New head chef at Berlin's Hugos

BERLIN After more than ten years at the helm of Hugo's restaurant at the InterContinental Berlin, Michelin-starred chef Eberhard Lange (59) is handing over the reins to his long-serving sous chef Johannes Gehrich (35) at the beginning of 2026. The traditional gourmet restaurant on the 14th floor of the InterContinental Berlin, which has been awarded a Michelin star without interruption since 1999, is thus focussing on continuity and new impulses at the same time.

Eberhard Lange has shaped Hugos as head chef since 2015 and has successfully defended the Michelin star year after year during this time. On medical advice, he is now ending his active career as a chef for the time being. "It has been a great pleasure and honour to run Hugos for over a decade and to experience culinary highlights with my team. Now is the right time for me to take a break and look after my health," says Lange. He has deliberately not yet planned any specific projects for the future. To ensure a smooth transition, Eberhard Lange and Johannes Gehrich will be working side by side in the kitchen from October 2025 until January 2026. The gradual handover will take place during this time, with Gehrich officially taking over the role of head chef at the beginning of 2026.

Gehrich has been part of the Hugos team since 2016 and has risen from Chef de Partie to Executive Sous Chef. He has been responsible for menu design together with Lange for many years and has played a decisive role in shaping the culinary signature of the restaurant. "I met Johannes in Amsterdam, where we cooked side by side for a few days at the InterConti Amsterdam and then he started directly at Hugos without any trial work - I have never regretted that," says Lange. "His talent, creativity and reliability have enriched our restaurant over the years. I'm delighted that he's now taking my place."

Gehrich gained his experience in renowned Michelin-starred restaurants such as La Rive Restaurant in the Amstel Hotel Amsterdam (1 Michelin star), Cinco by Paco Pérez in Berlin (1 Michelin star) and the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg. In Berlin, he and Lange developed a cuisine that combines the highest quality with approachability and lightness. "For me, Hugos has long been more than just a place to work - it's my passion," says Johannes Gehrich. "I want to preserve the tradition and at the same time set my own accents. Our aim remains to delight guests with cuisine that combines top quality with a relaxed, warm atmosphere." With this change, Hugos is undergoing a gentle generational change: the culinary identity is being preserved - and at the same time the establishment is opening up to new ideas.