Hendrik Otto is a German chef best known for leading Restaurant Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin to two Michelin stars, a rating he held for more than a decade at one of the most famous addresses in the German capital. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, Otto earned and maintained Michelin stars for 16 consecutive years across kitchens in Cologne and Berlin.
His cooking combined classical French precision with a contemporary German sensibility, and the Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, overlooking the Brandenburg Gate, became one of Berlin’s defining fine-dining rooms during his tenure.
TL;DR
- German chef who began his career at 17 as an apprentice at Kurhotel Lauterbad in Freudenstadt
- Head chef of Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin, from April 2010
- Led the restaurant to one Michelin star (2010) and two stars (2011), held for over a decade
- Earlier earned Michelin stars in Cologne (La Vision) and Berlin (Vitrum)
- Maintained Michelin-star status for 16 consecutive years
Hendrik Otto key facts
| Nationality | German |
| Defining restaurant | Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin (from 2010) |
| Michelin stars | Two at Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer (one 2010, two from 2011) |
| Earlier stars | La Vision, Cologne; Vitrum, Ritz-Carlton Berlin |
| Style | Classical French technique with a modern German sensibility |
| First job | Apprentice cook at Kurhotel Lauterbad, Freudenstadt (age 17) |
Early life and training
Hendrik Otto is German-born and began his culinary career at the age of seventeen as an apprentice cook at the Kurhotel Lauterbad in Freudenstadt, in the Black Forest region. From those beginnings he worked his way through demanding kitchens to become one of Germany’s most consistently starred chefs, maintaining Michelin recognition for 16 consecutive years.
Cologne and Berlin
In 2002 Otto became Chef de Cuisine at La Vision, the restaurant of the Hotel im Wasserturm in Cologne, where he earned his first Michelin star within months of taking over and held it for the six years he worked there. In 2008 he moved to Berlin to take over the Ritz-Carlton’s Vitrum restaurant, which was awarded a Michelin star and 16 Gault&Millau points under his direction.
Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer and two Michelin stars
In April 2010 Otto took over as head chef of the Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski on Pariser Platz, beside the Brandenburg Gate. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2010 and promoted to two stars in 2011, a rating it then held for more than ten consecutive years — confirmed by the Michelin Guide for the tenth time in a row as of 2021. Otto’s tenure made the Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer one of the benchmark fine-dining restaurants in Berlin. After eleven years at the helm, he moved on from the restaurant.
Signature style
Otto’s cooking is grounded in classical French technique, executed with precision and refined over a long career in luxury-hotel kitchens, while drawing on contemporary German ideas and high-quality produce. The combination of technical rigour and a grand-hotel setting defined the experience at the Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer.
Awards and recognition
- First Michelin star at La Vision, Cologne (2002), held six years
- Michelin star at Vitrum, Ritz-Carlton Berlin (from 2008)
- One Michelin star (2010) and two stars (2011) at Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer
- Two Michelin stars maintained for over a decade; 16 consecutive years of Michelin recognition
Hendrik Otto in context
Otto is one of the chefs who defined Berlin and German fine dining over the 2010s, in the same top tier as Joachim Wissler at Vendôme and Tohru Nakamura, and the established master Hans Stefan Steinheuer.
Follow Hendrik Otto
Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer — official page →
Hendrik Otto FAQ
Where is Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer?
At the Hotel Adlon Kempinski on Pariser Platz in Berlin, beside the Brandenburg Gate.
How many Michelin stars did Hendrik Otto have?
Two Michelin stars at the Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, earned in 2011 (after one star in 2010) and held for more than a decade.
Where did Hendrik Otto work before Berlin?
He earned his first Michelin star at La Vision in Cologne and another at the Ritz-Carlton’s Vitrum restaurant in Berlin.
How did Hendrik Otto start cooking?
He began at seventeen as an apprentice cook at the Kurhotel Lauterbad in Freudenstadt.
What is Hendrik Otto’s style?
Classical French technique combined with a contemporary German sensibility, refined across luxury-hotel kitchens.
