For Kolja Kleeberg, who was born in the Rhineland, cooking is comparable to his second great passion, music. Unison, harmony, but also tension are the supporting key elements of both cooking and making music.
For twenty years - from 1997 - the popular television chef ran the VAU restaurant on Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. He was awarded a Michelin star in the first year and played a decisive role in shaping Berlin's gastronomic scene. In 2013, the likeable chef also became part of the PALAZZO family and has since acted as the culinary head and host at Berlin's spiegeltent. In September 2016, Kolja Kleeberg left the VAU's traditional premises to pursue new paths. At the same time, the famous chef works as a partner and consultant for innovative gastronomy projects and top cooking events.
The never-ending story of Hans-Peter Wodarz began in 1975 with the opening of his restaurant in Munich. "Die Ente im Lehel" (the duck in Lehel) rapidly evolved into a social meeting point, where artists, gourmets and personalities of all "couleur" met. The idea of the vaudeville gastronomy and the concept of "Restaurant Theater" began there.
In the early 1990s, the visionary realized his dream and launched his gourmet theater “Pomp Duck and Circumstance”, which he remained associated with until 2006. In autumn 2007, Hans-Peter Wodarz became a partner of PALAZZO Produktionen GmbH and has since taken on the role of host at the PALAZZO in Berlin.
For his innovative concepts in gastronomy and his charitable commitment, Wodarz has received numerous honors such as: the “Five Star Diamond Award” and the Hessian Order of Merit on ribbon. The gourmet magazine “Feinschmecker” recognized him as one of the “30 shining lights of the culinary lifestyle in Germany”. In 2019, the grand seigneur of experience gastronomy was honored with the “ROLLING PIN” Award for his impressive life’s work.
