Ever since Joji Hattori, a violinist, conductor, and gourmet of Japanese descent, opened his “Shiki” in 2015, the restaurant has offered two concepts: brasserie-style cuisine with a sushi bar in the front and fine dining with a set menu in the quiet back rooms. The restaurant was once awarded a Michelin star, which it later lost. Perhaps this was partly because—as Hattori put it—“European food crept in too often.” In addition, due to bureaucratic red tape, Hattori was never allowed to hire a chef from Japan. Following the departure of longtime co-head chef Alois Traint, the time had come to revamp the main restaurant—the excellent “Shiki Omakase” was added in late 2025. Together with Executive Chef Gerhard Bernhauer, Hattori developed a new, much “more Japanese” menu and did away with the old zoning system—everything is available everywhere. Some of the innovations: Tuna toro sashimi—top quality—with summer truffles in a tsukuri soy emulsion, or, for vegetarians, a truly harmonious carpaccio of zucchini and kohlrabi with akazu vinegar, soy, dashi, and soybean oil. The main courses take a purely minimalist approach, focusing on the pure flavors: Sea bream fillet steamed with sake, served with homemade ponzu sauce and daikon radish; or French free-range chicken marinated in miso for 24 hours, grilled, and served with Saikyo miso sauce. The most original new creation: Since—pardon the expression—the extremely expensive Wagyu beef used for steaks always leaves offcuts, the chefs invented highly aromatic panko-fried balls made from a ground mixture of Japanese and Australian Wagyu, with jalapeño and teriyaki cream. We must also mention Mr. René’s expertise in wine.
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