4Eck – Restaurant Garmisch-Partenkirchen

The 4Eck is a cosmopolitan casual lifestyle & fine dining restaurant on two floors in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and values ​​a cozy living room atmosphere. In summer, the “secret garden” surprises our guests with a mountain view behind the house, which turns into a small magic forest in winter. Our menu is cosmopolitan, seasonal, fresh, sometimes vegetarian or vegan, always surprisingly different. Sustainability is a major topic for us in all areas. Recycling, upcycling, avoiding waste, avoiding plastic wherever it is possible, to name just a few. We’re certainly not perfect, but we do our best. The 4Eck kitchen crew prefers shopping at local farms, from farmers or fishermen in the Zugspitze region or at the weekly market in Garmisch. The ground floor with the open kitchen is mostly lively and there is a lot to see, if you are looking for more peace or would like to enjoy a romantic dinner for two, we recommend choosing room KARO on the first floor. 4Ecks menu changes frequently and always offers new culinary surprises, depending on the market and the season. Each guest can put together the menu of their choice from the various individual components. The cuisine of the 4Eck restaurant in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is constantly being recreated and, as many guests tell us, is simply different, sometimes cheeky, fresh, innovative – but always processed sustainably and cleanly. We´re looking forward to welcome you to our living room, which feels like home!

The 4Eck regular guests already know that there is a “secret” behind the house: Relax in the 4Eck “secret garden” from May to October, away from the daily trouble in the pedestrian zone on the patio with view to the mountains, listen to the idyllic church bells of St. Martin during your lunch break or join the afternoon with home-made ice tea in our deck chairs. In the evening we serve sommer night menus with candlelight and lanterns and in spring and autumn we offer cosy blankets. During the winter month the Secret Garden turns into a magical light forest.

TEAMWORK is very important at 4Eck. Especially in a small restaurant like our 4Eck is, there is no room for elbows (in the truest sense of the word). Things are simply better together, we’ve all learned that over the years, and what one person can’t do or doesn’t like, the other person might love. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and only if we help each other can we offer our guests the best possible experience: delicious food, exciting cocktails, selected wines and warm service in a beautiful ambience. Our core team is supported by many temporary workers, pupils, students, kitchen helpers – here we would like to introduce the heart of the 4Eck combined with a big thank you to each and every one of them, but especially to our temporary chef Marcel, who has been with the 4Eck almost since day one the rod holds. One team, one dream!

Sous Chef at 4Eck and currently the creative head of the kitchen crew. He was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and, after completing his training, made his career through many renowned establishments in the region, from inns to Michelin star restaurants. Inbetween, he supported the family business, the Neuneralm in Grainau. For him, cooking is a passion that is built on a secure basis. He learned his craft from the ground up, refined it and continually expanded his knowledge. A great strength of him are sauces (lick it of the plate!), but his art way of plating is also impressive and so are his vegan surprises. In his leisure time, he enjoys riding his motorcycle and doing sports, a reliable rock in the 4Eck kitchen.

Junior chef Maximilian Hölzlein is still at the beginning of his career. He completed his training during the difficult Corona period and when he celebrated passing his final exam with his dad at our 4Eck, he expressed his desire to work here and learn as much as possible. A wish that the head chef at this time, Jörg Heid, was happy to fulfill. Maxi, who is a big fan of the Middle Ages in his leisure time, will probably not stay in the 4Eck forever; he wants to see the world and deepen and expand on what he has learned here. But for now we are happy that he is a reliable and lovable family member of the 4Eck(Kitchen)Crew!

The sympathetic US American wrote to us last year that although he has no training as a chef according to German standards, he has a lot of experience from renowned establishments, that he is not afraid of work and always likes to learn – and the 4Eck would be a nice new destination. After we discovered in the first conversation that Brandon and Kerstin have a common hobby, namely wine – Brandon has worked in wineries all over the world, acquired fantastic wine knowledge and an incredibly fine sense of taste – the rest was history. In his free time he also enjoys sports; his biggest hobby is skiing.

Kerstin is not only the co-owner of the 4Eck but also a willing supporter in the 4Eck kitchen. As a certified hotel manager she already had her own restaurant on Lake Chiemsee in the past, where she cooked alone for her guests. Cooking is Kerstin’s passion, you can tell that, but above all you can taste it. She often stands in the kitchen at night after service and conjures up something delicious for the team. Kerstin says about herself that of course she lacks practice, especially in this very fine dining kitchen, but the kitchen crew is grateful for such a reliable “kitchen helper” who, thanks to her excellent taste, is often the tip of the scales when it comes to finishing the dishes. Kerstin is also very active in sports in her leisure time; ski touring, stand-up paddling and cross-country skiing are among her hobbies.

The core service team currently consists of 3 corners of the original 4: Peter Laffin, Uschi Glas & Kerstin Schumann Ishizuka. Uschi and Kerstin are the owners of 4Eck. Peter was involved in the founding planning, but then left for family reasons. During the Corona period he returned to 4Eck as a friend and helper – and stayed. Peter finds it difficult to decide whether he prefers the Baltic Sea or the mountains. After a year off in his hometown of Rostock, he returned to 4Eck in 2023. In the past, his positions have included the China Club in Berlin, the Grandhotel Heiligendamm and the A-ROSA in Kitzbühel. By the way, he has a particular passion for gin. Uschi Glas – co-owner of 4Eck – also has her own wedding planning agency and is the owner of the Horsebox Bar, a mobile event bar in a horse trailer. Hence her special passion for the bar. Since she is not allowed to drink alcohol, it is the mocktails that she is particularly enthusiastic about. She was born and grew up in Garmisch-Partenkirchen but loves getting to know new things. And we have already introduced Kerstin above. She is “multi-tasking” and is just as at home in the kitchen as she is in service. She was a passionate host at the Residence of Heinz Winkler in Aschau before moving from Chiemgau to Munich as a hotel manager and before finally moving to Garmisch-Partenkirchen with her husband and founding 4Eck with Uschi. The three are supported by wonderful temporary workers like Melina, Franzi, Chiara and Theo.