New head chef at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin

BERLIN. Daniel Behrendt is the new head chef at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin's ROCA restaurant.  Daniel Behrendt was already Executive Chef at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin and therefore also at ROCA from 2017 to 2018. After working in Bavaria and Sauerland, the chef, who grew up in Berlin, is now returning to the gastronomically vibrant capital.

After training as a chef at the Excelsior Hotel Berlin, he took up his first position at the Dressler restaurant at the renowned Unter den Linden address in 2004. From 2007, he travelled abroad. This was followed by various positions in prestigious hotels, including the Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club near London and Thornton's Restaurant in Dublin, before he returned to the "Zur Tenne" hotel in Kitzbühel. From 2011 to 2015, he worked as Executive Head Chef on the MS Deutschland.

"In the last five years, I first worked at the Holzhäusl in Bad Griesbach, where host Peter Grabner was a mentor and friend to me. I then moved to the Hotel Deimann in Schmallenberg. But I missed the big city, so I am now devoting myself to ROCA again with new ideas and inspiration," says Daniel Behrendt. The 'Taste of Waldorf' is available for lunch on weekdays from 11:30 to 16:00. The Chefs Daily Special changes every day. The lunch menu includes a main course, a salad and a coffee speciality and is available for €22.50. The options for the "small appetite" salad and sandwich or soup and sandwich are served for €14.95. All dishes are also suitable for takeaway. On weekends and public holidays, the famous "Champagne & Eggs" brunch takes centre stage at ROCA, where guests can enjoy the well-known classic Eggs Benedict between 11:30 and 16:00 in various creative and seasonally adapted combinations and paired with sparkling champagne on request - for real fans also as an "Endless Bubbles" package.

The Roca Champagne & Eggs will also be available on the long weekend from 9 - 12 May - as a long weekend brunch for Father's and Mother's Day. In keeping with the season, Eggs Benedict are also available with asparagus and avocado.

Why should you definitely try Eggs Benedict here? Eggs Benedict were born in 1894 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. Stockbroker Lemuel Benedict is said to have ordered "buttered toast, poached eggs, crispy bacon and hollandaise sauce" as a hangover breakfast - a new breakfast classic was born. "In 2017, I took this history associated with our parent company as an opportunity to develop this extraordinary brunch concept with my team. It makes me proud that "Champagne & Eggs" enjoys great popularity and is still going strong today," says Daniel Behrendt.

The food selection in the long display case right at the entrance is varied, fresh and Mediterranean - not without the city's famous sweet delicacies, of course, especially the traditional red velvet cake. Homemade oven-fresh flatbread, spicy lentil chorba, Moroccan-style tajine, kiko chicken or juicy fillet of beef accompanied by Mediterranean salsa verde await guests. Lovers of Waldorf Astoria classics, such as the famous Waldorf Club Sandwich, the Waldorf salad or, of course, the Berlin currywurst, have also been catered for. The ambience of the ROCA restaurant emphasises the uncomplicated choice of dishes: The bright and friendly interior, predominantly made from natural and sustainable materials, as well as the colourful, hand-painted ceilings create a tasteful setting for a business lunch or a cosy dinner with friends, business partners and family.