(21 June 2026) – Markt Indersdorf lies north of Munich, not far enough away to be completely removed from the city, but far enough to initially raise questions about its suitability as a location for fine dining. It was precisely there that Sabrina Fenzl opened her restaurant, MIND by Sabrina Fenzl, in 2023. In 2024, it was awarded a star in the Michelin Guide, and it now also features in the top 200 of the Restaurant-Rangliste rankings. In this episode of the Restaurant-Ranglisten.de podcast, it becomes clear that this restaurant is no accident, but rather the realisation of a long-held vision of how Fenzl wishes to combine hospitality, cuisine and space.

The premises of MIND were formerly part of a butcher’s shop that had been a fixture in the town for many years. Where goods were once sold, there is now an open kitchen, which Fenzl calls her ‘culinary living room’. The old cold store is still in use, whilst the former production area has been transformed into a dining area. This transformation alone says a great deal about the concept: the existing structure is not disregarded, but given a new form.

A space that could be anywhere – and yet is firmly rooted in its home town

The dining area has a dark colour scheme, with modern lighting, wallpaper designs and an atmosphere that feels rather urban. Fenzl designed the space together with her sister, who studies art. The tables, chairs, floors, walls and wallpaper were all chosen by them. Her idea was to create a place that, whilst located in Markt Indersdorf, does not tell the story of that place alone.

“After all, we do have curtains in front of the windows; you’re really here with me, here in Markt Indersdorf, but you could be anywhere in the world,” says Fenzl. She wants to “wholly engage” the guest, guide them through the dining experience and allow them to switch off. At the same time, the location was chosen deliberately: Markt Indersdorf is her home town. “Where my heart and soul are, that’s where my restaurant is too,” she says.

The central theme of the conversation is contrast. Fenzl loves the modern just as much as the traditional. Wooden tables, her own forestry, stones she has collected herself, and modern lighting technology do not simply stand side by side, but are intended to complement one another. The countryside is a source of inspiration for her: forests, natural produce, markets, foraging, and fermentation. Added to this is an openness to the outside world, partly thanks to her travels.

She was well aware that a fine-dining restaurant in a smaller town might not be immediately understood everywhere. There were sceptical reactions at the start, too. The key, however, was to reach guests who were willing to embrace this style of cuisine.

Contrasts as a starting point, harmony as the goal

Contrast is also the starting point in the kitchen at MIND. Fenzl combines high-quality produce such as Norway lobster, huchen or quail with local herbs and seemingly simple ingredients. What matters to her, however, is not a jarring contrast on the plate, but a harmonious result. “The harmony – the fact that everything goes together – is what the result should convey,” she says. The underlying concept is contrast; after that, the focus is on “absolute harmony and lightness”.

This is exemplified by the huchen, which kicks off the menu. The fish comes from Ralf Wetzel in Kinzau. Fenzl seasons it only briefly with salt and a little sugar to preserve its firmness, slices it paper-thin and otherwise keeps intervention to a minimum. She wants to preserve the natural qualities of the product because she believes the farmer’s approach is coherent and sustainable.

She pairs it with cherries and sage. The cherries come from her own garden; a stock is made from sour and sweet cherries, which is then combined with root vegetables, reduced and clarified. Finally, it is blended with sage oil. The result is less a sweet, fruity cherry sauce than a vinaigrette with acidity, flavour and depth. “I find it fascinating how you can process a fruit in such a way that, ultimately, it adds acidity, a distinctive flavour, depth and fruitiness, yet doesn’t remind you of that sweet cherry,” says Fenzl.

Sage can quickly become overpowering. That’s why she experimented for a long time and finally opted for oil, as it can be measured out precisely. “We really do measure it out drop by drop,” she says. She also uses a protein-based sage emulsion, deep-fried huchen skin and sea pearls to add texture and depth.

A simple ingredient, high standards

The vegetarian course featuring beetroot, which was also featured in the current series of “Am Pass”, embodies another key philosophy in Fenzl’s kitchen. She wants to show what can be created from a seemingly simple ingredient. Including a vegetarian course on the menu is important to her. The aim is to “get the very best out of” a clearly defined ingredient.

With the langoustine, which can be offered as an additional course, a luxurious ingredient meets sauerkraut and fennel. Here, too, it’s all about the balance. The team makes the sauerkraut themselves, extracting the juice from it. This allows them to control the acidity and fermentation. The mixture includes galangal, amongst other ingredients. It is crucial that the sauerkraut juice complements the Norway lobster rather than overpowering it.

The langoustine is briefly cured in salt, confited in its own shellfish oil, then very briefly grilled on the Konro grill with a little shellfish glaze and placed on a bed of fennel purée. The fennel hearts are sweated in good-quality olive oil and seasoned with Maldon salt. The result is less a display of technique than a precise handling of the ingredients.

