A new lunch-focused restaurant called hier. (=here) opened on June 1, 2026, at AchtBerlin, Schönhauser Allee 8 in Berlin. The concept centers on regional sourcing, seasonal cooking, and a deliberately compact menu designed for weekday lunch service.
hier. opens Regional Lunch Restaurant in Berlin
The restaurant will initially operate Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Guests can expect rotating lunch dishes, open-faced sandwiches, salads, soups, stews, cakes, cookies, and house-made drinks.
Concept and team
The idea behind hier. is to build a modern food concept around ingredients sourced as locally and seasonally as possible. According to the project description, the restaurant aims to reconnect everyday dining with agricultural cycles, product origin, and practical sustainability.
The project was initiated by entrepreneur Marc Schmidheiny, who developed the concept for a regional food venue and catering service within AchtBerlin. The culinary direction is led by Chiara Strobl, an Austrian-born chef whose background includes Mraz & Sohn in Vienna, Nobelhart & Schmutzig in Berlin, Lode & Stijn, school food initiatives, and consulting in sustainable gastronomy.
The kitchen is run by Jan Wichert, who trained at Margaux in Berlin and later worked at Kantine 9, Frenchie and Bar à vins in Paris, Lode & Stijn, and Remi. He has also worked independently on pop-ups, catering projects, and food consulting in several countries.
Regional sourcing
The culinary approach at hier. is based on working with what is available in the region instead of relying on permanently imported staples. The team states that products such as lemons, cinnamon, chocolate, olive oil, and pepper are intentionally excluded from the kitchen.
In their place, the menu uses ingredients and flavoring elements sourced closer to Berlin, including linseed oil, roasted fennel, caraway, juniper, verbena, chamomile, dried mint, and sunflower-based spreads. Produce is sourced in part from suppliers such as Tiny Farms in Berlin and Good Food Syndicate in Brandenburg, while dairy and cheese come from producers including Alte Milch and Luisenhof.
Menu and service
The food offer is structured around a small seasonal selection that changes regularly. Planned formats include weekly changing lunch plates, salads, soups, stews, sandwiches, quiches, savory strudels, and recurring specials such as a potato-focused midweek dish.
Customers can access the daily menu through a QR code and place orders digitally. In addition to the restaurant operation, hier. also offers catering for groups of 20 to 150 people, covering formats such as finger food, buffets, family-style service, team lunches, brunches, and corporate events.
Interior and setting
hier. is located inside the AchtBerlin complex, a combination of restored historic architecture and newer building elements. The interior was designed by Michael Sans, while the open kitchen was planned by interior architect Gerold C. Bauer.
The restaurant features a bright, structured space with custom-made furniture, a long bench made from local oak, restored vintage chairs, reconditioned cutlery from Berlin flea markets, glassware from Bodega, and porcelain from Bauscher’s “Marie Christine” line. The design mirrors the restaurant’s broader emphasis on craftsmanship, durability, local materials, and understated presentation.
Infos: https://www.essenvonhier.de/
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