(20 April 2025) - In the latest episode of the Restaurant-Rangliste.de podcast, Barbara Merll, the restaurant manager of Berlin's Michelin-starred restaurant Skykitchen, describes her role and the challenges of the restaurant business with passion and dedication. "I see myself a bit like the mum of the whole thing," she says, emphasising her central role in the team.

Merll has been with Skykitchen since it opened almost ten years ago and has experienced the restaurant's developments and changes at first hand. "We will be celebrating our tenth anniversary in 2025, which is crazy how quickly time has passed," she says, reflecting on the past few years and the changes that the restaurant and the team have undergone.

Merll emphasises the importance of a family working environment in which everyone can contribute their strengths. "It's like a family, you know each other, you know the weaknesses, you know the strengths, you try to balance out the weaknesses," she says, explaining the dynamic within the team. This atmosphere is also reflected in the service that guests experience every day.

A decisive moment in the history of Skykitchen was the move to the 12th floor of the Vienna House hotel in Berlin. A different concept had previously been planned when it became apparent that the restaurant would receive a star. Merll remembers: "We changed the concept of the restaurant again a little. And yes, we've now been up here for ten years." This change brought new life and new challenges, which the team successfully mastered.

Merll emphasises the importance of atmosphere for the success of a restaurant: "People create atmosphere and I hope that we achieve this quite well by having the tables far enough apart to have privacy, but not too far apart to feel too isolated." This fine balance of closeness and distance contributes significantly to the special atmosphere at Skykitchen.

Another aspect that is close to Merll's heart is treating guests and the team with respect. "It is very important to treat each other with respect, to be fair to each other and to take young people seriously," she says, emphasising the importance of respect and appreciation in the catering industry.

Barbara Merll has made a name for herself in the Berlin catering scene and has received several awards for her work. "It's a team effort and I couldn't stand in the kitchen for twelve hours and not have the patience for all this tiny work," she says modestly, emphasising the importance of the entire team for the restaurant's success.

Finally, Merll describes her personal development and the challenges she has overcome. "I think the older you get or the longer you do something, the better you can hand it over," she reflects on her role as a manager and the ability to delegate responsibility and trust others.

The interview with Barbara Merll gives a deep insight into the world of fine dining and shows how important teamwork, respect and a positive attitude are for the success of a restaurant. Skykitchen is not only a place of enjoyment, but also a living example of hospitality and professionalism in action.