Berlin is and always will be a city for foodies! Every year, awards are presented to outstanding individuals and culinary concepts that shape Berlin’s diverse restaurant scene. The Meisterköche - Berlin Master Chefs awards are not just about excellent cuisine, but also about creative ideas, warm hospitality and special places where people come together.
But who particularly impressed the jury this year? Which restaurants should you definitely visit, and where are some genuine culinary surprises waiting for you? We’re introducing you to the 2026 award winners and revealing which restaurants and bars you simply must check out.
Berlin Master Chef 2026: Lode van Zuylen from Restaurant REMI
Does a Berlin Master Chef absolutely need a Michelin star? Not at all! Lode van Zuylen proves this, having been honoured in 2026 for his exceptional cuisine at Restaurant REMI.
At the Suhrkamp-Haus on Torstraße, you’ll find a restaurant that defies categorisation. Is REMI a fine-dining establishment, a cosy social spot or a grand café in the Dutch-Flemish tradition? Actually, it’s all of these things combined! Here, superb ingredients and creative dishes take centre stage just as much as the joy of dining together.
Restaurant REMI, Torstraße 48, Mitte
Rising Star of the Year 2026: Tanandon Santanaviboon from Hanuman Thai Curry House and Rram
If you love Thai cuisine, you should definitely make a note of Tanandon ‘Don’ Santanaviboon’s restaurants! The 31-year-old has had an extraordinary career and is now one of Berlin’s most exciting restaurateurs.
Without formal chef training, but armed with plenty of passion, curiosity and a love of experimentation, he has taught himself everything he knows about cooking. With Rram in Mitte, he is already running his fifth successful restaurant venture. His cuisine is an exciting blend of traditional Thai royal cuisine and the hearty dishes served daily in Thai households. Look forward to intense flavours, a good dose of heat and the perfect interplay of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.
Rram, Torstraße 173, Mitte, and Hanuman Thai Curry House, Skalitzer 96, Kreuzberg, Berlin
Berlin’s Hostess of the Year 2026: Isabell Wendel from Bricole
A Michelin-starred restaurant where you feel right at home, as if you were visiting good neighbours? That’s exactly what awaits you at Bricole in Prenzlauer Berg. Isabell Wendel, who was honoured as the ‘Berlin Hostess’ in 2026, plays a major part in this. With her warm and attentive manner, she ensures that everyone feels welcome at Bricole. As a sommelière, she not only knows the best wine pairings but also loves to surprise her guests with a perfectly matched beer to accompany their meal.
Restaurant Bricole, Senefelderstraße 30, Prenzlauer Berg
Berlin’s Trendy Restaurant of 2026: Saint Farah
Fancy rediscovering Levantine cuisine in a whole new light? Then Saint Farah is just the place for you! Head chef Nadav Kundel, who has already demonstrated his skills at Night Kitchen and Papillon, opened the restaurant together with his cousin Gil Azrielan.
Saint Farah is named after Kundel’s grandmother. But rather than traditional family recipes, you can expect a creative and cosmopolitan take on Levantine cuisine. Grilled Swiss chard with lamb meets Vietnamese-inspired flavours, crispy chips are served with sambal butter, and mussels are given a special twist with rice wine and chilli crisp.
The result? A restaurant that combines family warmth with a chic ambience and takes you on a culinary journey of discovery. No wonder Saint Farah was voted Berlin’s trendiest restaurant of 2026!
Restaurant Saint Farah, Weinbergsweg 8a, Mitte
Berlin’s Neighbourhood Favourite 2026: Tresen-Treff in Wilmersdorf
An old Berlin corner pub as a culinary hidden gem? Absolutely! The Tresen-Treff in Wilmersdorf shows just how wonderfully traditional pub culture and really good food go hand in hand. At first glance, everything here is just as it used to be: hydroponic plants in the window, a Hertha flag above the door, slot machines and a telly on the wall. But behind the rustic ambience lies a kitchen that will surprise you.
Julia Bentzien, Laurens Friedl and Josha Karlborg have taken over this traditional pub and breathed new culinary life into it. The two chefs bring experience from top-class restaurants and serve Berlin classics at affordable prices. How about some homemade bread and crackling lard, pork head aspic with horseradish, or creamy mashed potatoes with fried onions? Add a freshly tapped Franconian lager and your evening at the pub is perfect.
Tresen-Treff, Berliner Straße 167, Wilmersdorf
Berlin bar culture 2026: Rum Trader
Do you love unusual bars with a history? Then you absolutely must pay a visit to the Rum Trader! Since 1976, this little bar has been one of the special institutions of Berlin’s bar culture and, to this day, feels like a journey back in time.
In a space measuring just 32 square metres, you’ll find a dark, elegant atmosphere where a set of rules all of its own applies: ring the bell first, then come in! Here, people traditionally address one another formally, and smoking is also part of the experience.Since 2019, Charlotte Fedtke and Sahand Zamani have been running this legendary bar with a deep love for its history. The menu features classic gin, champagne and, of course, rum cocktails. Why not try a Planter’s Punch or a Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, for example?
Rum Trader, Fasanenstraße 40, Wilmersdorf
Gastronomic Innovators 2026: Anja and Carsten Schmidt
What actually makes Berlin’s restaurant scene innovative? Sometimes it’s not the most spectacular ideas at all, but people who blaze new trails with passion and a keen eye for quality. Anja and Carsten Schmidt have been among the defining figures of Berlin’s restaurant scene for many years. Through their wine shops, they have raised awareness of German wine once again and, with the Rutz, have created a truly special place.
What began in 2001 as a simple wine bar is now Berlin’s only three-star restaurant. But it didn’t stop there: at the Rutz Zollhaus on the Landwehr Canal, traditional Berlin cuisine is being creatively reimagined, whilst Schmidt Z&KO fosters a passion for fine wine and good food through courses and seminars.
Restaurant Rutz, Chausseestraße 8, Mitte
Rutz Zollhaus, Carl-Herz-Ufer 30, Kreuzberg
Schmidt Z&KO, Rheinstraße 45, Schöneberg
Discover Berlin’s culinary diversity!
Whether it’s innovative Michelin-starred cuisine, authentic Thai dishes, creative Levantine cuisine or traditional Berlin pub culture: the Berlin Master Chefs 2026 demonstrate once again just how diverse and exciting the capital’s gastronomic scene is. The award-winning restaurants and bars invite you to discover new worlds of flavour and experience Berlin at its most delicious.
So, what are you waiting for? Be inspired and discover your new favourite restaurant in Berlin!
