Restaurant Balthasar

What Restaurant Balthasar does

Restaurant Balthasar is a single-location, Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in Paderborn, Germany, founded in 1996 by chef-owner Elmar Simon and operated as a sole proprietorship. The restaurant runs from purpose-built premises at Warburger Str. 28 (relocated there in 2001 and fully renovated in 2009), open Tuesday through Saturday from 19:00, with a Mediterranean terrace in summer and a group-lunch format (10+ persons) by appointment. Simon has held a Michelin star continuously since 1998 and currently carries 17 points in the Gault Millau guide, supported by a kitchen philosophy he describes as 'lecker und schlotzig' (dishes that melt on the tongue) and a product-focused approach that builds complete variations from single ingredients (tomato, carrot, pumpkin, pepper). The team numbers approximately 16 across kitchen and service functions.

The core product is multi-course fine dining with tiered menus: the Fine Dining menu, the vegetarian Grüner Garten menu, the Überraschungsmenü (Surprise Menu) at €135 per person, the Market Menu at €95 per person (Tue–Thu), and the wine-paired Surprise Menu at €235 per person. A curated wine list of over 350 predominantly German varieties supports pairing. The restaurant extends revenue through the FineDining@Home premium catering service for private homes and corporate venues, an online gift voucher storefront (€50–€500) processed via PayPal or bank transfer, and signature events including Sommerfest, Winterfest, and Menü im Riesenrad (dining in ferris wheel gondolas during the Libori Festival across 36 gondolas).

Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer and domestic (Paderborn and Nordrhein-Westfalen). Reservations are taken by phone or through the Bookatable online platform; catering is phone-only; gift vouchers are sold via the restaurant's own e-commerce site. The business is privately held under Elmar Simon with no disclosed outside investors, parent entity, subsidiaries, or external management. Marketing is largely earned-media driven through guide listings (Michelin, Gault Millau, Varta, Gusto, Aral Schlemmer Atlas, Gourmet Portal, 100 Best Chefs DE/AT) and a Gerolsteiner Bestenliste 2018 ranking of 62nd nationally and 5th in NRW, with no active social media presence documented.

Name

Restaurant Balthasar

Legal name

Restaurant Balthasar

Website

https://restaurant-balthasar.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Restaurant Balthasar is a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in Paderborn, Germany, founded in 1996 and operated as a sole proprietorship by chef-owner Elmar Simon. The single-location establishment serves seasonal tasting menus and extends revenue through FineDining@Home catering, gift vouchers, and signature events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG), Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK), Venue & Banquet Hall Catering (THAFAIAC)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Michelin-starred cuisine
• Premium catering service
• Private event hosting
• Seasonal tasting menus

Headquarters

HQ city

Paderborn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fine Dining Restaurant Service: Revenue from table service at the restaurant, serving prix fixe and multi-course tasting menus. Restaurant open Tuesday to Saturday from 19:00. Group lunch service available for 10+ persons by appointment.
2. FineDining@Home Catering: Premium catering service bringing restaurant-quality dishes to private homes or corporate locations. Customers inquire via phone to arrange service.
3. Gift Vouchers: Sale of surprise menus, surprise menus with wine pairing, value vouchers (50-500 EUR), and market menus. Paid via PayPal or bank transfer.
4. Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting private events (weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events) and special events such as Menu im Riesenrad (ferris wheel dining during Liborifest), Sommerfest, and Winterfest.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Restaurant Balthasar is a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant serving seasonal, multi-course gourmet menus built on regional German products in a modern-elegant setting. The operation extends beyond dine-in to include the FineDining@Home premium catering service, private event hosting (weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events), and themed events such as Sommerfest, Winterfest, and Menü im Riesenrad. Gift vouchers and an online reservation system round out the customer-facing offerings.

Product overview

Restaurant Balthasar is a single-location Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in Paderborn, Germany, operated by chef Elmar Simon. The core offering is the fine dining experience with seasonal gourmet menus (Fine Dining, Grüner Garten vegetarian, and Überraschungsmenü surprise menu). The restaurant extends its offerings through FineDining@Home catering service, over 350 wine selections, and special events (Sommerfest, Winterfest, Menü im Riesenrad). Gift certificates (Wertgutschein and themed vouchers) and an online reservation system via Bookatable provide additional revenue streams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fine Dining Restaurant (Restaurant Balthasar)
• FineDining@Home Catering
• Überraschungsmenü Gift Voucher (Surprise Menu)
• Überraschungsmenü mit Wein Gift Voucher (Surprise Menu with Wine)
• Wertgutschein (Value Gift Voucher)
• Balthasars Marktménu Gift Voucher
• Sommerfest Event
• Winterfest Event
• Menü im Riesenrad Event
• Wine Pairing Program
• Private Event Hosting

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BookatableminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party online reservation platform used by Restaurant Balthasar for table bookings. Provides online reservation system allowing customers to book tables directly through Bookatable.
• VIELBAUCHminorOthersPhotographer and advertising agency based in Paderborn credited for photography on the restaurant website.
• HINNENDAHL.COMminorOthersWeb design and PHP programming company from Bielefeld credited for website design and development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schwarzwaldstube (Traube Tonbach): Three-Michelin-star restaurant in Baiersbronn, Black Forest, anchored by a long-tenured head chef with sustained guide recognition. Comparable as a long-running, chef-led Michelin destination in a regional German setting.
• Zur Tantris: Two-Michelin-star restaurant in Munich led by a high-profile chef, focused on contemporary cuisine and an extensive wine program. Comparable as a chef-led, Michelin-recognized fine dining venue with premium tasting menus and curated wine cellar.
• Restaurant Dieter Müller: Two-Michelin-star fine dining restaurant in Bergisch Gladbach (NRW), offering modern tasting menus by a celebrity chef. Closely comparable as a German Michelin-starred, chef-driven fine dining destination in similar regional market dynamics.
• Vendôme (Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg): Three-Michelin-star restaurant at a luxury hotel near Cologne, offering modern French-influenced tasting menus. Comparable Michelin-tier fine dining peer operating in NRW region with similar affluent guest profile.
• Heinz Winkler: Long-established Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in Aschau im Chiemgau led by celebrity chef Heinz Winkler. Comparable as a chef-as-owner German fine dining institution with multi-course tasting menus and premium positioning.
• Ophelia Restaurant: Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in Dortmund, NRW, featuring creative tasting menus. Comparable as a regional German Michelin-level peer with chef-driven modern cuisine and similar operating model.
• Restaurant Hämmerle's (Tannheim): Michelin-recognized fine dining restaurant in the Austrian/German border region with tasting menu focus and chef-driven identity. Comparable as a chef-led, guide-recognized regional fine dining peer.

Broad incumbents

• Reinhard Käfer Feines aus der Region: German premium catering and event hospitality provider. Comparable as a competitor/parallel player in the high-end corporate and private catering space that FineDining@Home operates in.

Regional players

• Le Marron (Landhotel Piesenhausen): Michelin-starred fine dining destination in Bavaria. Comparable as a chef-driven, guide-recognized German fine dining peer, though geographically distinct from Balthasar's NRW location.
• Kochstudio catering Köln: Premium chef-driven catering provider in NRW offering fine dining experiences at external venues. Comparable as a peer in the upscale catering segment Balthasar targets with FineDining@Home.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/restaurant-balthasar

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Restaurant Balthasar