JONAS ZÖRNER

Executive Chef

The Fusion of Passion, Talent, and Creativity

A dish seduces the senses, evokes emotions, creates a connection between people, and reflects the creativity of the chef. A dish tells a story:

Jonas Zörner was eleven years old when he first stood alone at the stove. He experiments with ingredients and simple recipes, quickly developing a keen affinity for the art of cooking. His curiosity drives him: He is fascinated by the boundless possibilities that the world of flavors offers, realizing that preparing a meal is not just a daily necessity, but also a creative and artistic activity. From a promising talent, he eventually becomes extraordinarily skilled. Today, Jonas is a Michelin-starred chef and Executive Chef at Golvet in Berlin. He creates not only flavorful but also visual masterpieces, where each ingredient and decorative element perfectly harmonizes.

A Cooking Course Becomes a Revelation

Jonas Zörner

Yet, to get where he is today, he has to go through many stages. Jonas started working in nearby restaurants alongside school, beginning “from the bottom”: peeling vegetables, washing dishes, cleaning. “The main thing is to be in the kitchen,” was already his credo then. In 2006, his mother gifts him a cooking course at Facil in The Mandala Hotel, Berlin. For the first time, Jonas stands in a Michelin-starred kitchen – a defining moment for the then 13-year-old. “Seeing this kitchen, the orderly and structured way of working, I found it all incredibly exciting,” recalls the chef. These first steps in a professional kitchen also taught him the hard work and discipline required in this industry.

Jonas is hooked: During school holidays, he completes internships at Vau and Facil, returning the following summer as an intern. Although Facil offers him a training position, Jonas wants to first complete his high school diploma: “I definitely wanted to be of legal age, so I wouldn’t have to say goodbye at 10 PM and leave the kitchen team with the cleaning,” he explains. Teamwork? For Jonas, it’s not just a buzzword, but a lived principle that runs like a red thread through his career. And his willingness to always go the extra mile pays off: Because he spends more time in the Michelin-starred restaurant during his training than the curriculum dictates, the team trusts him with challenging tasks early on.

From Berlin to Zurich and Back

Jonas ZörnerAfter his training, Jonas moves to Zurich to work with Heiko Nieder at “The Restaurant.” There he spends a challenging year, takes on a lot of responsibility, sharpens his skill – learning not just for the kitchen, but for life. The birth of his son brings him back to his hometown, Berlin, where after two years at Facil, he eventually discovers Golvet. Stiff atmosphere? Quiet at the table? The typical fine dining concept seems to dissolve in Golvet, high above the capital. “Everything is bigger, louder, more relaxed here. I loved it from the beginning because it was so different from everything I knew,” says Jonas. For him, the perfect place to live out his dreams and further develop his culinary innovations.

Community and Creativity at Golvet

After a three-day trial cooking, Jonas starts under the then head chef Bjorn Swanson as Chef de Partie, but is promoted to Junior Sous-Chef just nine months later, and shortly after to Sous-Chef. In February 2020, Björn announces he will hand over his position as head chef to him. When he leaves Golvet a few months later, Jonas takes over as Executive Chef. Every man for himself? Not in his kitchen: Instead of a competitive mindset, there is a collegial, friendly cooperation, where even the menu is a community product. “We want to combine taste, culture, and creativity, and elevate the enjoyment of food to a higher level. Every dish embodies the ideas, the collective innovative power, and the entire passion of our team,” explains Jonas. Successfully: Since 2021, Golvet has defended its Michelin star under Jonas’ leadership.

What You Can Expect from Jonas

The Michelin-Starred Chef
Since 2021, Jonas has defended his Michelin star, is Berliner Meisterkoch 2022, and was nominated in the same year by the gourmet magazine Der Feinschmecker as the Newcomer of the Year. A great honor and at the same time confirmation to keep going. Inspired to unfold his creativity and skills in Golvet, Jonas has already set a new goal – his second star.

The Team Player
A familial spirit is Jonas’ top priority. Michelin-starred cuisine thrives on positive cooperation, rather than the performance of an individual. He has been working with his core team for almost five years. Together they learn, live in an open error culture, so that in the end, everyone can be proud of what goes out to the guests. This also applies to the development of new dishes. Everyone contributes ideas and rejoices when suggestions become parts of the menu.

The Host
Whoever comes to Golvet does not have to submit to constraints. There is neither a dress code nor the requirement to whisper. On the contrary: The open kitchen shapes the setting, with music playing in the background. Everyone is welcome to come closer, sit at the kitchen counter, and watch the chefs at work. Hospitality is more than serving food from the right. It’s about spending a really good time with Jonas and his team.

What His Team Says

Luise, Assistant Restaurant Manager: “For Jonas, we are not just employees. You can tell how important we are to him. He wants us to be well. Even if we disagree sometimes, he is always approachable and strives to resolve conflicts. He’s just very humane.”

Das sagt sein Team

LuiseStellvertretende Restaurantleiterin
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„Für Jonas sind wir nicht nur Mitarbeiter. Du merkst, wie wichtig wir ihm sind. Er möchte, dass es uns gut geht. Selbst, wenn wir uns mal nicht einig sind, ist er immer ansprechbar und bemüht, Konflikte aus der Welt zu schaffen. Er ist einfach sehr menschlich.“