Where to go for classical, French food in Berlin? Not a question answered easily, but Brasserie “Jules Verne” in the West Berlin’s district of Charlottenburg is a good place to start. The iconic neighbourhood restaurant, located right under the S-Bahn tracks of Charlottenburg’s Savignyplatz, is a West Berlin institution, which was just about to celebrate its 20-year anniversary this spring when suddenly the COVID-19 pandemic struck and cancelled everybody’s plans. In collaboration with Mouton Cadet wine I sat down with Hassan Abdel Meguid, the owner over Jules Verne, to speak about the Berlin restaurant scene in 2020 over a few glasses of Mouton Cadet’s new line “Les Parcelles” and a selection of the French dishes available at Jules Verne.

Hassan was already planning the 20th anniversary party of his restaurant when he was forced to close the doors of Jules Vernes during the mandated Corona-lockdown of March 2020. “It’s definitely been a strange year” Hassan described as he opened up the “Les Parcelles” Blanc on the terrace table where we had taken a seat and continued “but all things considered, we’re doing alright. We opened up for service again in May and our guests and partners are being very supportive and helping us get through this crisis. We’ll just have to celebrate 21 years next year instead.” he adds with a smile. Hassan had chosen the white Mouton Cadet cuvée (70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon) to go with our starter selection and as he was pouring the wine, his head waiter Steve (of course in a Mouton Cadet mask) served us the first dishes: A dozen fresh Fin de Claire and Giraldeaux oysters, buttery Escargots snails and a massive bowl of their luscious, homemade Bouillabaisse soup.

“The cold “Mouton Cadet” with its fruity chalk and clay elegance proved to be very drinkable in the summer heat and a great match for the splendid food in front of us.”

The oysters were perfect start for the hot summer afternoon and I hadn’t had Escargots and Bouillabaisse this good for a long time.

Mouton Cadet belongs to the lineup of family-owned Bordeaux winemaker Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Since it’s first vintage in 1930, the wine is deeply embedded in its Bordeaux Terroir and with the new “Les Parcelles” line, Baron Philippe de Rothschild has taken this wine to the next level. Available as a Blanc and a Rosé, the grapes for the “Les Parcelles” are sourced from a limited amount of selected Bordeaux vineyard parcels, who all are HVE-certified, which means that the partner-winegrowers adhere to the highest standards of environmentally-friendly agriculture based on monitored practices of protection of biological diversity, plant conservation, sustainable fertilization and water resource management.

“All practices implemented to protect both the terroir and the people who work and live there.”

“I’m a sucker for good produce and wine” Hassan revealed to me as we were making our way through the meal. “We serve all kinds of food in our restaurant, among other things we are famous for our Wiener Schnitzel, but I’m very proud of our classical French dishes” the native Egyptian revealed to me as we ate. “These are my favourite oyster varieties and the Bouillabaisse we make from scratch in the kitchen every day.” When it comes to Corona, Hassan remained a pragmatic: “No one knows what’s going to happen this winter, but if this spring taught us one thing, then it’s resilience. I’m confident that we’ll find our way through this crisis eventually and that we’re going to have a big celebration at some point next year.”

As we geared up for the main courses Hassan opened the 2019 Les Parcelles Rosé made from 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from a single vineyard in Castillon from a Terroir right by the river. The result is a crisp and elegant Rosé with lots of berry fruit and fulminant finale, strong enough to carry my main dish: Steak et Frites, the Brasserie classic, here served as a perfectly cooked US Prime Entrecôte, crispy seared on the outside and juicy on the inside, served with homemade fries and poached vegetables. Sitting on the sidewalk terrace, chatting with Hassan and watching Charlottenburg life happen around us and regulars dropping in one after one for their meals, I was happy that I finally found my way to Jules Verne. Thanks and cheers to my partners from Mouton Cadet for making this encounter and dinner happen and for supporting me Berlin Food Stories and the local restaurant scene in these times.