Dinnieren @ SCALA

CHRISTIAN HEMPFE began his career with an apprenticeship at the Maritim Hotel in Nuremberg and successfully continued this with an urge to see a bit more of the world in a restaurant in the Berkshire town of Maidenhead in England one year later. After an interim spell at the Swiss Chateau Gütsch, he tacked his military service, which the young chef finally ended in 2001 and finally worked under SCALA founder Andreas Machner. Just 2 years later, his excellent taste and good skills in the kitchen earned him the role of chef de cuisine in the Scala Restaurant, to which he probably swore an oath of allegiance. His love for the most beautiful workplace in the world up in the “Keksrolle” (cookie cutter) as the city residents affectionately call the JenTower, was to lure him to the role of co-managing director in 2016.

After being awarded Gault&Millau's Best Restaurateur of the Year in 2019 and 2020, he was finally passed the baton by Andreas Machner and became the new owner of the SCALA in 2020.

At the same time, of course, a new creative director, chef de cuisine Matthias Mänz.  Even if the SCALA is synonymous with great cuisine, it only uses water for cooking and the culinary experience is more important than royal dining etiquette. That's why, in addition to splendid buffets, lively parties and extraordinary events, there is also the sharing menu, where guests pick up and share food from crystal glass bowls and stone platters while laughing and enjoying themselves.

MATTHIAS MÄNZ is a born-and-bred native of Jena and after a long, successful journey since 2010, he is finally “home” again. After his apprenticeship at the Hotel Steinberger Esplanade Jena, he had his first experience as commis de cuisine at the Hotel Kendler in Austria from 2002 onwards, far away from his Thuringian homeland. After 3 years in the Sturmhaube bar and grill on the beach on Sylt, he set out on a great journey aboard the Sea Cloud II windjammer sailing ship, then in the Restaurant Neuwirt in Kitzbühel and after a short spell as chef de partie for the UEFA EURO 2008 Championship he finally headed down under. He only stayed working as sous-chef at the Quality Hotel Lord Forest in Bunbury in Australia for one season, after which he worked as chef de partie at the Steigenberger Belvedere Davos, inspiring Switzerland with his culinary skills. Only one last trip to Sylt, to the "Cucina della Mamma" – for old times’ sake - separated him from his current position as creative chef de cuisine in the SCALA Restaurant, where he seduces guests to their enthusiastic "ohhhh" and enjoyable "mhhhhm" alongside Christian Hessen.