Tim Raue's team for the Sphere in the TV tower

BERLIN On 3 June, the Sphere Tim Raue, Germany's highest restaurant, will open at a height of 207 metres in Berlin's TV tower. Tim Raue is not only bringing a new culinary signature, but also an emotional dimension to the rotating restaurant with its 360-degree panorama and 200 seats. For Raue, himself a native Berliner, this project is a homage to his homeland - and he showcases this on the plate by interpreting classic Berlin and Brandenburg dishes in a modern way. Sweetness, acidity, spiciness - these three components have always characterised his cuisine. At Sphere, they form a culinary narrative about origin, change and cohesion. Reservations for a restaurant ticket are now possible at www.tv-turm.de

For the operational realisation on site, patron Raue relies on an experienced team that shares his vision of the tradition of the location and modern Berlin-Brandenburg cuisine. Head chef is Rolf Gerz, a native Berliner who has been head chef at Tropical Island for the past ten years, where he was responsible for more than 1,000 seats in the catering area. The 54-year-old has correspondingly extensive organisational experience and knows how to combine complex processes with craftsmanship. The restaurant manager at Sphere Tim Raue is Katharina Bambach. Born in the Rhineland-Palatinate, she has over twenty years of professional experience in top gastronomy and most recently worked for two years as restaurant manager at the Heritage Restaurant in Berlin. She has also worked at eins44, CORDO and the renowned Alchemist restaurant in Copenhagen. The 44-year-old has already worked with Tim Raue several times in the past: Her roles have included restaurant manager at La Soupe Populaire by Tim Raue and deputy restaurant manager at Restaurant Tim Raue. Her award as "Berlin Hostess of the Year" from the Berlin Master Chefs and her keen sense of hospitality make her the ideal hostess at this extraordinary location. Of course, the many employees who have been working at the TV tower for years and in some cases even decades are also particularly important. Like sous chef Jaqueline Hoffmann, who has been on board for 46 years, or Sven Thumm, who has been working in the TV tower for 36 years.

Culinary delights to unite East and West

"The TV tower is Berlin's landmark - for me as a Berliner, it's a matter close to my heart to give this place a culinary design and thus unite East and West on the plate," says Raue. His concept: contemporary Berlin-Brandenburg cuisine characterised by his signature flavours of sweetness, acidity and spiciness.

The gastronomic offering is as diverse as the city itself and makes Germany's highest restaurant a place for everyone - whether tourist, Berliner, family, couple or business traveller. In the morning, the restaurant invites you to enjoy breakfast above the rooftops of the capital. Options include the Sphere breakfast (25 euros) with Brandenburg cheese, home-marinated salmon and a berry smoothie, or the vegan breakfast (25 euros) with avocado strudel, tomato compote and chickpea cream. For a lighter option, choose a granola bowl with fresh berries, nuts, chia seeds and yoghurt (11.50 euros) or enjoy one of the popular crodots - donuts made from croissant dough - in a sweet or savoury version.

From lunchtime onwards, the menu becomes particularly personal, as Raue serves dishes that reflect his culinary biography : For example, the KaDeWe prawn cocktail (16 euros), which once made a lasting impression on him, or the Solyanka with Schrippe (11.50 euros) - a homage to the TV tower's GDR past. Among the classics are his Königsberger Klopse of veal (28 euros), once prepared for Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, and Grandma Gerda's suckling pig knuckle of p ork (28 euros). Beef fillet medallions with truffle cream sauce (36 euros) provide a special treat, while pike-perch with braised cucumber (29 euros) or plant-based alternatives such as the planted steak (36 euros) also have a firm place on the menu.

Special attention is paid to the menus: On offer are the hot & cold menu with currywurst and dessert (29 euros), a vegan three-course menu or the classic Berliner schnitzel menu (44 euros each). The Meine Heimat - Tim Raue's Berlin & Brandenburg four-course menu , including aperitif, accompanying drinks and coffee (125 euros) promises a special treat.

