlin's most striking examples of contemporary independent architecture, having garnered multiple awards. Inside, raw exposed concrete dominates the interior aesthetic, while every plate tells a story of Ursus's culinary craft and locally sourced ingredients.

www.ottoursus.de

Photography Credits:

Robert Rieger
www.robrie.com

(Originally published in CUBE Berlin 01|20)