Interview mit Sebastian Frank

Sebastian Frank, head chef and operator of the two-star restaurant Horváth in Berlin, reflects on the economic challenges facing the fine dining scene in Berlin and Germany. He expresses his concerns about the future of fine dining in view of the current economic uncertainties. Sebastian Frank sees the next ten years as particularly difficult and emphasises the need to adapt to changing economic conditions, talking about the importance of self-reliance and the need to tap into new markets in order to remain economically stable in the long term. In the coming weeks, he wants to explore the opportunities of pop-ups in other cities for the Horváth.

In this context, Frank is planning an exciting culinary adventure: a two-week pop-up restaurant in Vienna. In an in-depth interview on the Restaurant-Ranglisten.de podcast, Sebastian Frank provides insights into the preparations and the challenges of this project. Vienna was chosen as the location because there are no language barriers and the bureaucratic hurdles are manageable. Frank is also well-known in Austria, which increases the pop-up's profile.

The pop-up will take place in the Herzig restaurant from 22 January to 2 February 2025, which will make its premises available during the company holiday. Sebastian Frank emphasises that this will simplify the logistics considerably, as the restaurant already has the necessary equipment. The entire Horváth team, including the service staff, will be travelling to Vienna to ensure the usual quality.

A central theme of the conversation in the podcast is the challenge of reproducing the quality and experience of Horváth in a new environment. Frank talks about the mental and logistical strain that comes with a project like this and the need to quickly find your feet in a new environment.

Another important point is Frank's culinary philosophy. He emphasises that vegetables are not the problem for him, but the solution. His cuisine is characterised by the creative use of simple ingredients and he still sees a lot of untapped potential in vegetable cuisine. Frank also talks about developing new dishes and the importance of creativity in his work. He explains that the best dishes often come from interaction with the ingredients and the environment. The challenge is to constantly create new and innovative dishes that fulfil both the high demands of the guests and his own expectations.

In the podcast, Sebastian Frank talks in detail about how economic challenges influence the development of new dishes. He emphasises that financial uncertainties can limit creativity. In times of economic freedom, such as before the pandemic, it was easier to develop new and innovative dishes as there was less financial pressure. Today, on the other hand, Frank often has to make pragmatic decisions and rely on tried and tested dishes to remain financially stable - some have become signature dishes as a result. Despite these challenges, however, he remains optimistic and continues to see great potential for the future of his kitchen in the creative use of simple ingredients such as vegetables.