Berlin, April 12, 2022. Opened and furnished as a wine bar, the interior of the Rutz no longer met the requirements of a 3-star restaurant in terms of processes and ambience. With great flair, the couple Anja and Carsten Schmidt and the Berlin architect Prof. Gesine Weinmiller have now created an environment that pays tribute to the performance of the kitchen and service. Marco Müller and his team have been welcoming their guests back to Chausseestraße in Berlin’s Mitte district since March 15.
Initially opened in 2001 as a wine bar by Lars Rutz, who died far too young, and the married couple Anja and Carsten Schmidt, Rutz has developed into Berlin’s only 3-star restaurant over the years. As a family-run business without an investor behind it, this not only means continuous development in the kitchen and service, but also 21 years of perseverance including two years of pandemic and high, privately financed investments, most recently in the extensive renovation.
The stars were only recently confirmed for the second time. In addition, there was the green star, a unique national award in this combination. Together, kitchen director Marco Müller and head chef Dennis Quetsch are continuing what the Michelin Guide refers to when it describes their menus as “concise cuisine that goes its own way”. Restaurant manager Falco Mühlichen and head sommelier Nancy Großmann are equally committed to ensuring a friendly and high level of service.
Over the years, the kitchen and service have outgrown the original environment of a wine bar. What happened on the plates was no longer sufficiently reflected in the ambience. The redesign has now created a space that once again offers the products and wines an appropriate stage.
“Like a tailor-made suit, we have interwoven the workshop as well as the cooking and dining areas. They are no longer separate worlds, but kitchen, storage and guest room are one.”
– says architect Prof. Gesine Weinmiller.
Exceptional materials and craftsmanship reflect Rutz’s high standards, which have grown over the years. The aim was not to cover the roots completely. For example, the wine bottle rack on the ground floor has been retained and now casts its shadow onto the curtain in front of it. The structure of the two-storey wall slab has been retained and has become a showroom in which Marco Müller displays his ingredients, from spruce needles to kombucha.
Service rooms have been created on both levels behind elaborately carved natural stone walls made from Brannenburg Nagelfluh. The strikingly rough surfaces allow the two levels to merge visually and create a unity between the lower and upper floors. The change from the wine bar to the Rutz Zollhaus is also visible in terms of design and everything becomes a continuous restaurant at 3-star level.
The dialog between chef and guests is located at a high table opposite the kitchen pass. Here guests can take a course standing up and experience the kitchen team in action. Themes such as regionality, sustainability, attention to detail and craftsmanship, but also a very high degree of aesthetic power play a major role in Marco Müller’s cuisine and are reflected in the interior. Wooden elements were handcrafted from walnut according to the company’s own designs, benches were covered with high-quality leather and the existing slate floor was refurbished.
Everything reflects the simplicity and clarity of the kitchen. While “the rescue of German food culture” continues at the Rutz Zollhaus, a space for its modern development has been created here. In addition to the high standard of the cuisine, the warm, familiar manner, the friendly service and the relaxed yet professional way of dealing with guests will not change. Only the stage has become younger and more in line with international standards.
What began 21 years ago with an innovative concept has made gastronomic history to this day. In a scene where nothing is as constant as change, Rutz has carved out a remarkable career that is as steep as it is down-to-earth – but above all: far from over.
Nature & flavors inspiration menu by Marco Müller
Pine & cucumber – Herring & sour cream – Leek & old cheese
- Dry aged carp & elder leaf/blossom
- New carrots & spring trout, marigolds
- Norway lobster & yellow beet, sorrel
- “Our signature – pure” – white asparagus & chicken skin, tarragon
- Cod & mussel flavors, grilled dune herbs
- Lettuce & buds, dyke lamb
- Wagyu beef & young shoots, lime blossom vinegar – larch & green apple, water kefir
- Rhubarb & rye, oxalic acid – buffalo milk & sea buckthorn, ice carrot
7 courses (without asparagus) 265 €, including water
The whole menu – 8 courses 285 €, including water
Rutz N25 Caviar & crab, strawberries € 49
