Roland Trettl is one of the most recognisable chefs in the German-speaking world – a South Tyrolean cook, author and television presenter who led the legendary guest-chef restaurant Ikarus in Salzburg for a decade before becoming a household name on TV. Trained in the demanding school of Eckart Witzigmann, he combines elite classical technique with an outspoken, charismatic personality that has made him a star well beyond the kitchen.
Trettl’s career spans the very top of fine dining and the mainstream world of food television, and few chefs have moved between the two as successfully. Whether running a Michelin-level kitchen or hosting a prime-time show, he brings the same mix of precision, opinion and warmth.
TL;DR
- Italian-German (South Tyrolean) chef, born 3 July 1971 in Bozen
- Trained under the legendary chef Eckart Witzigmann
- Executive chef of Restaurant Ikarus at Hangar-7 in Salzburg for ten years
- Known for the revolutionary rotating guest-chef concept at Ikarus
- A popular television presenter, best known for hosting First Dates
Roland Trettl key facts
| Born | 3 July 1971, Bozen, South Tyrol |
| Nationality | Italian-German (South Tyrolean) |
| Known for | Restaurant Ikarus, Hangar-7, Salzburg |
| Mentor | Eckart Witzigmann |
| Also known for | Television (First Dates, The Taste) |
From South Tyrol to Witzigmann’s kitchens
Roland Trettl was born on 3 July 1971 in Bozen, in the Italian-German region of South Tyrol. He began his chef training in 1987 at the Parkhotel Holzner near his hometown and continued at Restaurant Amade in Bozen, before joining the Munich restaurants of Eckart Witzigmann – Aubergine and Tantris – among the most influential kitchens in the German-speaking world. Under Witzigmann, one of only a handful of chefs ever named a “chef of the century”, Trettl absorbed the exacting standards that would define his cooking. From 1997 to 2001 he was head chef at Witzigmann’s Ca’s Puers on Mallorca, which earned a Michelin star in 2000.
The Ikarus concept
From 2003 to the end of 2013, Trettl was executive chef of Restaurant Ikarus, set inside the striking Hangar-7 near Salzburg. Ikarus was built around a genuinely revolutionary idea: instead of a single resident chef, a different international top chef was invited to design the menu each month, with Trettl and his team executing their cuisine to the highest standard. For ten years he made this demanding, ever-changing concept work at a Michelin level, turning Ikarus into one of the most talked-about restaurants in Europe and himself into one of its most respected chefs.
Television stardom
After leaving Ikarus, Trettl became a familiar face on German-language television. He first appeared as a judge on The Taste and took part in memorable culinary duels against Tim Malzer on Kitchen Impossible, before finding his biggest audience as the host of the VOX dating show First Dates – Ein Tisch fur zwei, which he has presented since 2018. On it, he shows that hospitality and empathy matter as much as the perfect degree of doneness, and his warm, direct manner has made him one of the most popular food-world personalities on TV.
Signature style
Trettl’s cooking is rooted in classical, Witzigmann-trained technique and a South Tyrolean love of good ingredients, but he is also known for his strong opinions and his willingness to question the self-importance of haute cuisine. He values flavour, honesty and hospitality over pretension – a philosophy that comes through whether he is plating a fine-dining dish or welcoming guests on camera.
Roland Trettl in context
Trettl is one of the best-known chefs in the German-speaking world, part of the same fine-dining tradition as chefs featured on Pickup Table 4 such as Joachim Wissler and Hendrik Otto.
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Roland Trettl FAQ
Who is Roland Trettl?
A South Tyrolean chef, author and TV presenter, best known for Restaurant Ikarus and the show First Dates.
What was Ikarus?
A Salzburg restaurant he led for ten years, famous for hosting a different guest chef every month.
Who was his mentor?
The legendary chef Eckart Witzigmann, in whose kitchens he trained.
What television does he present?
He hosts First Dates – Ein Tisch fur zwei and has appeared on The Taste and Kitchen Impossible.
Where is he from?
He was born in Bozen, in South Tyrol, in 1971.
