Elaborate dish from a Michelin-starred kitchen in Munich.

“I've totally rediscovered horseradish”

Tantris: Interview with Virginie Protat and Benjamin Chmura

Tantris is a legend among Germany's restaurants and has been a culinary and architectural highlight of Munich ever since it was founded in 1971. Designed and built in the Olympic fever of the late 1960s, it has now reopened with a new concept: it comprises not just a table de hôte-type restaurant with new chef Benjamin Chmura (32) but also an à la carte eatery called Tantris DNA, where 30-year-old French Virginie Protat is in charge of the cooking.

Virginie and Benjamin, you both moved to Munich fresh from France for the relaunch of Tantris. How do you like the city?

Virginie Protat: I'd never been to Munich before. But when I arrived here, I had a few days to get to know the city and I fell in love with it instantly. The parks, the historical buildings, all the little markets – it all felt very good right away.

Benjamin Chmura: I actually have very fond memories of Munich. Part of my family lives here; including my grandmother – whose excellent potato soup I simply adore. It’s very simple: chicken stock, potatoes, a little cream and freshly ground pepper. All these details – this simplicity – have fascinated me ever since I was a child. And even though I had a fairly international upbringing, because my father was a conductor and we lived in a lot of different places, Munich was always a kind of second home for me. So coming back here now has been familiar in one way. But it was also fascinating to rediscover the city for myself. It's so international here, there's a lot of culturemusic and great people. And all the greenery! The big parks, the Isar and being close to the mountains. It's a perfect mix.

Benjamin, you're taking over as head chef of the table d’hôte restaurant. And you, Virginie, will be in charge of the à la carte restaurant Tantris DNA. Of course it’s no coincidence you ended up in Munich together.

Virginie Protat: We actually know each other from culinary school – we were at the Institut Paul Bocuse together in my home town of Lyon, Ben was a year above me. That’s where we got to learn the finer points of grande cuisine – the essence of French cooking – from a lot of very inspiring chefs.

Benjamin Chmura: After that, we each travelled halfway around the world – I went to England and Australia, among other places – and so we lost track of each other a bit. But we got back in touch through our mutual friend Maxime, the new head patissier at Tantris Maison Culinaire.

Tantris is not just a culinary venue, it's also a place that has made German architectural history: with its iconic early 1970s pop design, it's even listed as a historic monument. Long-standing chef de cuisine Hans Haas was a native of Austria: will Tantris Maison Culinaire now become a French restaurant with the two of you?

Benjamin Chmura: The owners of Tantris, Sabine and Felix Eichbauer, were all about reviving the French roots of Tantris when I first met them. When the restaurant opened 50 years ago, it was Fritz Eichbauer's vision to bring French haute cuisine to Munich with the first chef, Eckart Witzigmann. Witzigmann is an unrivalled chef whom I've since been fortunate enough to meet in person: he was greatly inspired by the periods he spent in France, for example with Haeberlin. So there's a sense of continuity there as we now get to carry forward the original idea behind Tantris. And yes, grande cuisine will be reflected in our style, too – how we cook, choose our products and focus on the essentials, and in the way we present the food, too This art de vivre à la française was always embraced at Tantris from the very outset.

Virginie Protat: Beyond the underlying French flavour, what is so great here right now is the energy of this very young team: we have Italians, Canadians, Swiss, Dutch, Austrians and of course a lot of young German colleagues here in our two kitchens – it's fun to share ideas and cook together in this dream kitchen. It's all very bright and open, and of course the classic orange tiles are back again: as you say, the restaurant is a listed building.

What culinary delights await guests at Tantris?

Virginie Protat: At the DNA our guests will find some slight variations on the Tantris classics. But we also serve some very purist dishes such as pike dumplings and a traditionally handmade pâté en croûte with a fine frisée salad.

Benjamin Chmura: Here at Tantris, we're very glad to serve our guests large set meals over several hours – something that everyone can really sit down and enjoy together. Each course has its own story to tell. Vegetables have a major element. That's something I really love, so one sequence of the six- or eight-course menu will always be dedicated to a seasonal vegetable. Right now is the mushroom season, so we’re featuring porcini mushrooms, for example.

