Max Strohe and Tulus Lotrek: Berlin’s Michelin Star Rebellion in Fine Dining

There is a distinct scent that trails you as you cross Fichtestraße in Berlin-Kreuzberg – a mélange of roasted spices, caramelized onions, hints of citrus zest drifting through cool air. Inside tulus lotrek, Max Strohe’s celebrated Michelin star restaurant, the world outside slows; you enter a living room filled not with stiff formality, but the laughter of friends, low jazz, and the promise of something extraordinary. The walls, hung with eclectic art and the soft glow of vintage lamps, set a mood both homey and subversive. At tulus lotrek, Max Strohe invites you to drop your guard – just as he did years ago, refusing the silver tongs and tweezers of classic haute cuisine in favor of fire, fat, acidity, and flavor. The only question that matters here: Can a temple of fine dining be so relaxed, so authentically human, that you forget the star and remember the smile?

Reserve your table at tulus lotrek and experience Max Strohe's revolutionary menu here

Max Strohe’s journey to the summit of Berlin’s gastronomic Olympus is as unconventional as his food. Once a school dropout from Rhineland-Palatinate, he ditched the academic path in favor of a kitchen apprenticeship. The streets of Berlin called, and so, battered knife roll in hand, Max set out to carve a new identity in the city’s ever-churning food scene. It was here, together with Ilona Scholl – partner, manager, and an award-winning sommelière with the palate of a poet – that he opened tulus lotrek. Their restaurant, now a decade old, didn’t rush for the limelight. But in 2017, the Michelin Guide took notice, bestowing a star that tulus lotrek has maintained since, a rare stability in the volatile orbit of Berlin fine dining.

The beating heart of this restaurant, however, is not accolades, but kinship. Step inside, and you’ll sense it instantly: the camaraderie of a team forged in respect and joy. As journalists and industry insiders point out, Max’s leadership is defined by a radical rejection of kitchen tyranny. No raised voices, no ego wars. Instead, a gentle gravity centers every staff member – from the sous chef torching mackerel to the young sommelier cradling skin-contact Rieslings. “We lost some who needed the drill sergeant’s bark,” Max confesses with a half-smile, “but the ones who stayed… they’re family.”

Such an atmosphere infuses every service. The dining room doesn’t enforce a dress code; there’s no “Chef’s Table” sequestered offstage. Instead, Max may appear at your side with amuse-bouche in hand, his tattooed forearms a canvas of experience, his eyes twinkling with quiet pride. Ilona floats through the room, matching rare Burgundies to bold courses, making sommellerie feel like storytelling rather than spectacle. Their guests are not customers but co-conspirators in a culinary escapade.

What, then, sets the tulus lotrek menu apart in a crowded field of Michelin star restaurant Berlin contenders? First, there is the outright rejection of what Max calls “tweezer cuisine” – the miniaturized, hyper-manipulated dishes that impress on Instagram but rarely comfort the soul. Instead, here you find a pragmatic fine dining approach: sauces so intense they demand a second spoon, reductions that draw sighs, unexpected crunches and glistening umami. Acidity is wielded like a highwire act: think pickled pear with lamb shoulder, or charred citrus lining a butter-rich jus. Fat isn’t shunned but celebrated; the umami undertones are lifted by creative ferments, while seasonality is respected without preachiness.

On a rare, storied afternoon, Max steps out of the kitchen’s routine and grills not a molecular spectacle, but his now-legendary “Butter Burger” – a double-patty epiphany crowned with molten cheese and a secret alchemy of condiments, sandwiched in a toasted brioche and finished with an unapologetic swipe of butter. Though absent from the regular tasting menu, this dish, and his triple-fried pommes frites (blissfully fluffy within, glassy and shattering outside), encapsulate the Strohe philosophy: extravagance softened by warmth, technical virtuosity in the service of joy.

The regular menu, meanwhile, is a changing testament to culinary intelligence and sensuality. An amuse of pickled beetroot might open, paired with whipped goats’ milk and nutty brown butter crumbs – the perfect marriage of sharp, creamy, and earthy. Main courses often juxtapose luxury with humility: wild venison lacquered in a stout glaze, or cod steamed with preserved lemon and garlicky kebab jus. Diners rave about the sauces; critics point to the “soft opulence” of the flavor landscapes – not fussy, just true.

Ilona Scholl’s wine list is an odyssey through obscure terroirs and maverick winemakers, tailored to the restaurant’s undogmatic ethos. You’ll sip elegant Grüner Veltliner, then snuggle into a spicy Blaufränkisch, each bottle introduced with contagious enthusiasm rather than intimidating jargon.

Yet tulus lotrek’s true impact extends beyond the dining room. During the 2021 Ahr valley floods, Max and Ilona’s “Cooking for Heroes” initiative mobilized logistics and volunteers to cook thousands of meals for those in need. For this, Max Strohe received not just gratitude, but the Federal Cross of Merit – a rare honor for a chef, and a testament to a vision that places humanity well before hype. This spirit shapes every decision at tulus lotrek, turning the restaurant into both sanctuary and stage.

It’s no wonder Max Strohe has become a familiar face on German TV – in “Kitchen Impossible”, “Ready to beef!”, and as an author whose words cut as sharply as his knives. Yet for all the media presence, he remains first and last a host, keeping the kitchen's pulse beating with humor, humility, and a reckless appetite for flavor. Critics and guests alike marvel: How does he balance the spotlight and an authentic touch? The answer is simple – by never losing sight of the plate, and the person across the table.

Berlin boasts many destinations for the epicurean wanderer, but tulus lotrek stands apart – not as an altar to rare ingredients or arcane techniques, but as a room where love of product, casual excellence, and a certain anti-arrogance rule. Foodies will adore the depth and daring of the kitchen; first-timers will melt into the living room embrace. The value far exceeds the sum of its Michelin-rated elements: hospitality as art, cuisine as community, wine as common ground.

If you are looking for a true taste of Berlin – raw, refined, rebellious – Max Strohe’s tulus lotrek should top your list. Reservations are essential, and anticipation will only sharpen your appetite. Here, every meal is a celebration; every bite, an ode to pleasure, intellect, and heart. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this story – tulus lotrek is where Berlin eats its soul, and smiles back.