"Rutz is a wine-lover’s dream: a wall lined floor-to-ceiling with bottle after glorious bottle. A Mitte pioneer when it opened on a not-so-nice street in 2001, the restaurant has evolved with the times, earning its second Michelin star in 2017. You can chat over glasses of wine and meaty dishes in the downstairs wine bar; upstairs is the classy taupe-colored restaurant and outdoor terrace, with tables crammed with half-finished glasses left over from pairings. Chef Marco Müller serves up local, seasonal ingredients with modern flavors; think venison with black trumpet mushrooms and blackberries, or springwater trout with kohlrabi and charcoal. Plates are small and are best ordered as a seven- or eight-course Inspirations Menu—it's pricey, but it's a good way to sample the kitchen’s eclectic style. Desserts tend toward the savory—like the plum and wild rose with oxalic acid, hay and pine, and yeast dumpling—and may not be to everyone’s taste. But a sweet glass of Riesling may do the trick." - Liz Humphreys
