Five restaurants that delight with masterful food design

Some restaurants use plates not only as tableware, but first and foremost as a stage. Here, colours, textures, and flavours are staged with a precision that entices both the eye and the palate.

These five restaurants in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria are among the crème de la crème of food design. Their kitchens produce dishes that not only taste incredibly good, but also look as if they were created by a designer.

“JAN” in Munich is Jan Hartwig’s culinary living room – only with three Michelin stars and significantly less couch space. In 2022, the top chef fulfilled his dream of self-employment here and, within a few months, once again earned the most coveted trio of stars in gastronomy. In a modern, elegant setting with a maximum of 40 seats, a private dining room, and an open kitchen, Hartwig serves not old-fashioned ​‘German cuisine’ but rather a modern reinterpretation that never fails to surprise: sometimes familiar, sometimes completely new, but always precise, creative, and with no shortage of heart and soul. Located between the Kunstareal and Maxvorstadt districts, host Kilian Skalet charmingly guides guests through menus, which Hartwig describes as a ​‘laboratory of love’ – a constant interplay between tradition and innovation. Food design? It’s part of the furniture here. And yes – once you’ve seen a Hartwig plate, you’ll recognise it anywhere.

When you pull up a chair at CODA in Berlin, it’s best to wave goodbye to all culinary conventions the moment you’re served your aperitif. Michelin-starred chef René Frank and head chef Julia A. Leitner don’t serve a menu, they stage an edible design project – inspired by patisserie techniques, but without shying away from the savoury. Here, umami can flirt with mango, beetroot can slip its way into a chocolate roll, and goat’s cheese can celebrate a sweet finale. Starter, main course, dessert? Scrap that. Instead: a sequence of seasonal compositions that look as artistic as any installations you might find in a gallery – only you can eat them. Everything is sustainable, everything is brilliantly crafted, and everything is wonderfully non-conformist.

At ​‘Herzig’ in Vienna, housed within the halls of the former Dorotheum-Fünfhaus, Sören Herzig serves fine dining with a cheeky wink. International influences meet Austrian roots to create the unmistakable ​‘Herzig blend’: creative, charming, and visually spectacular. Food design is a must here – from the artfully presented menu to the famous ​‘Kussmund’ dessert, which is almost too beautiful to eat. Surrounded by works by Peter Jellitsch and Clemens Wolf, guests enjoy cuisine with so much character that it is instantly recognisable.

In what is probably the narrowest building in the city, but yet still standing at seven storeys tall, at Seven Swans chef Ricky Saward stages a fine dining experience that is as purist as it is radical: 100% vegan, completely organic, and strictly regional – much of it sourced directly from his own farm. The location itself is an eye-catcher: stylish, featuring clean design, plus a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the Main River, which almost acts as an oversized natural frame. The menu? A five-hour work of art, where everyone eats at the same time and each dish is presented with a short performance. The ​‘permaculture’ philosophy runs through every plate – sustainable, well thought-out, and yet so refined that you don’t miss meat for a second. German wines or homemade non-alcoholic creations accompany the meal. Tip: book early – places here are as sought-after as a sunset on the Main.

When you step inside Tanja Grandits’ Restaurant Stucki, you almost feel like you’re sitting in a gallery. However, it’s not pictures that are admired here, but plates. Each one is like a miniature work of art: delicately arranged, colourfully composed, and juggling an array of flavours. Grandits takes food design to the extreme without giving the impression that a wannabe artist with too much time on their hands and unnecessary tweezers is at work. Grandits’ style comes across as a well-considered design code: often monochrome, with strong botanical elements, subtle spice notes, and an intentional focus on a single colour scheme per dish – which does not scream effort and showmanship, but rather clear signature and discipline. And then there’s the ambience: the bright, understated interior of a historic villa takes a back seat to the colourful culinary explosions– the room says, ​‘Make way, plate coming through!’ In short, at Stucki, they don’t just cook – they design food.

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