Review: Tohru in der Schreiberei – Munich’s New Three-Star Michelin Restaurant

In 2025, the Guide Michelin Germany awarded three stars to two new restaurants, adding Haerlin in Hamburg and Tohru in der Schreiberei in Munich to the exclusive circle of Germany’s three-star Michelin restaurants. Having visited the former in early September I found myself drawn south later that month, curious to understand what defined the latter’s newly anointed excellence.

The first evening in Munich was spent at an invitation to Käfer’s Wiesn-Schänke, a fun Oktoberfest evening of beer, food, and music that proved that even amid the noise of the Wiesn, gastronomy of real quality can be found. The following day, however, took a different turn. A security warning forced the closure of the festival grounds, and almost at the same moment, a message arrived confirming my long-standing waitlist reservation at Tohru in der Schreiberei. The decision, then, was simple.

Location & Atmosphere

The restaurant sits quietly within Munich’s historic old town, occupying a Renaissance building once used as a notary’s office. The restoration has been handled with understatement: pale wood, natural stone, linen, and a light concept that feels more like daylight remembered than illumination imposed. The result is a calm, focused environment that mirrors the character of the cuisine, a concentration on essence over ornament.

Upon entering through the old wooden door, one does not immediately sense what awaits upstairs. The reception is warm yet measured, and the evening begins not at the table but in the kitchen. Each member of the brigade introduces themselves by name, creating a moment of genuine hospitality before the performance begins. The gesture is simple yet disarming: it transforms the unseen into the personal, the anonymous into a team of craftsmen. From there, the guests are led to their tables and the first course quietly arrives. The menu is priced at 320 euros.

Culinary Style or Distinctive Character

I had already encountered Tohru Nakamura’s cooking in 2019 at Werneckhof by Geisel, which held two Michelin stars at the time. One particular interlude from that meal has remained with me: midway through the tasting, diners were guided into a cellar room styled as a fragment of Shibuya. There, snacks and a cocktail were served among storage and bottles, a well meant attempt to evoke Japanese nightlife within Bavarian stone walls. The gesture, while charming, felt slightly improvised, the concept hovering between homage and stage set. Yet it left a lasting impression for its uniqueness.

That memory returned as I thought about the evolution of Nakamura’s work. Recently, I encountered a similar idea at SEN Omakase in Madrid, where a tea ceremony is theatrically reenacted for guests. For anyone who has experienced the quiet discipline of a true ceremony in Kyoto, such staging can feel more instructive than immersive. Still, there is something to be said for the dramaturgy of movement through spaces, it punctuates a menu, alters rhythm, and refreshes perception.

At Tohru in der Schreiberei one senses a clear maturity. The style has found its balance. The cooking is defined by a French foundation with Japanese elements, not as fusion but as a coherent language of its own. The sauces have depth and structure, lifted by the lightness of Dashi and citrus. Umami is used with purpose, integrated naturally into the composition. The textures are precise and controlled. Nothing here feels decorative, only deliberate.

Menu / The Dishes

The meal opened with an Oyster from the Embers Irish Mór, paired with myoga and elderflower. The contrast of smoke and floral acidity defined the tone for what followed: deep flavor lifted by fragrance.

A Tartelette of char, meadowsweet, and beetroot offered delicate sweetness against a crisp base, precise and airy.

Then came the Koshihikari rice, topped with N25 Oscietra caviar, eel, sansho, and shiokoji. The rice itself deserves mention: the Koshihikari variety, prized in Japan for its elasticity and subtle sweetness, retained its perfect tension, neither yielding nor firm. It acted as the quiet axis around which the other elements revolved.

The Breton lobster with green olive, shiso, and Romesco was a sensational course, the Romesco reimagined with restraint, the shiso lending aromatic brightness without intrusion.

Next, Hamachi and Balfegó tuna with cucumber and caper leaf formed what Nakamura calls the sashimi course, a study in clarity and temperature more than in surprise.

A Chawanmushi with Yerseke mussels, pumpkin, and kaffir lime followed, the flower shaped arrangement of shellfish, the custard’s silken balance, and the citrus note combining into quiet poetry.

The fish course, Saint Pierre with fennel, apricot, and laurel buttermilk, offered a brief turn toward the Mediterranean, before the first richer note of the evening arrived: Herrmannsdorfer pork cheek with XO anchovy, aubergine, niboshi, and mikan. Here the umami deepened, and the sweetness of mikan framed the dish with a distinctively Japanese sense of harmony.

The main course, Burgaud duck with spinach, kombu, and lovage, was measured and complete, the kind of plate that ends discussion at the table for a moment.

Dessert appeared simply as Okashi, a restrained sequence of sweets continuing the same sense of proportion that had defined the meal.

Alongside the dishes, the restaurant offers an excellent wine list with a particularly thoughtful sake selection, a reflection of the same dialogue between Europe and Japan that runs through the menu itself.

Verdict

My first dinner by Tohru Nakamura years ago had been promising but not entirely consistent. There were moments of brilliance alongside others that felt more exploratory, as if the style was still finding its balance. This visit, however, revealed a chef in full command of his language. The dialogue between French foundation and Japanese elements is now seamless, precise and structured without excess.

What distinguishes Tohru in der Schreiberei is the consistency of its approach. Every dish is built on high-quality ingredients and follows a clear, thoughtful logic. The atmosphere, calm and precise, mirrors the discipline of the kitchen. The evening begins with a handshake and ends with a quiet sense of completion. Before guests depart, Tohru Nakamura personally asks which dish they found most exciting, a gesture that reveals genuine curiosity and humility.

This dinner at Tohru in der Schreiberei was truly exciting and outstanding, a clear expression of mastery defined by focus, precision, and confidence.

Location: Munich, Germany
Chef: Tohru Nakamura
Michelin rating: ★★★
Visited: September 2025
Tags: Fine Dining, Michelin 3 Stars, French Japanese Cuisine, Munich, Gastronomy