Foodnews
When star cuisine is reflected in the interior The Rutz shines in a new guise
Map
Opening Times
Monday to Friday 18-22
Address
Rutz Restaurant
Chausseestrasse 8
10115 Berlin-Mitte
.How to get there
Contact
Engaging at first glance, this is how Rutz Restaurant presents itself in a new guise. An impressive two-storey wall panel adorned over and over with large clay and glass jars with all kinds of whimsical contents, with dried fish hanging in the middle - an absolute eye-catcher in the newly designed premises.
In reference to the location near the Natural History Museum and Marco Müller's impressive refinement in food-preparation, the storage cellar was plundered to redesign Berlin's only 3-star restaurant. Since 15 March 2022, the Rutz Family has welcomed its guests back to Chausseestraße in Berlin's Mitte district.
Without question, the Rutz can be described as a perfect overall package. Not only the outstanding food served here by kitchen director Marco Müller, chef Dennis Quetsch and their team (the Guide Michelin calls it a "concise cuisine that goes its own way"), but also the passionate and cordial service by restaurant manager Falco Mühlichen and the outstanding wine selection by head sommelière Nancy Großmann are convincing across the board.
1 | 10
The interior has followed suit and also corresponds to the ambience of a 3-star establishment. "We have outgrown our old clothes," explains Anja Schmidt and architect Prof. Gesine Weinmiller continues: "Like a tailor-made suit, we have interwoven the workshop as well as the cooking and guest rooms. They are no longer separate worlds, but the kitchen, storage and guest space are one."
What Anja Schmidt also emphasises: "We have changed the dress, but the team has still been there for a long time and that makes us proud. They have created what we are now." It's Berlin's only 3-star restaurant and, for 21 years, a family-run house without an investor behind it. Regionality, sustainability, an eye for detail and outstanding craftsmanship play a significant role in Marco Müller's cuisine and are now reflected in the interior.
With a keen sense for the kitchen and its young, international Rutz family, the couple Anja and Carsten Schmidt and the Berlin architect Prof. Gesine Weinmiller have created an environment that pays appropriate tribute to the achievements of the kitchen and service. Unusual materials such as the natural stone walls made of Brannenburg Nagelfluh, warm walnut wood and, of course, the large showcase demonstrating the enormous creative potential. "Our centrepiece has been transported right into the restaurant," says Marco Müller. "We will continue to perfect what we have on our doorstep."
And we get to taste a little of it at the opening: the dry-aged carp with elderberry leaf and blossom as a signature dish, for example - and it almost leaves us speechless. The carp from Müritz was allowed to rest for three days; its meat, presented here as tartare, is reminiscent of yellowfin, and not only in its colour. Inevitably, one asks oneself: why exactly is this fish spurned?
Marco Müller gives this unpopular fish a finesse that is in no way inferior to tuna. He grills his chops for it and, as is customary at the Rutz, processes all parts from the animal: the roe is dried, the scales are turned into crisp, even the long bones are cleaned and stored for later.
For example, Marco Müller finds some of the ingredients, the unripe elderberries, on his daily jogging rounds at Grunewald. These are the tools used in this kitchen: The incredible diversity of nature, which the Rutz kitchen transforms into great flavours. And so it comes as little surprise that the pickled spruce needle shoots, kombucha or awakened vegetables are given their place of honour at Rutz. The intention behind the renovation was to provide a resonating space for this special cuisine and the grandiose service.
The latter also surprises in its informal and cordial way - so very different from what you would expect from a 3-star restaurant. After this enchanting evening, we feel light and relaxed (possibly also a little from the exclusive twenty-one-litre birthday bottle with which we toasted to 21 years of Rutz). You should see, taste and, above all, experience this wonderful place with all your senses.
