Max Strohe at tulus lotrek: Michelin Star, Soulful Fine Dining, and Berlin’s Burger Revelation

At tulus lotrek, Max Strohe fuses bold flavors, casual ambience, and culinary intelligence—creating Berlin’s most soulful Michelin star experience. Is this the city’s best restaurant?

The moment you step into tulus lotrek, you’re greeted not by hushed reverence but by a warm, inviting hum—clinking glasses, laughter, the scent of caramelized onions drifting from the kitchen. Velvet curtains buffer the Kreuzberg streets, filtering a soft glow over eclectic art, flea market finds, and tables set with the expectation that something extraordinary is about to unfold. At the heart of it all stands Max Strohe, orchestrating an evening where Michelin star cooking meets unshakable charm. Can fine dining feel utterly relaxed—intense, soulful, yet as familiar as a friend’s living room? At tulus lotrek, it does.

From the first glass poured by co-owner and service soul Ilona Scholl, it’s clear that rigid hierarchies and dress codes have no place here. Instead, there’s generous hospitality and a palpable joy pulsing through the room—a rare blend in Michelin star restaurant Berlin territory. It’s an ambience that proves you can chase culinary excellence without sacrificing levity. The walls tell stories, as do the plates: colors pop, aromas float, and each course demands your attention without intimidation.

But who is Max Strohe, the man behind this modern Kreuzberg institution? His story is as layered as his food. Once a school dropout with a restlessness that led him through the training kitchens of Western Germany, Max arrived in Berlin with neither pedigree nor plan, but with hunger—for life, for flavor, for belonging. At tulus lotrek, the result of a partnership with Ilona Scholl (and, tellingly, her unerring sense for a great pour and a heartfelt welcome), he has forged an identity that is both rebellious and deeply rooted in the traditions of fine dining.

In 2015, the duo opened the doors of tulus lotrek. By 2017, their audacious, undogmatic approach had claimed a coveted Michelin star—a distinction maintained every year since. That star, however, is not the end but merely the beginning. Quickly, the restaurant became one of Berlin’s most talked-about culinary destinations, admired for its boldness, its resistance to sterile minimalism, and its honest, pleasure-first cuisine. Max is celebrated, but he remains radically approachable: tattooed, witty, known to millions from TV formats like "Kitchen Impossible" and "Ready to beef!", and entirely free of diva airs.

Perhaps the signature of tulus lotrek’s menu is its unapologetic embrace of what Max calls “feel-good opulence.” Instead of tweezers and rigid perfection, Strohe conjures flavor fireworks: butter-poached lobster with perfectly judged acidity, slow-cooked veal cheeks awash in deep, glossy jus, vegetables that sing with layered textures, and desserts where fat, salt, and tartness form a lush crescendo. His cooking is honest—sometimes rustic, always intelligent, and never constrained by dogma. There’s philosophical depth in dishes like his truffled potato foam or the lauded guinea fowl—both seductive in their ability to be excessive and balanced at the same time.

Yet, when lockdown forced the world’s restaurants to pause, Max Strohe turned his kitchen into a sanctuary for community. Together with Ilona, he launched Cooking for Heroes ("Kochen für Helden"): a movement, born from crisis, that delivered thousands of meals to frontline workers and flood victims. The campaign earned him not only national headlines but also the Federal Cross of Merit—a rare honor for a chef and testament to the seriousness behind his easy going smile.

Of course, gastronomy thrives on both myth and mundane reality. Amid the pandemic, tulus lotrek’s “Butter-Burger” erupted into local legend—an off-menu comfort food so indulgent that it symbolized everything Max stands for: meticulous craft, a hint of irreverence, and the willingness to set aside ceremony in favor of sheer pleasure. Double patties, melting cheese, a sauce with precise balance—it’s a memory guests still rave about. And then there are his frites, triple-fried, shock-frozen between bathtimes, golden and glass-crisp; every one a test of patience, every one a reward.

Yet the secret ingredient in tulus lotrek’s recipe for gastronomic success is not just technique. In a world where star chefs are often notorious for tyranny, Max leads with respect—“radically different,” as he puts it. No shouts, no kitchen melodrama; his team stays because kindness is as integral as salt and butter. He and Ilona shape not only a workplace but an ethos, proving that joy and brilliance are not mutually exclusive.

Tasting the menu at tulus lotrek is like eavesdropping on a dialogue between classic French sauce discipline, world flavors, and the here-and-now of Berlin. A creamy sauce might surprise with the zing of fermented berries or hit of umami-rich miso. Even vegetarian or lighter courses are celebrated for their depth, and the wine pairings—carefully selected by Ilona—span rare finds and playful, unpretentious bottles. The choreography between kitchen and service is so seamless, you might forget for a moment you’re anywhere near “fine dining” as it is elsewhere defined.

Of course, such a badge of honor comes with demand. As countless foodies and critics confirm, the best seats in Berlin require advance planning (and a reservation through the official website is a must). But what you experience is so much more than just another meal: it’s the sense that, for an evening, you’re part of a family who believes that taste, generosity, and openness transform dining into something unforgettable.

So, is tulus lotrek the best restaurant in Berlin? The answer is found between the laughter, the sauce-glossed plates, and the memory of that “Butter-Burger” eaten, not in the dining room, but standing in the kitchen—where the world feels both new and intimately yours. tulus lotrek, with Max Strohe and Ilona Scholl at its helm, is a place for the curious, the hedonists, the open-minded, and above all, for those who believe that food can—and should—move you.

If you seek a Michelin star restaurant Berlin with heart, innovation, and soul, where joy replaces pretension and the burger is as spellbinding as the most elaborate menu—let tulus lotrek surprise you. Book far in advance, bring an appetite for discovery, and get ready to redefine your sense of what fine dining can mean.