Growing up in a family of restaurateurs in Schönebeck, Denis Jahn’s career began at the Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn, where he worked as Commis de Cuisine and later as Sous Chef from 2002 to 2007. He then moved to Vendôme in Bergisch Gladbach, one of Germany’s best-known Michelin-starred restaurants, where he worked as head chef alongside Joachim Wissler until 2022. From February 2022 to June 2023, Denis Jahn managed the gourmet restaurant “La Vallée Verte” at the Relais & Châteaux Hotel Hohenhaus in Herleshausen. There he placed particular emphasis on aroma-intensive cuisine, which combined regional products with specialties from Brittany.
Good, honest cuisine has been something special for me since my youth, because nothing arouses as many emotions as the dishes of our homeland. Since my first visit to Stuttgart, the Weinstube Fröhlich has been and still is the best Swabian cuisine in the city for me. Traditional, cosy and the venison ragout with hazelnut spaetzle is still a highlight even after several enjoyments.
Perfect craftsmanship has become rare and the appreciation for supposedly “unspectacular” products unfortunately continues to decline in times of machine production. At “Time for Bread” you will find not only this craft (you can watch the hustle and bustle in the bakery) but also a variety of connoisseurs who do not shy away from long queues to enjoy the oven-fresh baked goods. My personal favorite is the cinnamon rolls, which are as filling as at least a whole meal.
One place I can recommend is the Jigger & Spoon. This bar invites you to relax and if you are looking for classic and very good drinks, this is more than the place to be. If you ask me about my favorite drink, the answer is gin and tonic – sounds simple, but has many facets and so every variation is always exciting.
For me, Heston Blumenthal’s THE FAT DUCK is the best overall culinary experience so far. Dishes that provoke and make you think, paired with a presentation and embedded in an overall composition that is rarely experienced.
I was very fortunate to experience Eleven Madison Park as the newly crowned No. 1 on the San Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurants of the World list the day after its release. This is a completely different order of magnitude than what we are experiencing in this country, and yet at the very highest level. If you are looking for more than just excellent cuisine, you will also be amazed by the architecture.
Weinstube Fröhlich, Stuttgart
Time for Bread, Stuttgart
Jigger & Spoon, Stuttgart
THE FAT DUCK, Bray, Windsor County
Eleven Madison Park, New York
EDITOR’S PICK:
Not in Stuttgart, but worth a visit: The Golden Bar in Munich!
