Sebastian Kunkel

The Path

Early on, Sebastian Kunkel worked as chef at Zirbelstube in Nürnberg-Worzeldorf. That role already establishes the line his cooking follows: a close tie to one restaurant, one kitchen, and a way of working that gains definition through repetition. Zirbelstube is not just the setting for his career; it is the place where that career takes form and consistency.

The Work Today

The kitchen remains the point of practice: Kunkel works as chef in the kitchen at Zirbelstube in Nuremberg. His own description of the cooking is plainspoken, and the style matches it—fresh, natural and regional, with clarity preferred over ornament. The effect is not simplicity for its own sake, but a frame that leaves room for detail, texture and a clean idea on the plate. The dishes make that approach legible. In 2022, Kürbisrisotto für 4 Personen was credited to him as a recipe from the Nuremberg restaurant, a title that signals scale, directness and a generous table-side logic. In 2021, Kartoffel-Zwetschgen-Knödel appeared under his name, pairing potato with plum in a form that sits comfortably in tradition while still carrying a considered edge. Even in the abbreviated title, it shows how Kunkel moves across references without losing discipline in the kitchen vocabulary.

Signature

Sebastian's signature dishes include Kürbisrisotto für 4 Personen and Kartoffel-Zwetschgen-Knödel. Together they sketch the contours of his style: seasonal, grounded and unafraid of contrast, with one dish leaning into comfort and the other into a more playful meeting of flavors and forms.

In Their Words “We cook fresh, natural and regional. The dishes should be understandable, and yet we want to surprise the guests with creative ideas.” “My name is Sebastian Kunkel and, together with my wife Susanne Wagner-Kunkel, I run the hotel and restaurant Zirbelstube.”

Acclaim

Sebastian's honors include Michelin Guide, 1 Plate (2021).