The owners of “De Maufel” restaurant in Berlin-Charlottenburg announced on February 1st, 2025, that the establishment will permanently close after its scheduled holiday break. With this closure, what was likely the only Luxembourgish restaurant abroad – and one of the most important ambassadors of the Grand Duchy’s culinary culture – bids farewell.
It’s been 18 years since Luxembourger Luc Wolff and his partner Heike Kaschny opened what was probably the first and only Luxembourgish restaurant outside the country. Success came quickly – in 2011, Gault&Millau awarded “De Maufel” with a chef’s hat and an impressive 14 points.
Guests particularly cherished the restaurant with its small delicatessen – especially the Riesling pastries, which they simply called “Maufel” here to make pronunciation easier for guests in the German capital.
A Graceful Exit
In an email circular sent on February 1st, Wolff and Kaschny explained their reasons for closing: “The decision to sell our MAUFEL wasn’t easy. A key factor was the departure of our head chef Valentino Palumbo at the end of the year, who is pursuing new professional challenges after more than 6 years of excellent work at MAUFEL.” While they considered continuing with a new head chef, 70-year-old Luc Wolff saw this as the right moment to retire and focus entirely on his work as an artist (www.lucwolff.com). Heike Kaschny will pursue new professional plans after a short break, though she hasn’t yet revealed specific details.
They concluded by thanking their guests and staff: “To all guests who accompanied us – whether briefly or for many years – we want to express our heartfelt thanks for all the wonderful moments we shared together! (…) We’ll never forget our amazing staff who supported our project with such dedication and idealism. We remain deeply grateful to them as well.”
We also say thank you to Luc and Heike for their wonderful representation of Luxembourg’s culinary culture abroad over 18 strong years, and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
If you unfortunately missed the chance to visit Luc and Heike during your past trips to Berlin, we have a small consolation for you: In spring 2021, we visited the location and captured the place and its atmosphere in an article, click here to read!
Additionally, Chef Valentino shared his recipe for his delicious pea soup with us. Click here for the recipe!
