25 Jahre FACIL

On July 5, the anniversary year kicks off with a special event and a podcast featuring Reiner Veit. This will be followed by an anniversary menu, limited-time courses, and much more.

High above Potsdamer Platz, FACIL has been an oasis in the heart of Berlin for 25 years, where the atmosphere, cuisine, and service turn nature into an experience. To mark the anniversary, the restaurant is bringing this vision to life through select events.

The kickoff event on July 5, 2026, will feature a reunion with former chefs who began their careers at FACIL and are now successful elsewhere. The event will feature selected wines and champagnes that have accompanied FACIL since its opening on July 2, 2001, including Max Müller I, Andreas Porzelt, Ômina Romana, and Billecart-Salmon.

In parallel, an anniversary podcast will be released featuring journalist Reiner Veit, who has shaped culinary journalism for many years with his radio show "Aufgegabelt." From August through October, the anniversary menu will feature new dishes, refined FACIL signature dishes, and the return of the legendary "Wolke."

“Evolution rather than revolution describes very precisely how we have been working at FACIL for many years,” says Executive Chef Michael Kempf. “For us, the anniversary is not an occasion to stand still and look back. It is the moment to become even more precise, to think ahead, and to make our standards visible once again. What we accomplish here every day is high-performance sport, almost like in Formula 1: every move must be perfect, every detail counts, and in the end, it’s the team’s performance that decides.”

The cooking classes with Michael Kempf and the pastry classes with Thomas Yoshida will also take place as limited special editions during the anniversary year. On select Saturdays, FACIL will open its kitchen during the day for small groups of up to 14 people, offering a direct look behind the scenes, personal interaction, and a shared meal in the evening.

For Managing Director and owner Lutz Hesse, this is precisely what defines FACIL’s character: “From the very beginning, the idea was to create a space where a sense of ease is evident not only in the kitchen but throughout the entire experience. Nature remains palpable at FACIL to this day—through fire, water, air, and earth. This special quality arises from the interplay between the location and the people who have shaped the restaurant for many years.”

It is precisely this consistency that defines FACIL: Chef Joachim Gerner, Pastry Chef Thomas Yoshida, Maître Manuel Finster, and Sommelier Felix Voges, alongside Michael Kempf, have shaped the restaurant for many years, some since day one. They were already at the helm of FACIL when the second Michelin star arrived in 2013, and are now jointly shaping the anniversary year marking the 25th birthday.

About FACIL

As one of Berlin’s four two-star restaurants, FACIL at THE MANDALA Berlin has stood for precise, nature-inspired cuisine and an exceptionally well-coordinated team since 2001. Located on Potsdamer Platz, on the fifth floor of the hotel, Executive Chef Michael Kempf, Restaurant Manager Manuel E. Finster, Head Chef Joachim Gerner, Pastry Chef Thomas Yoshida, and Sommelier Felix Voges have shaped FACIL for over 20 years. The team is rounded out by Sommelier Maximilian Schmidt, who oversees the wine and beverage pairings.