Maximilian Lorenz, Cologne: Michelin Chef Profile

Maximilian Lorenz is the chef, owner and founder of Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz in Cologne, a one-star restaurant in the MICHELIN Guide Germany 2026 at Johannisstraße 64, near the cathedral and the main station. It does not serve burgers. It serves a set menu of new German cuisine, with a vegetarian version, Tuesday to Saturday from 6 pm. If you came for a burger, skip to the best burgers in Cologne at the end of this guide.

I cover Germany for Burger Breton, and I went looking for a burger story here. What I found was a chef who has been running Cologne kitchens since 2012 and cooks German food his own way, with one barbecue detour along the way. I haven’t eaten at Johannisstraße 64 yet, so this is a sourced profile, not a review. Every fact below comes from the restaurant’s own site, the MICHELIN Guide, Falstaff, JRE, the trade press or Cologne Tourism. I checked each one on 5 November 2026.

Does Maximilian Lorenz serve burgers? A correction

Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz has no burger on its menu, and none of the sources I checked mentions one. The idea we started from tied the chef to Cologne’s burger scene. Half of it held up: Lorenz is still the owner, founder and head chef, according to his official site and the MICHELIN Guide. The burger half didn’t.

His closest brush with burger culture is Pigbull, an American-style BBQ restaurant he co-founded in 2015. Even that was pitched as the opposite of a burger bar: trade site Tageskarte presented Pigbull as a break from the wave of burger openings in German cities. We hit the same wall with K’u’uk, Pedro Evia’s starred restaurant in Mérida, and gave the same answer: say it up front, then explain.

Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz at a glance

Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz is a one-star fine-dining restaurant in Cologne’s Altstadt-Nord, open for dinner only, Tuesday to Saturday.

Sources: MICHELIN Guide, Falstaff, official site.

What you eat at this Michelin-star restaurant in Cologne

Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz serves a creative set menu that reinterprets German home cooking, which the official site calls “neue deutsche Aromenküche”. Falstaff describes a menu that mixes modern and traditional technique. It is built on regional products such as char (Saibling) and Schwäbisch-Hällisches Landschwein, a heritage pork breed from south-west Germany.

The MICHELIN Guide’s example dish shows the approach. Venison is braised the traditional way, then finished with toasted breadcrumbs and pickled raisins. Read that again: it’s a German Sunday roast, plus the crunch and the acidity the home version usually lacks. To me, that one plate is the whole pitch of the place.

Braised venison the traditional German way, with a bread dumpling and lingonberries: the Sunday-roast flavors that Maximilian Lorenz reworks with toasted breadcrumbs and pickled raisins in Cologne. Illustrative photo from another German restaurant, not taken at Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz. (Photo: Benreis, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rehragout\_Kuchenm%C3%BChle.jpg (4000×3000))

Is there a vegetarian menu?

Yes. Falstaff and the official site both say the set menu also comes in a vegetarian version.

The whole-animal idea

Lorenz has argued for cooking whole animals and whole vegetables. JRE (Jeunes Restaurateurs) quotes his line “From head to tail, but consistently!” and describes six- or eight-course menus built from one whole animal, starting with Eifel “Lammour” lamb no older than six months. I could not confirm that this menu is still served, so read it as a statement of his approach, not as tonight’s menu.

What about prices?

The official site shows no menu prices. The only figures I found came from an undated listing, and I won’t print them until they’re confirmed. An old tasting-menu price is worse than none. Ask when you book on +49 221 988161010. The MICHELIN Guide puts the restaurant in its top price bracket, €€€€.

Maximilian Lorenz, chef: career and awards

Maximilian Lorenz trained at Zur Post in Odenthal, took over Cologne’s L’Escalier at 21 in spring 2012, and opened his own restaurant in 2018, where he now holds one Michelin star. What strikes me is the pace. He was running a starred kitchen in his twenties and had his own name over the door at 27.

Training around Cologne

Lorenz trained at the hotel-restaurant Zur Post in Odenthal under Christopher and Alejandro Wilbrand, and quickly became sous chef there. JRE also lists stints at La Société and Maître in Cologne and at Schloss Morsbroich in Leverkusen. He worked under Eiko Scharfenberger at Sonne in Overath, and under Dieter Müller at Schloss Lerbach.

