Aubergine to offer à la carte selection in future

STARNBERG The gourmet restaurant Aubergine, run by Maximilian Moser (40), is considered a culinary beacon in the Starnberg/Ammersee region south of Munich. Having been continuously awarded a MICHELIN star since 2014, the restaurant, which is located in an extension of the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Starnberg (4*S), offers exclusively seasonally changing highlight and event menus. Until now - because from 3 December 2025, an à la carte menu will complement the classic 5- and 7-course options. Michelin-starred chef Moser explains the most important questions and his motivations.

In the past, à la carte offers were more common. Why this reversal now?

Moser: "I think diners are now very, very reluctant to eat in Michelin-starred restaurants. You know from the outset that you're spending at least 160 euros on a meal and that you're in for a long evening. I want to be able to take guests by the hand and say spontaneously: Come on, let's go to Aubergine for two or three courses."
Are you addressing external gourmets or also house guests?

Moser: "Both groups are welcome - as they always have been. Hotel guests enjoy the advantage of being able to dine at a high level quite spontaneously, depending on the booking situation, but don't have to spend a fortune or invest an entire evening. In addition, people often check the internet in advance, discover a menu component that they don't like or can't imagine and therefore decide against a visit. We simply want to make it a little easier for our guests."
Is there a trend emerging - the end of classic menus in Michelin-starred cuisine?

Moser: "I don't think so. A gourmet guest can of course continue to eat their five to seven courses. On the contrary, the changing menus will remain our focus. We currently have a wonderful sequence in our programme - with local char and saddle of venison as the protagonists - but it's also about the ambience: We are hoping for better occupancy in the restaurant. And the atmosphere is simply even nicer when it's always full."