The door opens and Nelson Müller is standing there, asking if he should take off his coat. Loud noises can be heard coming from the kitchen, along with a clattering and hissing. It’s seven in the evening, and the chefs are working at full speed in Müller’s restaurant in Essen’s trendy Rüttenscheid district. On this November day, there are still two restaurants at the location Rüttenscheider Straße 62: Müller’s auf der Rü, a brasserie, and Schote, the gourmet restaurant that has continuously earned a Michelin star since 2011. After 15 years in this city in the Ruhr region of Germany, the latter will soon be moving – but more on that later.
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A member of staff shows the guest to a table, which is enclosed by two benches in a kind of booth. You can choose from a large menu with eight dishes and a smaller menu with two dishes less. There is also a vegetarian menu. You can’t order à la carte, which is a typical recent shift for German Michelin-starred restaurants – it’s easier to plan and cheaper to buy in bulk.
Nelson Müller’s restaurants – everything but the usual fare
Nelson Müller walks by, plate in hand. You see him here relatively often. He makes an appearance, serves and chats with the guests in his calm, even-tempered way. This may come as a surprise to some, given what else belongs to his ventures in addition to the two establishments in Essen: He runs a restaurant in Rheingau (Müllers auf der Burg) and a restaurant in Norderney (Müllers auf Norderney). He appears as a jury member in the show “Die Küchenschlacht” (The Battle of the Kitchen) and in various other TV programs, plus he sings in a band. He has even appeared in “Das Traumschiff,” a German TV series based on the US show “Love Boat.” On top of that, he does a lot of extra-curricular activities, like boxing, singing lessons and a lot of eating out with colleagues, both locally and abroad.
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Given his workload, it would therefore only be human if Müller’s menu in Schote resembled standard high-end cuisine. Here a regional carrot, there a piece of char, and a lightly seared, rosy duck breast. This happens with colleagues who have a similarly heavy workload. Not so for Nelson Müller. His dishes are ambitious, original, pleasantly complex – and even appealing to those who eat a lot. This reflects his multifaceted training, which he spent on the island of Sylt with Holger Bodendorf, at the Résidence in Essen, and at the Orangerie under Lutz Niemann. Müller combines white cabbage with caviar alongside tartare. He effortlessly unites a light velouté with the oomph of a hollandaise sauce, garnished with potato rings in tarragon vinegar. This creates flavor play that is fun, but requires a lot of experience and craftsmanship.
Chef and entrepreneur – Nelson Müller’s plans for the future
How does he do all of this? Müller, who was born in Ghana and grew up with a foster family in Stuttgart, sees himself as an entrepreneur. He is highly organized and surrounds himself with good people – Henri Bach, his mentor and long-time star chef, worked as the culinary director of Müller’s restaurants until his untimely death. He has a management team with two assistants. He does sports to clear his head and “not fall apart,” as he says.
The result: There is still more to come, because the 45-year-old is far from done. In 2025, Nelson Müller will become a hotelier and will also take Schote with him – but his headquarters, Müllers auf der Rü, will remain in Essen. Just half an hour from Cologne, at the Diepeschrather Mühle near Bergisch Gladbach, Schote will then become part of Müller’s latest passion project – a hotel with a culinary focus, part of the “Relais & Châteaux” association. “We need space to develop,” says the busy boss. “Schote deserves to have its own stage.”
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No clichés
The historic property is located near Cologne, nestled in the green countryside of the Bergisches Land, which is ideal for walks, hikes and little escapes from everyday life. The hotel will offer 25 rooms, including five suites, a spacious spa area with outdoor pool and two restaurants. In addition to a farm-to-table cuisine that focuses on regional/seasonal ingredients and down-to-earth dishes – in Müllers in der Mühle – the gourmet restaurant is also getting a new home. Here, Müller wants to continue to create ambitious, plant-based dishes with seasonal accents – entirely in his style, original and well thought-out.
The guest rooms are modern and comfortable, many with terraces and views of the greenery or the pool. The hotel will be an attraction for gourmets and those seeking peace and quiet alike – with culinary highlights, relaxation in the wellness area and, if you like, a cooking course with Nelson Müller himself.
