Variety, more vegetarian and regional dishes – 334 restaurants nationwide have been awarded the coveted Michelin stars for the highest level of culinary art in a relaxed, cultivated atmosphere. In the new edition of the “Guide Michelin” presented on Tuesday, the previous year’s record was even topped by seven stars.
With the “Jan” restaurant in Munich, there is now another three-star restaurant in the highest category, as well as 8 new two-star restaurants and 34 new restaurants with one star. The south and southwest are still ahead in top gastronomy – but big cities are an interesting place to be. “A lot has happened in Berlin in particular,” said the director of the “Michelin Guide” for Germany and Switzerland, Ralf Flinkenflügel. He is impressed by the variety and simplicity in the capital.
“It was an unusual year in a difficult environment. We never expected such a positive result,” he said. The bars are well frequented again after the Corona period. But times are difficult economically and there is a shortage of skilled workers.
But the chefs of the top gastronomy don’t show their problems. According to the Michelin testers, they cook at a consistently high level and are increasingly focusing on sustainability. They were impressed by the commitment, courage and flexibility with which the restaurateurs defied all odds. In order to be able to maintain the quality with a smaller team, some restaurants reacted with shorter opening hours and leaner menus.
Rising star of the year is Jan Hartwig, who jumped into the Olympus of stars with his restaurant “Jan” in Munich’s Museumsquartier. Already known for his three-star cuisine from the “Atelier” in Munich, he has now impressed in his own restaurant. Hartwig was awarded three stars for his creative cuisine and perfect craftsmanship. “I’m speechless,” said the visibly moved Hartwig. As a chef you put in so much effort every day, but to get the third star is incredible. He thanked his team, his partner and family.
There are now 10 three-star restaurants in Germany, 50 two-star restaurants and 274 one-star restaurants.
Among the eight new two-star restaurants, the Michelin testers highlighted “Alois – Dallmayr Fine Dining” in Munich, which received two stars immediately after its reopening under the kitchen management of Max Natmessnig.
Of the 34 new one-star restaurants, the Berlin restaurants “The NOname” and “Bonvivant” received special mention. The latter has earned the award with purely vegetarian or vegan cuisine. The increase in stars in Freiburg is also remarkable: there are three new one-star restaurants here with the “Colombi Restaurant”, the “Eichhalde” and the “Wolfshöhle”. The “Sahila – The Restaurant” in Cologne received a star for diversity, where Julia Komp implements culinary impressions after a trip around the world.
The testers were pleased with the increasing awareness of sustainability, regionality and seasonality. For this, 72 restaurants now have a green star. 274 restaurants nationwide have a “Bib Gourmand” for the best value for money.
Four awards were also presented for special performance by the restaurant teams: Christian Bau from the three-star restaurant “Victor’s Fine Dining by Christian Bau” in Perl-Nennig, Saarland, was honored as “Mentor Chef” because he imparted valuable know-how to the next generation . For him, good service means “a warm and friendly atmosphere” – competent but never lecturing, emphasized Bau. At the same time he appealed to all chefs: “We have had to fight for guests for many years, now we have to fight for staff.” We must now stick together and fight together for fair working conditions and wages.
Alina Meissner-Bebrout received the “Young Chef Award” and star with her restaurant “bi:braud” in Ulm. The “Service Award” went to Mona Schrader from the two-star restaurant “Jante” in Hanover. Christophe Meyer from “Le Pavillon” in the Black Forest town of Bad Peterstal-Griesbach was honored for his wine expertise. When asked what the party trend was at the moment, he replied: “It’s champagne”.
But there are not only winners: In 28 cases, stars were deleted. TV chef Frank Rosin with his “Rosin” in Dorsten in North Rhine-Westphalia only has one star left. “The quality was no longer at the level of previous years,” said Michelin. Some stars were also lost due to closures, a change of team or – as in the case of Winkler – the death of the patron. The “Restaurant Heinz Winkler” in Aschau, Bavaria, had two stars removed because the legendary chef died at the end of October. “It has a certain tragedy,” regrets Flinkenflügel. The restaurant wants to reposition itself in May and try to build on past successes.
Winkler, who learned from chefs of the century like Paul Bocuse and Eckart Witzigmann, even had three stars for more than 20 years with interruptions. He later cooked as Witzigmann’s successor in the “Tantris” in Munich, which was long considered the epitome of haute cuisine in Germany. In 1981, at the age of 31, Winkler was the youngest three-star chef.
From Flinkenflügel’s point of view, everyone deserves praise: “We are really proud of what has developed in the last year. There was so much passion. There is so much work behind it. That’s remarkable.”
The Michelin Guide is published in 41 countries, including Europe, the USA and Asia. Behind the renowned red restaurant guide is the French tire manufacturer of the same name. In Germany, the first “Guide Michelin” appeared in 1910, at that time still dedicated to “gentlemen motorists” and mainly provided with road routes. The first Michelin stars in Germany were awarded in 1966.
In addition to the “Guide Michelin”, the restaurant guide “Gault
