Jan Hartwig's 3-star hotel “loses” its talented sommelier, who will open an informal bar-wine bar with a daytime formula.
The News
Julia Kolbeck is about to embark on an incredible new adventure. Indeed, the skilled sommelier at the helm of the three-starred JAN (where she has officiated since early 2024) has chosen to leave the prestigious post after just one year of service. Objective? To finally set up on his own and open “Mokum”, a kind of bar-wine bar with a relaxed atmosphere. The good thing is that the place will not be a closed club for connoisseurs, but a cozy haven for anyone who wants to spend a day relaxing and drinking well in Munich, anticipates the online gastronomic publication Rolling Pin.
But let's go in order, because Julia boasts a career studded with successes; just think of her beginnings at Tohru Nakamura's renowned “Werneckhof,” where -very young- she discovered a passion for wine and began training to become a qualified sommelier. Notable experiences included serving as chef de rang in the dining room of star chef Bobby Bräuer: there she acquired valuable skills to operate in haute cuisine, later ranging from the pop-up “SALON rouge” to the role of restaurant manager of “Tohru in der Schreiberei” (2022-2024). Today the wine expert is reinventing herself and betting on an agile format, run in combo with partner Florian Rottensteiner. We know it will be a daytime sign , probably more reconcilable with the couple's lifestyle needs and definitely more informal than the restaurants where Kolbeck has achieved success.
“Mokum” will see the light of day in the city of Munich, at the northern end of the Theresienwiese, and could quickly win over a particularly diverse clientele. Total mystery (for now) about the debut date, while the address has been disclosed and an Instagram account linked to the sign can already be found. Confirming the immense esteem in which Julia is held, the news was personally announced by Michelin-starred chef Jan Hartwig, her former employer, via Instagram itself.
“A step I can absolutely understand! Dear Julia, thank you so much for your time with us. I wish you both much success and a good start! “ writes Hartwig in a dedicated post. The wait is (almost) over: we are sure that Julia will be able to gather a large group of wine lovers around her glasses, fulfilling the dream of an accessible, fresh and pop concept.
