Agata Reul – Host with a star

When she decided to open her own restaurant, she already had her own vision. She decided on the décor and furnishing for the restaurant. And because of this, her guests experience something only a few restaurants manage to do: they feel that they are visiting friends rather than entering a culinary temple, all thanks to the light, colours and décor, but mainly thanks to the atmosphere. The staff are warm, accommodating and very professional. But Agata Reul’s charm and her desire for casual perfection trump everything else. She does not want to be described as a gastronome, a restaurateur and restaurant owner or even as a business woman. She calls herself a host and that is exactly how she sees her role.

At first glance and first ‘bite’, no one would guess that Agata Reul is from Poland. But when you look more closely, you can recognise her Polish roots, both in her accent and in her hospitality. Agata also consciously decided not to have an “H” in the restaurant name to show her Polish origins. Her heritage can also be seen in the bar and on a stylish sideboard on top of which can be found the best sorts of Polish vodka. And on the menu, there are Polish ravioli in truffle sauce which are nothing more than perfectly made Pierogi (ravioli), one of the typical Polish specialities. And many of the ingredients on the menu come directly from Poland, often from her grandparents’ garden. She makes a point of telling her guests that, for example, the Asian-looking dessert was made from apples that came directly from her grandparents in Poland. On the menu, these elements of Polish cuisine are combined with Asian influences.

Chef Jörg Wissmann’s has some of his roots in Korea. He gained his experience in renowned restaurants, such as “Vendome”, which was awarded three Michelin stars, and in the Japanese starred restaurant “Nagaya” in Düsseldorf, before moving to “Agata’s” in 2012 and being named the best chef in Düsseldorf a year later.

Not to be overlooked or ignored is ‘perhaps the capital’s best sommelier” – Roman Goldshteyn who, after leaving Russia for Germany, also lived in Poland and speaks several languages. Roman currently has an arsenal of around 500 types of wine in the cellar at “Agata’s”. He is an absolute professional in his field, has a great sense of humour and imagination, and managed his own restaurant back in the day.

Perhaps it is this mixture that is the source of their success? A Pole who trained to be a professional chef in Germany, a German chef with Korean roots and an experienced and imaginative citizen of the world as sommelier?