L’Escalier: the first star

In spring 2012, at 21, Lorenz took over L’Escalier, a restaurant in Cologne. In his first year there, Römer’s Restaurant Report named him “Chef of the Year” and GUSTO named him “Newcomer of the Year”. By April 2018, L’Escalier held one Michelin star and 16 Gault&Millau points.

His own name over the door

In spring 2018 Lorenz opened restaurant “maximilian lorenz” and heinzhermann, the wine bar next door, connected to the dining room. Trade site Hogapage gave his age as 27 and quoted his promise: “It will be German cooked, eaten and drunk.” The Gault&Millau Restaurantguide 2019 NRW then named him “Rising Star of the Year” for North Rhine-Westphalia, praising how he paired classical preparation with careful modernization.

The MICHELIN Guide Germany 2026 lists the restaurant with one star. I could not confirm the year the current restaurant first earned it.

Timeline

Fourteen years separate L’Escalier from the 2026 star. These are the dates the sources agree on.

• Spring 2012: takes over L’Escalier in Cologne, aged 21.
• 2012–2013: “Chef of the Year” (Römer’s Restaurant Report) and “Newcomer of the Year” (GUSTO).
• Early August 2015: opens Pigbull BBQ on Aachener Straße with Sebastian Franke.
• April 2018: L’Escalier holds one Michelin star and 16 Gault&Millau points.
• Spring 2018: opens restaurant maximilian lorenz and wine bar heinzhermann.
• 2019: “Rising Star of the Year” NRW, Gault&Millau; catering and events division launched.
• March 2022: opens ML Straßenküche, a lunch counter.
• 2026: one Michelin star (MICHELIN Guide Germany 2026) and 92 Falstaff points.

Timeline of chef Maximilian Lorenz’s career in Cologne, 2012 to 2026: L’Escalier at 21 (2012), Pigbull BBQ (2015), his own restaurant and the heinzhermann wine bar (2018), Gault&Millau Rising Star NRW (2019), ML Straßenküche (2022), one Michelin star and 92 Falstaff points (2026). (Chart: Burger Breton, data from maximilianlorenz.de, JRE, Hogapage, Tageskarte, Gault&Millau, MICHELIN Guide and Falstaff, rendered with QuickChart; own work, CC BY 4.0 (1800×600 PNG))

The Maximilian Lorenz group beyond the starred restaurant

Besides the starred restaurant, Lorenz runs a wine bar, a lunch counter, an events food truck, a wine shop and a catering business. None of them lists a burger.

heinzhermann wine bar

heinzhermann is the wine bar next to the restaurant, named after Lorenz’s grandfathers, Heinz Weimann and Hermann Lorenz. Unlike the restaurant, it opens for lunch, Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm to 2 pm. Dinner runs Tuesday to Saturday from 6 pm to 10 pm, and it closes on Monday. If a €€€€ tasting menu is more than you planned, this is the door I’d try first.

ML Straßenküche

ML Straßenküche is Lorenz’s weekday lunch counter, opened in March 2022. In July 2025, Cologne Tourism described it as Asian-inspired, with a menu that changes every day. It serves soups, sushi rolls, dumplings, bowls and a house “ML special Asia sauce” at Johannisstraße 64, Monday to Friday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. It’s the least German thing he runs, and that’s the point.

Food truck, wine shop and catering

The black food truck has no fixed spot and is booked only for events. Trade press has reported bowls, döner and bratwurst on it, but the menu may have changed since. The group also sells wine through Der Weinladen, which takes online orders, and has run catering and events since 2019. The official bio lists Lorenz as a partner in Alter Lindenhof in Bergisch Gladbach and in SMAX, a container snack bar in Mülheim. I could not confirm either independently.

Pigbull BBQ Cologne: the burger-adjacent side project

Pigbull is the American-style BBQ restaurant that Lorenz and Sebastian Franke opened in early August 2015 on Aachener Straße, while Lorenz was still cooking at L’Escalier. Tageskarte, citing the Kölnische Rundschau of 24 July 2015, reported that it served only meat smoked in an American smoker. It was billed as Cologne’s first BBQ restaurant, at a time when German cities were filling up with new burger joints. Lorenz’s official bio lists “Pig Bull BBQ” with a “Street Food of the Year” award.