Have you discovered anything new here in Munich in terms of cuisine?

Benjamin Chmura: Personally, I’ve totally rediscovered horseradish – or Kren, as they say in this part of the world. I love spicy food – I'm a great fan of chilli and different types of pepper. My mother always put fresh horseradish in her soups. Just as I used to work with mustard in France, here you can use horseradish to add a dash of spicy power and finesse. It's almost like a forgotten vegetable for me.

Virginie Protat: I discovered the little red radishes (Radieschen) here and also Markets the large white radish (Radi) – I immediately tried out a dish with them, including celery, apple, mayonnaise and a red king crab. I love that subtle, zesty taste. It reminded me of a very French snack, too: Radi Beurre, where you put a thin slice of butter in the middle of a radish, and the whole thing is lightly salted. That could actually be a Munich beer garden snack – it's something the French love.

So there are definitely overlaps between Munich and French cuisine?

Benjamin Chmura: There are certainly some intriguing cross-connections. Of course you have Eckart Witzigmann as pioneer and the most important ambassador of French cuisine here – not least with all his cookery books. I've been a passionate collector of cookery books ever since I was 16, and that's where you come across these links: soups, for example. In France, soups have always been incredibly important, but it's something that’s almost been forgotten. My grandmother always made great soups: every meal started with one. That’s something we’re going to revive at the new Tantris Maison Culinaire.

 

 

Text: Nansen & Piccard; Photos: Frank Stolle
Baker at work in the Hofbräuhaus-Kunstmühle in Munich.

Bread report: Our daily bread

Back ma's

Virtually no other city has a bread tradition stretching back as far as that of Munich – or such venerated bakery products. What makes them so exceptional and desirable?

Virtually no other city has a bread tradition stretching back as far as that of Munich – or such venerated bakery products. What makes them so exceptional and desirable?

A glass of beer in a restaurant in Munich.

Beer typology

What are you drinking?

Starkbier, Festbier, Hell, Dunkel, Pils: a typology of Munich's beers – and the people who drink them.

Starkbier, Festbier, Hell, Dunkel, Pils: a typology of the most important Munich beers – and the people who drink them.

A fisherman takes a fish from a net on a lake.

Burbot, Bullhead, Whitefish

Native Exoticness

A lot of bones, difficult to eat: Freshwater fish is a culinary niche. But young chefs in Munich are turning char, wels catfish and pike into a true taste adventure.

A lot of bones, difficult to eat: Freshwater fish is a culinary niche. But young chefs in Munich are turning char, wels catfish and pike into a true taste adventure.

Bread with Gelbwurst and chives in Munich.

Sausage guide

Munich and it's sausages

The universe of Munich's sausages is almost infinite. An orientation guide.

The universe of Munich's sausages is not infinite. Its full extent may, however, appear unfathomable to many visitors to the city. A guide.

The chef of the restaurant Schneider Bräuhauses München is cutting a knuckle of pork with a big knife.

Bavarian gastronomy

Nose to tail

Heart, kidney, cheeks, tail: Nose to tail eating is a worldwide trend. Always has been in Munich.

Heart and kidneys, cheeks and tail: While serving up the more unusual parts of an animal may currently be one of the hottest trends, the people of Munich have been doing it for centuries.

Merchant with dried fruit on the Viktualienmarkt in Munich.
Viktualienmarkt Tasting Tour

Discover the most delicious delicacies of the city and learn all kinds of interesting facts about Munich's most famous food market.

Book now for 40 €!

Discover the most delicious delicacies of the city and learn all kinds of interesting historical facts about Munich's most famous food market.

View of a residence serenade with candles in the court chapel.
Residenz Serenades

This Munich experience promises high culture for newcomers and enthusiasts: enjoy the popular Mozart concerts in the Residenz.

