Jutta Bärenfaller is a passionate chef, design manager, sommelière, and journalist who enjoys exploring different fields. After completing her degree in Design Management, she decided to follow her love for food and became a chef. She has also started a blog called Bern isst, which highlights the best restaurants in Bern. Jutta is always looking for new ideas and projects, combining her creative skills with her love for good food. She believes that asking the right questions and staying curious is key, no matter the profession.
Please introduce yourself to our members.
I am a very curious person and love discovering new things. That's why I'm a bit of a design manager, chef, sommelière and journalist.
Tell us about your current project.
This summer I've tried to see lots of new things and exchange ideas with lots of people, kind of "get out of my comfort zone". This allowed me to work with a farmer, be a guest chef in Sicily and work in many different places in Bern. Right now I'm back at school to continue my sommelier training. New big things are in the pipeline for the next few months, but they are still a secret.
Tell us about the restaurant scene in Bern.
Many people assume that there is not much new to discover in Bern. I try to convince them otherwise. A few years ago I started the blog "Bern isst" with GaultMillau Switzerland and I'm still convinced that Bern is underrepresented in the food scene. Bern's gastronomy has a reputation for being sleepy, but I see a lot of potential and a generation that is keen on great concepts. The industry in Bern doesn't like to attract a lot of attention, but it does excellent work nonetheless, you just have to find them.
“I'm still convinced that Bern is underrepresented in the food scene. Bern's gastronomy has a reputation for being sleepy, but I see a lot of potential and a generation that is keen on great concepts.”
What are your three favorite restaurants in Bern and why?
- The Hellys restaurant hasn't been open for long but could have been in Bern for ages. The focus is on pasta and Italian flair. The white tablecloths, the waiters' aprons - everything is somehow extremely harmonious and, of course, the food is delicious.
- The Trallala wine bistro is and remains my go-to place for natural wines. The selection is huge, beautifully curated and changes often. What's more, I know few restaurants with such a flexible wine-by-the-glass-concept.
- The Zum Blauen Engel is a long-standing institution in Bern. The whole restaurant is like a fairytale world without kitsch. And the food is classic with a few playful details. A must visit in Bern.
What’s a new restaurant or hidden gem in Bern that you think is doing great things?
There are several people who are quietly doing great work in Bern. For example, the butcher shop La Boulotte, which offers a lunch special. Hard-working people with values and very good taste.
What’s your favorite kind of restaurant and why?
A restaurant run by people, who share certain values and visions and stick to them without making a big deal out of it. For me, aesthetics are important but flavour should never suffer. That sounds so simple, but in the age of social media it's almost courageous. And sincere respect for the products, the guests and yourself is what makes an exceptional restaurant for me.
What are your three favorite food cities and your favorite restaurants in those cities?
- Madrid has captured me this spring. A short trip turned into a food tour lasting several days. I fell in love with the GOTA restaurant on the first evening. The interior, the food, the wines - everything was surprisingly simple and overwhelming at the same time.
- Not surprising, but Paris. Where to start? On my last visit I had dinner at the Clown Bar and it was a perfect evening. Where can you still eat brains these days?
- Vienna always has something new to offer. I will never forget when I ended up in the Bruder Bar years ago. I still remember the crazy cocktails, that came out so harmoniously that you had to pinch yourself.
What is your favorite dish and where is your favorite restaurant to have it?
The first thing that comes to my mind is the carbonara at Restaurant HACO Hamburg. But the carbonara was staff food after work. For everyone accessible, it's probably the pizza from Pizzeria Da Nino in Bern with a white Vermouth, that they make themselves. You don't miss anything afterwards.
Who is an up-and-coming chef you are keeping an eye on?
I met Marvin Schulze on a cruise ship and we cooked together in Sicily. His simple and cheeky approach to cooking always inspires me. You never hear a ‘that won't work’ from him, you try it together until it's better than expected. You can taste the love for the product and the flawless preparation in his dishes.
I also got to know Joshua Hopf in my last kitchen job. I thought I knew a lot, but he showed me another world. I would describe his way of cooking as boundless, wild and dreamy. I've rarely seen anything like it.
Who is a food expert whose restaurant recommendations you’d like to see?
Vienna-based writer and author Christian Seiler has already written a lot, but his travels and anecdotes from the world of flavours are humorous and authentic.
