A two Michelin-starred restaurant (and more) in Hamburg is imposing a €35 "cover charge" on guests for bread, flavored butter, and water. Official reasoning: balancing the books. But the Germans aren't happy and are bashing it on social media.
The news
We used to think that the cover charge was an exclusively Italian custom that left foreigners bewildered. However, recent news (reported by Rolling Pin) tells us that a two-star Michelin restaurant in Hamburg, 100/200 Kitchen, has implemented an "entrance fee" of €35 to sit at its tables. It includes the cover charge, bread, butter, spicy oil, and water, but complaints have not been far behind, and a social media storm has engulfed the establishment.
To be fair, the fortunate restaurant owned by Thomas Imbusch and Sophie Lehmann, (who has the kitchen directly in the dining room, as we told you here) offers a dual option: on one hand, there's the fixed tasting menu, for which you pay an "entrance ticket" in advance to avoid no-shows; on the other, there are about a dozen spots for à la carte dining, where the aforementioned surcharge is applied. The justification is the need to balance the books in a time that's not easy for anyone and the need to compensate for these services.
Here's their response to the media storm on Instagram: "You're not trying to offend us, are you? In recent days, we've been insulted, from bankruptcy wishes of hunger for our children. Well-wishes and insults have come to us on social media and via email, with tones that should be prohibited in a civil society." The couple is upset with the Hamburger Morgenpost, which brought up the case: "€35! Anyone who wants to dine in this starred restaurant will have to pay in advance," they headline without going into too many explanations. Since then, the phone number and mailbox of 100/200 Kitchen have allegedly been swamped by an army of outraged individuals. But most commenters mostly support the couple, thanking them and lamenting the pettiness of the attacks.
All photos from restaurant website
