These are no small promises with which Fontenay owner Klaus-Michael Kühne will lure his new chef Cornelius Speinle to Hamburg: A gourmet restaurant with seating for 40, a private dining room for 10, and a 360-degree terrace with a view of the Alster is to be built in “Germany’s best hotel” by then.
The demands on the new, as yet unnamed restaurant on the seventh floor then sound less modest: “Our goal is to become a further culinary flagship of gastronomic Hamburg with Mr. Speinle and to establish ourselves among the top restaurants even beyond the region.”
The thirty-year-old certainly has the potential. His own recently established restaurant thirteen senses in Schlattingen will close on April 30, 2017. Just one year after opening, the Guide Michelin honored it with its first star in 2015. It is the same year that he takes second place in the prestigious Live Chef of the Year competition and is named Discovery of the Year by Gault & Millau. Speinle lays the foundation for this extraordinary success in the formative stages he passes through worldwide before becoming self-employed. These include GästeHaus Klaus Erfort*** (Saarbrücken),JAAN* at Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore and Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck***in the UK.
Starting in July 2017, Speinle will focus on developing the new concept until the opening, before the official launch in the fall. In addition to this new challenge, he will continue to be seen at international gourmet events and as the face of campaigns in the restaurant industry.
Cornelius Speinle has a creative and contemporary style of cooking, in line with the motto of “doing things better tomorrow than today” and “watch and learn”. He loves honest Italian cuisine and particularly enjoys cooking with fish and seafood, which was reflected in his competition menu.
For this, the Swiss has been inspired by the flavors of the season and the different textures and consistencies. For him, every product is valuable and he strives to get the best out of each one.
According to its own statement, the hotel “The Fontenay” is to become one of the best in Germany. It is a reflection of modern Hamburg, located directly on the Außenalster. It boasts 131 luxurious rooms and suites, many with Alster views. The centerpiece is a glazed courtyard planted with trees and the 27-meter-high enclosed atrium. Bar culture can be found at the Fontenay Bar. Above, on the seventh floor, is the Gourmet Restaurant. The hotel is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
