Sometimes the best things happen when you simply let go. Ivano Pirolo would sign off on that. Over the past few years, he realized he’d lost touch with what he truly loved: creative freedom in the kitchen and dishes that genuinely reflect who he is. He created his own place with the intention to reconnect him with that feeling and remind him what it’s like to be a host. With his wine bar Cielo (open since February 2025), he fulfilled that dream. It’s a sincere place where Mediterranean food, good wine, and a welcoming atmosphere are celebrated. Ivano comes from Irpinia in Campania, southern Italy, a region known for its wine. As a child, he helped his grandparents on their farm, collected mushrooms and chestnuts in the mountains, and experienced the passing seasons via his dinner plate. This connection to nature defines his cooking today. The menu at Cielo is deeply rooted in the seasons. In winter, find cabbage and artichokes; in summer, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant. The dishes are designed to be shared and always carry a Mediterranean touch — raw fish plates, grilled vegetables, homemade croquetas, a crispy yet soft egg, mussels with ‘nduja, and a selection of Italian cheeses and cold cuts. You’ll also find classics like grilled octopus skewers and, of course, fresh pasta — because, as Ivano says, no Italian menu is complete without pasta.
What sets Cielo apart from many other wine bars? Here, the dishes take center stage just as much as the wines themselves. Ivano calls them tapas, but they’re quite unlike what we usually associate with the word. The wine list, curated with sommelier Yannick Kern, brings the best of Italy, Germany, France, and Greece. The result is a mix of natural and classic wines with one clear standard: they’re wines with character, but not overly funky, and not chasing trends. When you spend time at Cielo, you get to know Ivano, not only as the host who welcomes you, but also through his dishes, the wine, the music, and the art on the walls — everything that shaped him growing up. And maybe, if you linger a little, you’ll catch a sense of that Italian sky under which it all began for him.
Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Cielo, Steffen Sinzinger
Cielo, Lenbachstr.7, 10245 Berlin–Friedrichshain; map
@cielo_winebar
