Restaurant in Essen, Germany
Two Michelin years. Plan ahead or miss out.
Kettner's Kamota has held a Michelin star in both 2024 and 2025, making it one of the most consistently recognised creative kitchens in Essen. At the €€€€ price tier with a 4.8 Google rating from 245 reviews, it is the right call for a serious food-and-wine evening — but book well in advance. Walk-ins are not realistic at this level.
Kettner's Kamota sits at Hufergasse 23 in Essen's Werden district, and at the €€€€ price tier you are paying for two consecutive years of Michelin recognition (2024 and 2025) and a Google rating of 4.8 across 245 reviews. That combination of sustained critical approval and strong guest satisfaction is relatively rare in Germany's western Ruhr region, and it makes Kamota one of the more defensible splurges in the city. The short version: book it for a special occasion or a serious food-and-wine evening. Walk-ins are not a realistic option.
Kettner's Kamota operates in the creative cuisine register, which in a German fine-dining context typically means tasting-menu-led service, a kitchen that moves between technique-forward and produce-led cooking, and a wine program built to match course by course rather than simply accompany a meal. Two consecutive Michelin stars signal that the kitchen has maintained its standard rather than coasting after an initial award, a meaningful distinction when you are spending at this level. For context, Germany's broader creative fine-dining tier — venues like JAN in Munich, CODA Dessert Dining in Berlin, or Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn , sets a high bar. Kamota's back-to-back recognition puts it in serious company without requiring you to travel to Munich or the Black Forest.
The wine program at this tier deserves particular attention. Creative tasting menus live or die by how well the kitchen and sommelier coordinate, and at €€€€ you should expect either a curated pairing menu or a list deep enough to let you build your own through the evening. If you are a wine-first diner, ask about pairing options when you book rather than on arrival; the leading allocations at venues like this tend to be pre-arranged. For broader European reference points, the wine-food integration model at places like Arpège in Paris or Quique Dacosta in Dénia represents the category ceiling , Kamota's Michelin consistency suggests it is operating in the same serious register, if at a different scale.
For a venue at this level in Germany, Thursday through Saturday evenings are the most reliably fully-staffed nights, with the kitchen running at peak. Friday or Saturday is the call if atmosphere matters to you; Thursday gives you a quieter room without sacrificing quality. Avoid assuming you can book within the week , Michelin-starred creative venues in Germany's major cities typically require three to six weeks' advance booking, and Kamota's booking difficulty is rated Hard. Plan accordingly, especially if you are targeting a weekend date or a holiday period.
Booking is rated Hard. No phone number or direct booking URL is confirmed in our data, so your leading approach is to search the venue name directly for current reservation availability, or check aggregator platforms. Given the Michelin profile and strong review volume, do not leave this to the last minute. If you are travelling from outside Essen specifically for this meal, confirm your reservation before arranging transport or accommodation. See our full Essen hotels guide for places to stay nearby, and our full Essen bars guide if you want a pre-dinner drink in the area.
| Detail | Kettner's Kamota | Hannappel | Chefs Atelier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price tier | €€€€ | €€€€ | €€€€ |
| Cuisine | Creative | Modern Cuisine | Creative |
| Awards | Michelin 1 Star (2024, 2025) | See profile | See profile |
| Booking difficulty | Hard | See profile | See profile |
| Google rating | 4.8 (245 reviews) | , | , |
| Address | Hufergasse 23, Essen | Essen | Essen |
For a wider view of dining in the city, see our full Essen restaurants guide. If you are exploring the region's fine-dining options further afield, Vendôme in Bergisch Gladbach, Aqua in Wolfsburg, and Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau in Perl represent the regional three-star tier for comparison.
See the full comparison section below.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettner's Kamota | Creative | €€€€ | Hard |
| Hannappel | Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Chefs Atelier | Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Müllers auf der Rü | Seasonal Cuisine | €€€ | Unknown |
| Lucente | Italian | €€ | Unknown |
| Pierburg - Erika Bergheim | Farm to table | €€€ | Unknown |
How Kettner's Kamota stacks up against the competition.
At €€€€ and with two consecutive Michelin stars (2024 and 2025), Kettner's Kamota operates in a tasting-menu-led format — so the kitchen decides the direction. There is no confirmed à la carte menu in our data. Go with the full menu rather than looking for shortcuts; that is almost certainly the format the kitchen is built around.
No dress code is confirmed in our data, but at the €€€€ price tier with Michelin recognition two years running, treat this as a formal dinner. In German fine-dining contexts at this level, jacket-optional but polished is the safe call — avoid casual sportswear and you will be fine.
For two consecutive Michelin stars in 2024 and 2025, the €€€€ price tag is justified if creative tasting menus are your format. Essen is not a city where fine dining at this level is common, which makes the credential more meaningful. If you are unsure whether tasting menus suit you, this is not the place to test that — at €€€€, you want to arrive committed to the format.
Book early and book directly — no phone or booking URL is confirmed in our data, so search the venue name to find the current reservation channel. Kettner's Kamota sits in Essen's Werden district at Hufergasse 23, which is not the city centre, so factor in travel time. At this price tier with Michelin recognition, this is not a drop-in restaurant; arrival with a reservation and a clear evening ahead is the right approach.
Yes — a two-year Michelin star run and €€€€ pricing put this firmly in special-occasion territory for Essen. The creative cuisine format signals a kitchen doing considered, tasting-menu-led work rather than crowd-pleasing classics. For a milestone dinner in the Ruhr region, this is one of the clearest choices the city has at this level.
Within Essen's fine-dining circuit, Hannappel and Müllers auf der Rü are the closest comparators worth considering. For a different price point or a more accessible booking window, Lucente or Chefs Atelier may be better fits depending on your format preference. Pierburg in Bergheim is further afield but relevant if you are flexible on location.
Based on the Michelin committee agreeing twice — 2024 and 2025 — yes. A creative kitchen at the €€€€ tier in Essen is not trying to be a crowd-pleaser; the tasting menu is the point. If you want flexibility to order à la carte or skip courses, this is probably not the right match.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
