BERLIN, GERMANY — An open show kitchen in which excellent dishes are prepared using the freshest ingredients before the eyes of the guests, as well as a sushi bar, a summer terrace and live jazz and blues music in the Vox Bar – with this unusual concept, Vox restaurant has established itself as a magnet for gourmets on the Berlin gastronomic scene. Hotel manager Fred Huerst comments: “In addition to the excellent culinary offerings, the recipe for Vox’s success is doubtless to be found in its well-thought-out interior architecture and elegant design.” The planners of this designer hotel at Potsdamer Platz continued the tradition of amusement and entertainment that distinguished Vox House at Potsdamer Platz in the 1920s. It was from Vox House, which stood in the same location and gave the restaurant its name, that the first German entertainment programme was broadcast in October 1923. Every day, the open show kitchen in Vox Restaurant at Grand Hyatt Berlin becomes a stage for chefs and gourmets.
Thanks to the unusual design of the restaurant, the director of cuisine Josef Eder and his team, headed by top chef Pascal Verrooten, prepare elegant international dishes directly before diners’ eyes.
Being entertained by the chef preparing your dinner offers a whole new dining experience and is also what many gourmets seek, although it remains unusual in most of the world’s top restaurants. At Grand Hyatt Berlin, however, guests have a direct view into the open kitchen from almost all the tables in the restaurant. The gleaming chrome kitchen, with its neighbouring sushi bar, and the white tablecloths contrast beautifully with the simple stucco walls and dark parquet flooring, which bathe the restaurant in a warm atmosphere. The dark oak furniture was designed specifically for Vox by the Swiss designer Hannes Wettstein. The furnishings not only create a warm atmosphere, but also are symbols of Grand Hyatt Berlin’s commitment to using only the finest materials. Even when it came to cutlery, glasses and serviettes, the hotel did not fail to take advice from designers so that linear, simple shapes reflect each other in the smallest detail.
The chef as an artist
“With an open kitchen, the cook becomes an artist who can be watched as he or she creates regional dishes with an international twist,” notes director of cuisine Josef Eder proudly. The show kitchen allows direct, open contact with guests.
The chef can see who has ordered what and the diner’s immediate reaction, and likes taking responsibility for the presentation of the dish him/herself. This does away with strict separation according to tasks and rooms. “Here in Vox, we have a much closer relationship with our guests than I have experienced in restaurants with a conventional design,” Eder emphasises.
Next to the large, open show kitchen with its wood-burning oven is a sushi bar where experts create fresh, authentic sushi. Vox also includes two private dining rooms, and a jazz bar, offering more than 240 varieties of whisky, where top international musicians play jazz and blues Monday to Saturday from 10:00pm. A summer terrace is located under the lime trees of Alte Potsdamer Straße.
At Vox, appetisers are priced from €11-20, main courses from €20-37 and desserts from €9-13. On the wine menu, there are 100 different white wines and 120 red wines from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Austria, Argentina, South Africa and Australia.
About Grand Hyatt
Large-scale and distinctive, Grand Hyatt hotels are places to enjoy, socialize and entertain in the heart of major gateway cities and resort destinations. Signature elements include dramatic architecture, energetic lobby environments, innovative dining options, state-of-the-art technology, spa and fitness centers, and comprehensive business and meeting facilities catering to conferences, corporate meetings and social gatherings of all sizes. For more information and reservations, visit www.hyatt.com