24 Mar Munich Eats Differently: How a Restaurant Group Is Redefining the City’s Dining Scene
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Munich has, for the first time ever, two three-star Michelin restaurants operating simultaneously. Japanese cuisine is booming here more than in any other German city. And right at the heart of this transformation operates a restaurant group that unites nearly every dining concept under one roof: from Michelin-listed fine dining and izakaya bars to a century-old brasserie. The Gastro Head Office Group isn’t a coincidence – it’s a blueprint for the future of Munich’s gastronomy.
DROP
- ▸ 15 Michelin stars in Munich, including – for the first time – two three-star establishments (JAN, Tohru in der Schreiberei)
- ▸ 1,697 active restaurants in Munich, of which 1,027 hold 4.5+ stars on Google (DISH Trend Report 2025)
- ▸ The Itameshi trend: Japanese-Mediterranean fusion is the fastest-growing culinary category
- ▸ Gastro Head Office: 7 restaurants spanning Michelin fine dining to traditional brasserie
- ▸ Premium groups are outperforming independent restaurants – structure beats romance
A City at Star Level
In 2025, Munich reached a major culinary milestone: for the first time, two restaurants simultaneously hold three Michelin stars. Jan Hartwig at JAN and Tohru Nakamura at in der Schreiberei – two chefs who could hardly be more different, yet both operate at world-class level. Nakamura is the first German chef of Japanese descent to earn three stars.
Munich currently counts 15 starred restaurants in total: four with two stars (KOMU, Alois Dallmayr Fine Dining, Atelier, Tantris) and nine with one star. Beyond the Guide lies an ecosystem of hundreds of restaurants not listed – but cooking at a standard that would merit stars elsewhere.
According to the July 2025 DISH Trend Report, Munich hosts 1,697 active restaurants, 1,027 of which boast Google ratings of 4.5 stars or higher. That density of quality is unmatched anywhere else in Germany.
The Itameshi Boom and the Power of Fusion
The strongest gastronomic trend in Munich is Itameshi – the fusion of Japanese and Italian (or broader Mediterranean) cuisine. What sounds like a culinary experiment has solid foundations: both cuisines prioritize ingredient quality, seasonality, and reduction. Their divergence lies in technique.
Restaurants like Bā Milano in Schwabing pair pizza with okonomiyaki, limoncello with yuzu. The Gastro Head Office Group was ahead of the curve with Ornella at Platzl – an Italian-Japanese fusion concept housed in a historic Munich building. This wasn’t happenstance; it was deliberate positioning.
Seven Concepts, One Signature
What makes the Gastro Head Office Group truly distinctive: no restaurant feels like a franchise. Rocca Riviera at Wittelsbacherplatz delivers Mediterranean fine dining with one of the city’s most coveted terraces – and is listed in the MICHELIN Guide. Next door, KOI focuses on Japanese robata grilling and izakaya-style bar service – also MICHELIN Guide-listed.
The Grill im Künstlerhaus at Lenbachplatz is an internationally renowned steakhouse. OskarMaria brings brasserie culture into the Literaturhaus. Café Reitschule on Königinstraße has stood since 1927 – nearly a century of Munich’s gastronomic history.
And then Moro Mou in Schwabing: modern Greek, light, and contemporary. Together, these seven venues cover a spectrum usually spread across an entire gastronomic district.
Why Groups Are the Future
Munich’s gastronomy is under pressure. For 87 percent of operators, personnel costs are the biggest challenge, according to the fizzz Trend Report 2025/26. Rents in the city center keep rising. Energy costs remain high. Independent restaurants without structural support are hitting their limits.
Premium groups like Gastro Head Office GmbH (Managing Director: Ulrich Springer) enjoy structural advantages: centralized procurement, shared overheads for HR and accounting, and internal staff rotation during illness or peak times. And they offer something no standalone restaurant can: career pathways that extend beyond a single kitchen or dining room.
The combination is decisive: two MICHELIN Guide-listed venues acting as prestige magnets and recruitment engines. A nearly century-old classic anchoring loyal customers and local roots. And trend-driven concepts like KOI and Ornella attracting new audiences. This isn’t a random collection of restaurants – it’s a carefully curated portfolio.
The City as Stage
What sets Munich apart from Berlin or Hamburg: its restaurants often occupy historic buildings – the Künstlerhaus at Lenbachplatz, the Literaturhaus at Salvatorplatz, the Arco-Palais at Wittelsbacherplatz. That imbues Munich’s gastronomy with a depth no new opening on a greenfield site can replicate.
Purchasing power is present. The audience is present. And since 2025, so is international attention – two three-star restaurants and a Japanese-Mediterranean fusion trend gaining global recognition. Munich is no longer just about weisswurst and beer garden culture. Munich is now one of Europe’s most exciting gastronomic cities.
Verdict
Q&A After the Show
How many Michelin stars does Munich have?
As of 2025, Munich has 15 starred restaurants: two with three stars (JAN and Tohru in der Schreiberei), four with two stars, and nine with one star. This places Munich alongside Hamburg and Berlin among Germany’s top gastronomic cities.
What does “Michelin-listed” mean?
“Michelin-listed” means a restaurant appears in the MICHELIN Guide – not necessarily with a star, but as a recommended establishment by the Guide’s inspectors. Inclusion itself is an accolade, signifying consistent quality, craftsmanship, and excellence. Stars (one to three) represent an additional tier of distinction. Both KOI and Rocca Riviera, part of the Gastro Head Office Group, are MICHELIN Guide-listed.
What is Itameshi?
Itameshi is the fusion of Japanese and Italian – or broader Mediterranean – cuisine. The term originates from Japanese and literally means “Italian food.” In Munich, the trend is especially strong: venues like Ornella (Gastro Head Office Group) and Bā Milano in Schwabing unite both traditions at the highest level.
Which restaurants belong to the Gastro Head Office Group?
Rocca Riviera (Mediterranean, MICHELIN Guide), KOI (Japanese, MICHELIN Guide), The Grill im Künstlerhaus (steakhouse, internationally awarded), OskarMaria (brasserie inside the Literaturhaus), Café Reitschule (operating since 1927), Ornella (Italian-Japanese fusion), and Moro Mou (modern Greek). All are located in Munich’s city center and managed by Gastro Head Office GmbH.
Can you work in these restaurants?
Yes. The Gastro Head Office Group employs over 170 people and regularly seeks new talent in the kitchen, front-of-house, and management. All current openings are listed at gastro-head-office.factorialhr.de. The advantage? One employer, seven entirely distinct restaurants.
Header Image Source: Pexels / Rachel Claire (px:11828428)
Working at Munich’s Finest Tables: Behind the Scenes at the Gastro Head Office Group →
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