Book now from 38 €

This Munich experience promises high culture for newcomers and enthusiasts: enjoy the popular Mozart concerts in the Residenz.

Exterior view of the Munich Palace of Justice on Prielmayerstraße in Maxvorstadt.
Justizpalast Tour

During the guided tour of the present-day seat of the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, you will learn everything about the history and significance of the neo-baroque court and administrative building.

Book now for 20 €!

During the guided tour of the present-day seat of the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, you will learn everything about the history and significance of the neo-baroque court and administrative building.

Small meeting room of the Neues Rathaus in Munich
New Town Hall Tour

Explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official City of Munich tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

Book now from 22 €

Explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

Magistrates, Monachia and magnificent celebrations: explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official City of Munich tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

Exterior view of the Hofbräuhaus Munich at dusk.
Hofbräuhaus Tour

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Book for 28€, Mass beer included!

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Towers at Marienplatz in Munich
Old Town Tour

The city walk for everyone who wants to become acquainted with the most beautiful parts of Munich's city centre.

Book now for 18 €!

The city walk for everyone who wants to become acquainted with the most beautiful parts of Munich's city centre.

Wort kettle at the Spaten brewery in Munich.
Spaten Brewery Tour

Experience a brewery tour at Spaten with a look behind the scenes, interesting facts about the company history and beer tasting in the brewery tower.

Book now for 22 €!

Experience a brewery tour at Spaten with a look behind the scenes, interesting facts about the company history and beer tasting in the brewery tower.

A woman with varnished fingernails holds a gift with the inscription "simply Munich".
Vouchers

Buy now vouchers for your visit in Munich. The ideal gift! Guided tours, guest cards and more...

Buy vouchers from 6,50 €

Buy now vouchers for your visit in Munich. The ideal gift! Guided tours, guest cards and more...

Book now!

Street Art-Tour

Did you know that Munich was a pioneer of the European graffiti scene? Discover different art up close in the city with our street art tour today!

Experience the city's diverse art & exciting graffiti on our street art tour!

Did you know that Munich was a pioneer of the European graffiti scene? Discover different art up close in the city with our street art tour today!

View of the Salzach river and the castle in Salzburg.
Salzburg and the Lake District

Visit the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and relax on the journey to beautiful Lake Wolfgang.

Book now from 58 €

Visit the birthplace of composer extraordinaire Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, stroll through the Baroque old town and then relax on the journey to beautiful Lake Wolfgang.

A stone jug with the inscription Oktoberfest Munich.

Order now!

Oktoberfest Shop

Bring a piece of Oktoberfest home: Purchase official souvenirs such as the Wiesn poster or the Oktoberfest beer stein in the official Oktoberfest shop.

Bring a piece of Oktoberfest home: Purchase official souvenirs such as the Wiesn poster or the Oktoberfest beer stein in the official Oktoberfest shop.

Bikes stand in the green grass in the English Garden in Munich
Rental bike 1 day

With a rental bike, you can experience Munich at your own personal pace. Discover hidden alleys and charming districts off the beaten track.

Book now for 26 €!

With a rental bike, you can experience Munich at your own personal pace. Discover hidden alleys and charming districts off the beaten track.

A woman in the exhibition "Der Blaue Reiter" in the Lenbachhaus in Munich
Discovery trip incl. City Pass

2 nights in your selected hotel and - thanks to the City Pass - free admission to 45 museums, sights and attractions: our travel package for explorers.

3 days from 313 € for 2 Pers.

2 nights in your selected hotel and - thanks to the City Pass - free admission to 45 museums, sights and attractions: our travel package for explorers.

Bag on green background
Vouchers

Give the gift of a special Munich voucher: we also offer vouchers for all our guided tours. Here you can book unique Munich experiences directly online, print them out and give them as a gift voucher to friends or family.

Buy vouchers from 6,50 €

Give the gift of a special Munich voucher: we also offer vouchers for all our guided tours. Here you can book unique Munich experiences directly online, print them out and give them as a gift voucher to friends or family.