Andree Köthe

The Climb

Since 1989, Andree Köthe has shaped Essigbrätlein from the same address, with a career built on repetition, precision, and staying power rather than movement. In a trade where chefs often pass through quickly, his decades at one restaurant speak to a different kind of authority: one earned through consistency, technical control, and the daily work of holding standards over time. Köthe’s own principle is direct: “We place a very great deal of value on one or at most two base products on each plate.” The point is not minimalism as style, but concentration as method. With that approach, the plate is forced to carry less clutter and more intent, and the ingredient has room to register clearly. It is a way of cooking that matches the duration of his presence at Essigbrätlein since 1989.

Today

He remains owner and chef at Essigbrätlein, and since 1997 has also carried the co-head chef title. The wording he uses for the kitchen is collaborative rather than hierarchical: “We work absolutely as equals together.” That framing extends the same balance found in the food itself. The kitchen is run as a shared system, while the plates are built around one or two base products.

Signature

Vegetables sit at the center of Andree Köthe’s cooking, and that emphasis fits the restaurant’s broader discipline. Under his direction, vegetables are treated as primary material, not garnish or filler. The result is a kitchen language that stays close to product, composition, and restraint.

In Their Words “We place a very great deal of value on one or at most two base products on each plate.” “We work absolutely as equals together.”

Recognition

Andree's honors include Two Michelin stars (2007), Michelin star (1999), and Chef of the Year (2012).