La Sepia

restaurant in Berlin

The convenient location, just off the Kurfürstendamm, makes the La Sepia a favourite of local “lusophiles” and the place gets really full! It was only a question of time and the right premises before José Moreira would open a “sucursal” of his very successful El Pulpo in Hamburg, the German city with almost as many Portuguese restaurants as Bairro Alto or Alfama – well, not really, but Hamburg sure has many …

Portuguese cuisine has been picking the jewel dishes of their Iberian neighbours for a few decades already and, as such, guests may expect the best of Spain and Portugal - from gazpacho and succulent paella to cataplana specialities or arroz de marisco (a rice dish with seafood). Fish - lots of fish! - is fresh out of the salt-water tank (bait is on the house!) and the staff manning the open kitchen have a welcome ear to any particular request.

On a recent visit our wish to a have a cod-fish variation – bacalhau á Gomes de Sá - not listed on the menu, was immediately fulfilled. And the idea of placing a bottle of wine on the table and billing us, generously, only for the amount consumed, made us feel very much at home.

The atmosphere is relaxed and indeed “very Portuguese”. Service is good and multilingual. A suitable selection of Portuguese and Spanish wines round up the offer. Então, e sendo assim, bom apetite!