Nicholas Hahn is Berlin Master Chef 2025

BERLIN: Berlin Partner has presented the Berlin Master Chef Awards. The aim is to honour outstanding personalities and concepts that stand for what makes Berlin's gastronomy unique: the courage to experiment, respect for the product and craftsmanship and the ability to combine tradition and zeitgeist. At the festive gala ceremony in the cinematic ambience of the Colosseum film theatre in Prenzlauer Berg, the best minds in Berlin's gastronomy were honoured for their outstanding achievements in the following categories: "Berlin Master Chef", "Rising Star of the Year", "Berlin Host", "Berlin Scene Restaurant", "Berlin Neighbourhood Champion", "Berlin Bar Culture" and "Gastronomic Innovator".

Mayor and Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey: "Berlin is a place where cosmopolitanism meets culinary innovation and craftsmanship. This is exactly what our Berlin Master Chefs are demonstrating once again this year. The award winners epitomise what our city is all about: creativity, inventiveness and the courage to keep trying new things. They stand for a catering industry that offers enjoyment at the highest level and at the same time is an economic factor, employer and figurehead of our city. I would like to congratulate them warmly on this award and thank all those who have helped to organise the competition and thus show how lively, diverse and economically strong Berlin's gastronomy sector is."

Dr Stefan Franzke, Managing Director of Partner für Berlin: "The Berlin Master Chefs represent the diversity, creativity and charisma of our city like no other format. They not only honour excellent culinary achievements, but also the people who shape the capital with their passion and innovative spirit. Gastronomy is and remains an important ambassador for Berlin - it combines cultural diversity with joie de vivre and business. Today we are not only celebrating Berlin's gastronomy and its outstanding cuisine, but above all those who make our city a special place through their culinary skills and hospitality."

The award winners:

