Tohru in der Schreiberei Earns Munich’s First Three‑Michelin‑Star Crown in Years
Chef Tohru’s Japanese‑Bavarian fusion reshapes the city’s fine‑dining hierarchy and draws global attention.
Munich’s restaurant landscape has long been dominated by traditional Bavarian taverns and a handful of French‑inspired haute cuisine houses; the arrival of a three‑star venue marks a seismic shift toward hyper‑global, ingredient‑driven dining.
When the Michelin Guide announced in early March that Tohru in der Schreiberei had been awarded three stars, the news rippled through Munich’s culinary circles like a sudden gust of alpine wind. It is the city’s first three‑star restaurant since the 2010s, and the accolade instantly turned a modest historic building on Schreibereistraße into a pilgrimage site for food journalists, Instagram influencers, and the city’s own gastronomic elite.
The story behind the stars is as precise as the knife work that defines the kitchen. Chef Tohru, a Tokyo‑born chef who spent a decade honing his craft in Kyoto’s kaiseki temples before moving to Bavaria in 2019, has built a menu that treats Bavarian produce with the same reverence Japanese chefs reserve for seasonal fish. Think freshly foraged alpine herbs paired with a whisper of yuzu, or a slow‑braised veal shoulder finished with a miso‑infused glaze. The result is a cuisine that feels both unmistakably Bavarian and unmistakably Japanese – a hybrid that Michelin inspectors described as “a new language for Munich’s fine‑dining narrative.”
The venue itself, Tohru in der Schreiberei, occupies the former printing house of the city’s historic newspaper. The interior retains the original high‑beamed ceilings and iron‑clad windows, but the space has been stripped down to a minimalist palette of raw wood, concrete, and a single, sculptural sushi‑bar that doubles as a tasting counter. The design was overseen by Munich‑based architect Lena Schmid, whose work on the nearby Kunsthalle expansion earned her a German Design Award in 2022. Schmid’s restraint lets the food take centre stage while subtly nodding to the building’s industrial past.
Why does this matter beyond a shiny new star? First, it signals a broader trend identified by Michelin inspectors: chefs are increasingly looking east for technical discipline while staying rooted in local terroir (see the 2026 trend report on cross‑cultural precision). Munich, long seen as a bastion of hearty meat‑and‑potato fare, is now a testing ground for hyper‑seasonal, technique‑driven concepts that could redefine the city’s culinary identity.
Second, the opening has already reshaped the reservation market. Tohru’s 34‑seat dining room fills within minutes of the online booking window, pushing the city’s existing three‑star establishments—such as Restaurant Dallmayr and Tantris—into a more competitive arena. Local food blogger Anna‑Lena Weber, whose Instagram feed of Munich’s hidden eateries boasts 120k followers, posted a story on the night of the announcement that amassed over 30k views, underscoring the buzz among the city’s tastemakers.
Finally, the restaurant’s emphasis on local sourcing is sparking a ripple effect among Munich’s producers. The chef’s partnership with the weekly Viktualienmarkt farmers’ market has led to a surge in demand for heirloom varieties of carrots and rare Bavarian mushrooms, prompting several small farms to expand their organic certifications. In a city where the beer garden still reigns supreme, Tohru is quietly rewriting the rulebook: fine dining can be both globally sophisticated and deeply rooted in regional agriculture.
For diners willing to splurge, the tasting menu runs €260 per person, wine pairings start at €150, and the experience lasts roughly three hours. Reservations open on the restaurant’s website (tohru-der-schreiberei.de) every Thursday at 10 a.m. Dress code is smart‑casual; jackets are optional but appreciated. Whether you’re a seasoned Michelin‑hunter or a curious traveler looking to taste the future of Bavarian cuisine, Tohru in der Schreiberei is the destination that proves Munich is no longer just the capital of Oktoberfest—it’s now a capital of culinary innovation.