Terra Vino: The Best Restaurant in Bad Godesberg

As I start wrapping up my life here in Germany, I was thinking about what restaurants I want to eat at one last time. While I've had a number of good meals while living here, there really is only one place that I feel like I need to visit for certain before I leave: Terra Vino in Bad Godesberg.

Hidden behind a strip of nondescript stores off Koblenzer Strasse in the center of the village, Terra Vino is hard to find. The address, Hubertinumshof 11, is located in a courtyard that looks more like a parking lot. I lived in Bad Godesberg for months before I even knew the place existed. A neighbor recommended the place, claiming that it was "some of the best Italian food he's ever eaten." It took me a few trips to the town center before I successfully found the restaurant he described.

Boy, am I glad I finally found it. Once getting past the unassuming facade and the even more unassuming front entrance you are transported into a charming dinning space. It is best to reserve a table ahead of time, to make sure you can sit at one of the long tables with benches it the back. The walls are lined with dark wood shelves that hold hundreds of bottles of wine. Classified by type and then region Kevin and I usually order one of the Chianti Classicos.

With no written menus, the wait staff explains the day's specials. The selections change regularly, but usually includes a salad, antipasti, brusetta, few pasta dishes, a fish, and a meat dish. The salads are fresh and perfectly dressed, the antipasti platter contains a nice sampling of cured meats and cheeses, but the brusetta is hands down my favorite. With lightly tasted bread, a generous topping of tomatoes and onions, and a fruity olive oil, it is hard to believe that such a simple combination can be so good.

For an entree, I almost always get pasta. I have never been disappointed. All are made from scratch daily, and most often simply dressed. The light and flavorful gnocchi, for example, comes dressed in either pesto or tomato sauce with a hefty sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. There is also usually a stuffed or baked pasta offered. Here, again, the straightforward simple executions are delivered to perfection.

Kevin's favorite item is the baked fish. Always a medium-sized whole fish, such as a dorade, a few lemon slices and green onions are tucked inside the fish that is then wrapped in foil and cooked. The result is a moist, flavorful meal where the taste of the fish is allowed to shine.

We've never ordered dessert, which includes a selection of traditional Italian specialties. For us, lingering over a cappuccino is the perfect way to end the meal.

Terra Vino
Hubertinumshof 11
53175 Bonn - Bad Godesberg

• Phone: 02 28 / 3 29 78 58
• E-mail: terraone@t-online.de
• Open: Monday through Saturday; closed Sundays
• Lunch 11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.; dinner 6:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.