"The position at the Dreesen appealed to me very much, as it is an establishment with history," answers Bunzel when asked why he moved from the traditional Wipperaue restaurant in Solingen to the banks of the Rhine. The Dreesen also has a beautiful location, a great clientele, and Bonn is a beautiful city, Bunzel adds enthusiastically.

“We are delighted to have found in Marcus Bunzel a passionate chef who, thanks to his international experience and hospitality skills, will surprise our guests with special creations." Hotel director Christof Keller is excited about the breath of fresh air Bunzel is bringing to the Dreesen. On the homepage, Keller promises to cook "simply really good food" in the restaurant of the family hotel, which has been in existence since 1894. The hotel offers "young Rhenish, French-inspired cuisine at the highest culinary level" and, of course, the "famous Dreesen classics”.

The new Dreesen chef already worked in Bonn from 2016 to 2019 at the Hotel Königshof. As Bunzel looks back, he says the years in the kitchen there had a very positive effect on him. The team spirit was also excellent. The 34-year-old is now returning to the Rhine for a fresh new start.

Bunzel's team at Dreesen includes 20 kitchen and service staff. Much is expected of them, he explains. “Working together with our service staff, we treat our customers very well so that they have a good start to the day all the way through to a nice evening in the restaurant Gobelin." He says that there are also banquet events and the beer garden is open in season.

Bunzel was born in Berlin and completed his training at the Radisson Hotel there. He revealed to the culinary magazine Varta Guide that he was encouraged to cook by his "Grandpa Siggi from Neukölln." "He always cooked delicious food and with a lot of perfection”.

His apprenticeship years were also formative for him, says Bunzel. For example, his year at the Radisson restaurant in Reykjavik, Iceland, and then especially his two years at the Grand Hotel des Bordeaux. In France, he learned a lot and developed a real passion for the profession, says Bunzel. Food culture has a different status there than in this country.

Bunzel then celebrated his highlight to date as a chef from 2012 to 2014 when he was awarded the Michelin star for his cooking at the "Ars Vivendi" in Bad Laasphe in the Sauerland region. "That was certainly, next to my family, the greatest success in my life." He and his wife have a daughter.

Two years at the "WineLive" in Meerbusch and three years at Bonn's Hotel Königshof followed. Finally, Bunzel was head chef at the Hyatt Regency in Düsseldorf and at the Wipperaue restaurant in Solingen. His goal is to continue to offer very good, honest cuisine with regional influences, says the 34-year-old.

Of course, "the Dreesen classics" will still be on the menu. These include, for example, sauerbraten, which on the current menu is served Rhenish style "from horse in raisin and almond sauce with potato dumplings and apple compote." Another "Classic Dreesen" dish is the beef tartare with cornichons, butter and brown bread, as well as the pink roasted roast beef with remoulade sauce, roasted potatoes and salad, says Bunzel.

But as Dreesen's executive chef, Bunzel plans to focus on more seafood dishes. "Starting Nov. 1, there will be a new menu," he promises. On the current menu, you can already find his culinary signature in a few places, such as in the "Catch of the Day.”

Online, the Dreesen cuisine to date, like that of other establishments, has received extremely mixed reviews: Fans praise that the food is cooked with the finest quality, even with sophistication. But others offer criticism: "Great location, disappointing food." Bunzel, who has 1,500 Instagram followers, gets some mouths watering when he posts "Gazpacho Rouge with goat cheese" or "Charcoal-grilled watermelon with scallops.” He describes his initial time at Dreesen as thoroughly positive. "The work is already great fun."

(Orig. text: Ebba Hagenberg-Miliu, Translation: Carol Kloeppel)