Focus on the ingredients rather than overloading the plate

What stands out in conversation is how often the topic turns to omission. Fenzl describes her cuisine as ingredient-focused. She doesn’t want too many elements on the plate that distract. Everything on the plate must make sense. “I want the ingredients on the plate to be truly well-developed,” she says. With every element, she asks: Is this necessary? Does it add flavour? Is something missing? Or is the dish harmonious precisely because nothing more is added?

This approach is also evident in the dish featuring Iberico pork jowl, crab and mojón. Fenzl deliberately enjoys working with cuts other than fillets. The pork jowl is cured with beer and salt, cooked in nut butter, chilled, sliced paper-thin, seared on the Konro grill and flavoured with Iberico garum. This brings out meaty, nutty and fatty notes, along with a slight hint of bacon.

The crab is added as a dumpling, complemented by dehydrated tamarillo. A ferment is extracted from the seeds and drizzled over the pork jowl to introduce lightness and acidity. Fenzl does not explicitly classify the dish as either a meat or seafood course. “Perhaps people are tired of hearing it, but it’s our modern interpretation of ‘surf and turf’,” she says. At the same time, she doesn’t want to label it too strongly: what matters most is the harmony between the two main ingredients.

This is accompanied by two sauces: a consommé made from crab carcasses with shellfish oil, and a beurre blanc prepared with vinegar. Here, too, the connection is not asserted but rather organised through flavour.

A distinctive style born of independence, travel and the guest’s perspective

Fenzl’s career path differs from classic chef biographies, in which stints at renowned establishments have a clear stylistic influence. She has been self-employed for 13 years. Her catering business started in her basement and now caters for weddings, corporate events and celebrations for up to 500 people. Added to this is catering for around 700 children a day at a nursery. The restaurant is her labour of love, but it does not stand in isolation from these other areas of her business.

She has drawn much of her inspiration from the diner’s perspective: through dining around the world, through exchanges, research, reading and experimentation. As an example, she cites the Addison in San Diego, but also simple brasseries in Italy or France. It doesn’t always have to be top-rated Michelin-starred restaurants; sometimes textures, combinations or small details are what make the difference.

She never doubted that her restaurant would be a success right from the start. “It was clear to me – somehow it just was – that it would work,” says Fenzl. She describes the single-minded focus with which she pursues her vision: tasting, experimenting, never giving up, and keeping a clear goal in mind in terms of flavour, appearance and texture.

Her dishes often emerge from produce sourced from her garden and forestry, which is initially stored. Sometimes an idea only comes later. Then she discusses with the team which approach could be pursued. New courses aren’t forced to follow a fixed, rapid rhythm. Some stay on the menu for a long time if they’re just right; others emerge spontaneously from a particular ingredient. A dish is finished when a certain feeling sets in. “It’s really a feeling of pure joy, and you just know: that’s it,” says Fenzl.

An entrepreneur with multiple culinary worlds

MIND isn’t Fenzl’s only area of work. Catering, nursery meals and Michelin-starred cuisine are organisationally intertwined, yet remain clearly separate. There are different kitchen areas, separate cold stores, different suppliers and precise procedures. At weekends during peak season, this can be very demanding. “At least 15 or 16 hours at the weekend during peak season – that really takes it to the limit,” she says.

At the same time, she doesn’t see any contradiction in this. She lives and breathes cooking in all its forms: from homemade tomato sauce for children, through high-quality catering, to restaurant dishes featuring crab and Iberico pork. It is precisely this breadth that appeals to her. From a business perspective, too, the catering business gives her security. It’s a key pillar that gives the restaurant some breathing space. “If that’s all sorted in the background, I can really let my creativity run wild here,” says Fenzl.

The Michelin star has brought attention and also bolstered the catering business. At the same time, she initially turned down catering bookings after receiving the award to ensure stability for the restaurant and the team. Workflows in the restaurant are sometimes planned in 15-minute intervals so that catering and restaurant service can run seamlessly together.

A restaurant that refuses to be boring

Ultimately, the picture that emerges is of a chef who uses contrasts not merely for effect, but as a working principle: village and world, butcher’s shop and modern dining room, forestry and lighting technology, children’s meals and Michelin-starred cuisine, huchen and sage, langoustines and sauerkraut, pork jowl and crab. What matters is not the contrast itself, but the precision with which it is used to create a harmonious whole.

MIND by Sabrina Fenzl in Markt Indersdorf therefore does not come across as a restaurant that just happens to be in the countryside and would really rather be in the city. Rather, it is a deliberately chosen location: rooted in its local heritage, yet not confined to regional cuisine; modern, yet not cold; ingredient-focused, yet not purist. For diners from Munich and beyond, it is precisely this combination that is likely to be the main attraction. (Created with AI support)