Hendrik Olfen

Coming Up

Early posts as sous-chef at La Vision and La Société, followed by work as sous-chef to Hans Horberth and later as product developer at Vapiano, placed Hendrik Olfen in rooms that demanded different kinds of control. Taken together, those roles show a chef moving between service, development, and leadership without losing technical focus. The result is a profile shaped by precision, discipline, and range, all of it later brought to bear in Cologne. Today, Hendrik is Head Chef / chef of HENNE.Weinbar since 2018, and also Geschäftsführer of Olfen Gastronomie GmbH. The work therefore extends beyond the pass: one part daily cooking, one part business responsibility, both dependent on consistency.

Where They Are Now

At HENNE.Weinbar in Cologne since 2018, Olfen has kept the brief in practical terms. Asked what the role requires, he puts the emphasis on endurance and routine: “The rest is stamina, hard work, discipline and a love of the job.” It is a plain account of what keeps a kitchen operating day after day, with no room for drift. His stated aim for the place is long-term rather than seasonal: “I want to make HENNE.Weinbar an institution in Cologne that, even after 30 years, continues to provide happy and satisfied guests day after day.” The measure here is repetition, reliability, and the kind of continuity that only comes from holding standards over time.

Signature

The dish points to a way of cooking that values completeness, attention to the full ingredient, and a practical use of the whole bird rather than only the obvious cuts.

In Their Words “I want to make HENNE.Weinbar an institution in Cologne that, even after 30 years, continues to provide happy and satisfied guests day after day.” “The rest is stamina, hard work, discipline and a love of the job.”