What I can’t tell you: whether Pigbull is open today, where it is, what role Lorenz still has in it, or whether it ever served a pulled pork or brisket burger. Sources disagree on all of it, so check before you go.

Where to eat a burger in Cologne instead

For the best burgers in Cologne, Cologne Tourism’s March 2025 guide sends you to Fette Kuh in the Südstadt and Freddy Schilling’s three branches, plus a handful of newer smash and specialty spots. These are separate businesses, and none of them is linked to Maximilian Lorenz. With one evening, I’d start at Fette Kuh. It has been running since 2011, which makes it an institution in a burger scene this young.

Source: Cologne Tourism, burgers in Cologne, 15 March 2025. Falstaff’s Street Food Guide 2024 list of Cologne burgers is a second list to compare with.

Swiss chain Holy Cow! opened its first German branch at Rudolfplatz in February 2017, as we noted in our Holy Cow! Basel guide. Every Cologne address we cover is collected on our best burgers in Cologne city page. Other cities are on the Burger Breton restaurants hub.

Map of the best burgers in Cologne and Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz (marker, Johannisstraße 64, by the cathedral and Hauptbahnhof). Burger stops: Fette Kuh (Bonner Str. 43, Südstadt), Freddy Schilling (Kyffhäuserstraße 34, Eigelstein 147, Hospeltstraße 1), Boring Burger (Breite Straße 116), Fräulein Herborths (Alter Markt 39), Beef Brothers (Christophstraße 46) and Just Try West Afro Soul Food (Venloer Str. 567). (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (embed iframe, 800×600, loading=lazy))

FAQ: Maximilian Lorenz, Cologne

Does Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz in Cologne serve burgers? No. It serves a set menu of new German cuisine, with a vegetarian version. None of the sources I checked on 5 November 2026 mentions a burger at the restaurant, the wine bar or the lunch counter.

Who is Maximilian Lorenz and how did he get his Michelin star? He is the chef, owner and founder of Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz. He trained at Zur Post in Odenthal and took over L’Escalier in 2012 at 21. L’Escalier held a Michelin star by April 2018, the year he opened his own restaurant. The MICHELIN Guide Germany 2026 lists that restaurant with one star. The year it first earned the star is not confirmed.

How many Michelin stars does Maximilian Lorenz have in 2026? One. The MICHELIN Guide Germany 2026 lists Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz with one star, in the €€€€ price category.

Where is Restaurant Maximilian Lorenz and when is it open? At Johannisstraße 64, 50668 Köln, near the main station and the cathedral. It serves dinner Tuesday to Saturday, 6 pm to 10 pm, and closes Sunday and Monday. Check the official site for holiday closures before you book.

How much does the tasting menu at Maximilian Lorenz cost? The official site doesn’t publish prices, and I found no dated figure I could trust. Ask when you book on +49 221 988161010. The MICHELIN Guide puts the restaurant in its top price bracket, €€€€.

Is there a vegetarian menu at Maximilian Lorenz? Yes. The set menu is also offered in a vegetarian version, according to Falstaff and the official site.

What is heinzhermann, and can I eat there without the tasting menu? heinzhermann is the wine bar connected to the restaurant, named after Lorenz’s two grandfathers. It keeps its own hours: lunch Tuesday to Friday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Ask what it is serving when you book.

What was L’Escalier and what happened to it? L’Escalier was the Cologne restaurant Lorenz took over in spring 2012. By April 2018 it held one Michelin star and 16 Gault&Millau points. That year he left to open his own restaurant and heinzhermann.

Is Pigbull BBQ in Cologne still open, and who runs it? I couldn’t confirm it. Lorenz and Sebastian Franke co-founded Pigbull, which opened in August 2015 on Aachener Straße. Its current status, its address and Lorenz’s role today are not verified.

Where can I eat the best burger in Cologne? Start with Fette Kuh at Bonner Str. 43 for its chilli cheese burger, or one of Freddy Schilling’s three branches for the Köllefornia. Our Cologne city page has the full list.