As someone who only recently started exploring the world of wine, I’ve always felt a bit intimidated. A wine menu with pages upon pages of options, each with different regions, notes, and years, not knowing what any of it means. But at Sabon, the intimidation disappears. Sabon is a Mediterranean wine bistro founded by Luca Simon and Dustin Franke, built around the things they enjoy most: good wine, simple food, and long evenings with friends. Luca is half Italian with roots in Emilia-Romagna, while Dustin has been living in Berlin for fourteen years. Before Sabon, the two opened Bar Nonno together in Schöneberg. With Sabon, they want to bring together Mediterranean inspirations from Italy, Portugal, Spain, and France in one place. Essentially, they want a space where visitors feel at ease (nothing intimidating in sight). Kind of like a friend’s living room, where you spontaneously stop by for a glass of wine, some oysters or pasta, and stay for hours. Especially now that Berlin is getting warm again, the outdoor seating on Oderberger Straße makes it easy to settle in for the entire evening. Every wine on the list is available by the glass, which all cost eight euros, and you can taste before deciding on a bottle. The focus isn’t on making wine feel intellectual, but approachable and genuinely enjoyable.

While I was there, we tried three types of wines: two orange and a classic red. The La Sapata Orange Feteasca Regala was light and funky, while the Moinho do Gato Tinto was balanced with dark fruit. But the real surprise was the Sumenjak Pinot Grigio Orange — my favorite of the three, which says a lot from someone who doesn’t gravitate towards orange wines. Much of the inspiration came from cozy places in Berlin and Lisbon, as well as Mediterranean bistros where people sit outside for hours, sharing food and wine. The space used to be a café and barbershop with a wall separating the two. When taking it over, Luca decided to tear down the wall and open it up. Once they started removing the wallpaper, the left room had gorgeous blue paint, which they now call the “Blau Zaal”. It’s the perfect room to reserve for a birthday dinner or a party. The menu changes regularly, with seasonal dishes and a weekly wine special, so there’s always a reason to come back.

Text: Stefania Basano / Photos: Mohit Amlani

Sabon, Oderberger Str.43, 10435 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map

@sabon_weinbistro