• The "Berlin Master Chef 2025" award goes to Nicholas Hahn from Cookies Cream. From the jury's statement: "The Master Chef award honours the idea behind the dish. It honours social flair. Creativity. And the materialisation and translation into the language of cuisine through expertise. Culinary art is art. Nicholas Hahn is an artist. He was named a rising star among the Berlin Master Chefs back in 2018. Since August 2023, he has been running the kitchen at Cookies Cream, the first vegetarian restaurant with a Michelin star. Where there used to be parties in the well-hidden backyard, menus are now served at the highest level. The writing on the wall reads "Ficken" and the plates feature vegetarian fine dining - that's Berlin! With his very own culinary language full of elegance, poetry, exciting contrasts of textures and deep flavours, he convinced the jury of his talent, his culinary intelligence, his technical perfection and his vision.
• Jeff Claudio from Stoke was awarded the title of "Rising Star of the Year 2025" . From the jury's statement: "Stoke is one of the most exciting new openings in Berlin's gastronomy scene and deserves the title of "Rising Star of the Year 2025" because it creates a culinary experience with precision craftsmanship, international calibre and creative independence that will have a lasting effect. Head chef Jeff Claudio, who has worked in acclaimed restaurants around the world, and his team of top talents take a seemingly simple concept - Japanese yakitori, grilled chicken skewers - to a new culinary level. The secret? Experience, outstanding product knowledge, an uncompromising nose-to-tail approach, combined with an unwavering focus on the best ingredients and excellent preparation. And the corresponding, customised tools of the trade, such as the centrally positioned Binchotan grill. The minimalist, elegant interior design, the selection of natural wines curated by co-owner Jessica Tan and world-class drinks by Adam Tudoret make Stoke an overall experience with metropolitan flair. It has rightly become the city's new culinary centrepiece in no time at all. A restaurant like a gift for Berlin - and its international guests.
• In the "Berlin Hostess 2025" category, the jury chose Jana Kämpfer from Manon Brasserie Nouvelle. From the jury's statement: "She is no ordinary hostess. Rather an entertainer, therapist, even a patchwork genius in a multitude of connected restaurants. Golden Phoenix, Funky Fish, 893 Ryotei - most recently Manon and the exclusive Salon le Duc, everyone has been to one of these restaurants, all run by Kant king The Duc Ngo. His Jana - who has been at Duc's side for almost 20 years and together they have worked on 21 restaurant concepts - jumps from restaurant to restaurant. When a new place opens, she is at the forefront. She was snarky at Golden Phoenix, confident at 893, really cool at Funky Fisch and when the next place opens, she's off and running. Just like now at Manon, the latest opening. Now all her experience, all her class is on show. She drives the team on, dances with the guests, notices every mistake and corrects them immediately. That's what makes a great hostess!
• This year's "Berlin Scene Restaurant 2025" is the Luna D'Oro restaurant in Clärchens Ballhaus. From the jury's statement: "When you think of a trendy restaurant, you probably don't think of a place where a sprightly group of pensioners celebrate their 70th birthday with sparklers. But at Luna D'Oro, the scene is broadly conceived - or even reinvented: Young and old, tourists, Berliners, families, clubbers and border crossers sit here because everyone feels at home in this unique atmosphere. It is no coincidence that it is reminiscent of Babylon Berlin. Luna D'Oro is a fun-loving, open place for everyone - bubble thinking and exclusion are rejected - and it is low-threshold anyway. For very fair prices, there are simple dishes that are nevertheless clever because they incorporate a lot of craftsmanship and history: Berlin history, German history, East German history and the personal history of chef Tobias Beck, who enjoys researching old recipes.
• The "Berlin Neighbourhood Champion 2025" is the Adana Grillhaus in Kreuzberg. From the jury's statement: "If you ask chefs where they like to go to eat when they want to experience something after work, the answer is surprisingly often: Adana Grillhaus in Audre Lorde Strasse. The charcoals glow here almost around the clock. Long after midnight every day, onions are sliced and seasoned with lemon and sumac, flatbreads, tomatoes and hot pointed peppers are placed on the glowing grill sticks, while skewers of lamb kebab sizzle next door. The Adana Grillhaus, a family business for over 30 years, has long been an institution in Kreuzberg. This is also due to the enormous consistency of the owners: they are open every day and serve mezze platters with hummus and cacik every day. Lamb chops, chicken wings and chops are grilled every day, and Künefe is served with a mocha afterwards. In addition to rakı, a large selection of Turkish wines is served by the glass.
• The award for "Berlin Bar Culture 2025" goes to Dustin Franke (Bademeister, Bar Nonno, Lamm Bar, Mausi, Torte). From the jury's statement: "A bar without a community is simply a place that sells drinks. The bars that Dustin Franke opens and runs in Berlin are always lively third places. Whether it's the "Torte" in Neukölln, the "Bademeister" in Weißensee or the "Lamm" in Prenzlauer Berg: it's always about community, neighbourhood, inclusion and diversity - and of course enjoyment, thanks to great drinks at an affordable price. The warmth of its teams is based on a work culture that is characterised by co-determination and co-design - right down to operations that are managed and run by long-serving employees. Over the course of a decade, a small biotope has grown that offers bar culture night after night - low-threshold and at a high level.
• And in the "Gastronomic Innovator 2025" category, the jury chose Vadim Otto Ursus Henselder. From the jury's statement: "First the clever, but never preachy, product cuisine at Otto, then the always lively, food-loving Neo-Wirtshaus Trio and now the unagitated contemporary wine bar Pluto, which also sees itself as a neighbourhood pub - Vadim Otto Ursus Henselder has not only understood that urban society longs for approachable, low-threshold culinary concepts. Even in the most casual moments, over a freshly tapped beer at the bar and his homemade wild boar ham from the Schorfheide, the still young chef and restaurateur finds an excellence that embraces us guests. Instead of scaling up a business idea or a restaurant concept, Vadim Otto Ursus has preferred to scale up his concept of hospitality and, by extension, of being an employer. And created places where it is good to work among friends. A feeling that is also transferred to the guests.

This year, the evening of the award ceremony took place in the traditional Colosseum Berlin film theatre - a place that has breathed Berlin cultural history since it opened in 1924. The motto "Maîtropolis" pays homage to the style and elegance of the era in which the Colosseum was built. 300 invited guests as well as the award winners were catered for by the winning restaurants from last year, including the Michelin-starred Loumi restaurant as well as Dr & Dr, Veronika, Michelberger and Domäne Dahlem.

The expert jury consists of the following judges:

• Dr Stefan Elfenbein, chairman of the jury, author for the magazines "Der Feinschmecker" and "Foodie"
• Tina Hüttl, Chairwoman of the jury, Berliner Zeitung
• Felix Denk, editor of the Tagesspiegel
• Prof. Dr Dieter Großklaus, "Chaîne des Rôtisseurs" (Honorary President)
• Lorraine Haist, freelance journalist and author for various newspapers and magazines
• Stefanie Hofeditz, freelance journalist, B.Z.
• Alexandra Laubrinus, Managing Director of Berlin Food Week
• Clemens Niedenthal, editor of Tip & head of the food department
• Nikolas Rechenberg, Gourmetwelten
• Annika Schönstädt, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Travelzoo Germany
• Dr Erwin Seitz, freelance journalist, author and food critic
• Jan-Peter Wulf, specialised journalist and founder of nomyblog