Nobelhart & Schmutzig - something of a mouthful even by German linguistic standards - is the name of the new restaurant which Billy Wagner, restaurateur and several-times sommelier of the year, has opened together with chef Micha Schäfer in Berlin after a run-up of almost six years. The long-awaited opening of this innovative dining establishment at Friedrichstrasse 128, which focuses on regional cuisine in both a traditional and modern vein, took place in February 2015.

The sanitary areas at this unusual venue and the open kitchen integrated in the dining area have been fitted out with products from Villeroy & Boch:  Files featuring the interior design colour concept, together with washbasins, WCs and urinals boasting innovative functions. "Villeroy & Boch and Nobelhart & Schmutzig go together perfectly, as both stand for innovative ideas and concepts which are far ahead of their time," says Thimo Franke, head of commercial sales Germany at Villeroy & Boch. "As a partner for international project business, we are experts for individual solutions, particularly when it comes to out-of-the-ordinary designs at top locations."

Uncompromisingly local

Nobelhart & Schmutzig was long renowned as Germany's best-known yet-to-open restaurant. The unusual name was inspired by an article about polo in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. Billy Wagner explains: "The headline was 'Nobel, hart und schmutzig.'" Which translates roughly as "Refined, tough and dirty." After giving the matter much consideration and carrying out a few modifications, we decided on this name. For us, "refined" stands for uncompromising quality and prime products, but without the classic fancy fare such as foie gras, caviar or lobster. "Tough" stands for our unusually hard-edged approach, which comes as something of a surprise in our line of catering. "And an evening to relish always has something wild and dirty about it."

The idea behind the all-embracing concept that defines Nobelhart & Schmutzig is as simple as it is ingenious. "We want to show the people who live in Berlin the variety of products that are available in the city and its surroundings while at the same time supporting the producers in Berlin and the surrounding area. As such, our menu is always geared to the time of year and the availability of products. In a word - uncompromisingly local," says Wagner.

"We only use what nature provides in our local area. This means that we have to do without olive oil, pepper, nutmeg, citrus fruits, vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate, for example" Schäfer adds. A carefully coordinated menu comprising ten courses is on offer every day - nothing more, nothing less.

The virtual kitchen table

The head chef plays a special role at Nobelhart & Schmutzig, guiding the guests through the evening by determining the fare on offer and the order of courses. In keeping with the restaurant's concept, Berlin designer Michael Sans has designed the interior in collaboration with Gerold Bauer from the Edgar Fuchs firm, fully integrating the kitchen into the dining area. The kitchen is surrounded by a counter with seating for 26. "The counter is where everything happens, the virtual kitchen table, as it were," explains Sans. The guests have a front-row view of their food being prepared. In addition to the seats at the counter there is a large, oval table for up to 14 people. "The excellent chemistry between Gerold Bauer and myself was key to the success of this project. I looked after the interior design and art direction, while he was responsible for the kitchen installations and the construction work," says Sans. 

Modern clarity and cleanliness

In designing and fitting out the kitchen and the sanitary facilities, Wagner, Schäfer and Sans focused on modern clarity and perfect cleanliness: "The guests are intimately involved in the kitchen action and it is equally important that they feel at ease when they visit the toilet." Villeroy & Boch products have been installed in both areas.

The walls and flooring in the sanitary facilities have been fitted out with Villeroy & Boch tiles from the Pro Architectura system concept - the walls feature large, glazed tiles in dark blue-grey, while the floors are surfaced with matching unglazed dark blue-grey tiles. Inside the restaurant, tiles have been chosen in colours suited to the overall concept. Tiles from the Colorvision range have been used as eye-catching features that help define the character of the room. The green shades light softly green, dark softly green and palm green harmonise well alongside the basic tile in snowy white. With the CeramicPlus surface finish, these wall tiles require a minimum of care and are particularly easy to clean. The visible wall of the cold kitchen features Colorvision tiles in complementary light water blue, again with a CeramicPlus finish. To match the bare concrete and screed surfaces, the kitchen floor consists of tiles from the Unit Three range in graphite.

Surface-mounted washbasins from the Architectura professional system were used to create designer washing areas in the ladies' and men's toilets. The rimless DirectFlush Subway 2.0 WCs combine modern design with innovative functionality: instead of a conventional rim they feature an intelligent water flow system and special splash protection along the rim, which enable the inner bowl to be flushed without any splashing. The WCs have been installed using the new ViConnect frame system with round flush plates in matt chrome. The urinals from the Architectura range are fitted with ViChange cartridges which can be replaced in a straightforward manner without tools and without having to remove the urinal from the wall.

"As a German company, Villeroy & Boch fits in perfectly with our regional concept. We wanted the sanitary facilities and tiles to add a special value and a certain timeless quality to our restaurant. As such, Villeroy & Boch was the natural choice."