Would you rather sit beneath the red umbrellas, facing Charlottenburg’s handsome prewar façades, or settle into the mustard-yellow banquette surrounded by oversize paintings? Either way, Bottega Seppel is inviting — the kind of Charlottenburg restaurant where you end up staying longer than planned. And that’s about more than its considered interior. The attention to aesthetics is personal. Lidia and her partner, Luiz, both native Berliners, have touched nearly every plank of wood and tile in the place with their own hands. They charred timber, knocked down walls, laid tile, and applied generous amounts of color before Bottega Seppel finally opened in October 2024. The name, which to my ear suggests something closer to a humble neighborhood tavern, is a remnant of childhood. Seppel was an old nickname. For Lidia, it still conjures “long evenings around the table, clinking glasses, good food, loud laughter and the lovely feeling that there’s always room for one more.” We start on the sheltered terrace, where the red umbrellas evoke vacation mood. French bistro chairs and the unhurried rhythm of a Charlottenburg evening do the rest. Around us is the pleasant blur of conversation — different languages, different subjects. The easygoing arrival soon gives way to some unexpected crunch. Tiny crisp curry leaves on a scallop are surprisingly delightful. So is the little arancino perched on basil mayonnaise, the sort of crunchy bite that makes you salivate for another. But then…
….the house-made ricotta arrives, creamy and served with vegetables. While you’re still wondering how they do it quite so smoothly — from inside, incidentally, you can peek into the open kitchen — the main course may already be on its way. We glance at the plates across from us, purely because friends happen to be sitting there (the world is small, or perhaps it’s just Charlottenburg). They order the tartare — one serving, then another the moment the plate is licked clean. We, however, have gone for the “Seppel Chicken”. The bird is in the logo, after all. It sounds considerably less fancy and looks the part, too, but its straightforwardness is precisely the appeal. “Simple is good,” as the Seppel team likes to say. Things become less simple when you turn to the drinks list, or merely look around at what’s landing on neighboring tables. The vivid green Basil Smash is hard to ignore, and the Espresso Martini appears to have a loyal following. The wine selection is extensive, but we keep things uncomplicated (and coordinate with the umbrellas) with the very good house rosé, followed by the nonalcoholic house spritz with beetroot, which is pleasingly, mercifully, not sweet. A little sweetness is welcome at the end, though, particularly in the form of chocolate mousse with sea salt. And there is another ingredient that seems to season everything at Bottega Seppel: genuine warmth, courtesy of the people working there. It may be the most important one, and one reason you leave this Charlottenburg restaurant not only full, but in a noticeably better mood. And if the name has been ringing a bell, you’re not imagining it. There is now a smaller, more casual sister called Seppli. But that’s an outing for another day.
Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Aditya Christian
Bottega Seppel, Giesebrechtstr.3, 10629 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
@bottegaseppel