Anja Nitsch, Managing Director of the Berlin TV Tower, enthuses: "Tim's currywurst is already a real classic at our bar - typically Berlin. Now I'm particularly looking forward to his legendary Königsberger Klopse. This dish reminds me personally of many family moments and, for me, carries a feeling of warmth, tradition and solidarity - everything that makes Berlin special!"

The ingredients and many of the drinks are mainly sourced from regional producers - including Landhof Rahlf in Ahrensfelde, Patrizier Kaffeerösterei in Straußberg, the traditional Berlin schnapps manufacturer Mampe and the Berlin brewery BRLO. The Sphere sources all its wines and sparkling wines from Germany, including the Dreissigacker, Markus Schneider, Neiss and Franz Keller wineries and the Raumland sparkling wine house. In collaboration with sommelier André Macionga, high-quality cuvées have also been created that are bottled especially for the Sphere Tim Raue.

The commitment to origin is also reflected in the interior of the restaurant. The architectural redesign, the responsibility of DIA - Dittel Architekten from Stuttgart, therefore combines the listed substance of the Berlin television tower with contemporary design standards. The basis for the new design concept was an in-depth research phase: archive plans, historical photographs and structural relics were carefully analysed in order to reconstruct the original design language of the interior. In close coordination with the conservation authorities , a document of around one hundred pages was created, in which not only the design origins were analysed, but also the stylistic changes of recent decades were traced.

Building on this, the architects developed a concept that respectfully picks up on the characteristic tonality and materiality of the 1960s and translates it into a contemporary design language. Bright, open areas along the panoramic windows now stand in deliberate contrast to darkened service zones - a clear spatial zoning that is both functional and atmospheric. Classic elements such as restored tables, chairs and lights have been carefully reworked and combined with modern components - for example in 3D-printed form. The result is a design dialogue between past and present that creates a stylish, timeless and inviting atmosphere. The aim was not retro, but rather an emotionally grounded further development of the original design concept.

The exposed location at 207 metres above sea level in combination with the listed building posed particular challenges. As a result, only flame-retardant materials were used, which meet the strict fire protection requirements as well as the high design standards. The lighting concept also took centre stage: to avoid reflections in the curved window surfaces at night, luminaires were discreetly integrated into the ceiling and indirect light was used in a targeted manner. In addition, warm, dimmable under-table lighting provides atmospheric accents.

The Berlin television tower was built between 1965 and 1969 in what was then East Berlin and is still one of the capital's most striking landmarks. The building served the GDR government as a symbol of progress, technical superiority and modern socialist architecture. The tower was designed under the direction of chief architect Hermann Henselmann and a team led by Fritz Dieter, Günter Franke and Werner Ahrendt. Originally planned purely as a television broadcasting tower, the tower quickly developed into a tourist attraction, particularly due to the rotating restaurant. Since reunification, the TV tower has become a symbol of Germany as a whole and is also one of Berlin's most popular sights. The opening of the Sphere Tim Raue marks the crowning glory of the TV tower's reorientation, which has been underway since 2020. What began with the remodelling of the foyer, digital VR experiences and the renovation of the Sphere Bar now culminates in a gastronomic highlight that redefines the TV Tower experience: as a place to linger, be inspired - and enjoy. For tourists from all over the world as well as for Berliners and Brandenburgers who want to rediscover their TV tower. A place that connects: above and below, East and West, past and present. And it shows that Berlin and Brandenburg not only want to be seen, but also tasted.

The Sphere Tim Raue is located in the Berlin TV Tower, Panoramastrasse 1A, 10178 Berlin. The restaurant is open 363 days a year from 9 am to 11 pm. Reservations for a restaurant ticket can be made at http://www.tv-turm.de. Access to the Sphere Tim Raue restaurant is via the panoramic lift of the Berlin TV Tower. The purchase of a ticket for the lift is obligatory. According to the press release, this is standard practice for landmarks of this kind worldwide, making a visit not only a culinary but also an architectural experience with spectacular views.