Ibasho: A Place Where One Belongs

The first time I dined at Munich’s restaurant Ibasho, meaning “a place where one belongs”, I found myself sitting between one of its founders, Kai Tan, and an emerging artist, known as The Berg, whose work is displayed throughout The Dean Munich, the hotel Ibasho calls home. Set in the vibrant Westend neighbourhood, the restaurant sits in the latest expansion in Dean Group’s hotel portfolio, and shares the same ethos as the group’s other properties: to champion emerging local artists throughout each of their locations by commissioning their artwork for rooms and common spaces. It was the week of the opening party for The Dean, Munich, and journalists, contributing artists and hotel guests lined the tables of Ibasho. Huddled within intimate circular booths, in the sunken conversation pit or along the chrome bar, each element in the room has been meticulously selected by interior designer Tatjana von Stein. The result is a space that feels intentionally curated while being effortlessly inviting. A sake or cocktail pairing is offered to accompany each course, alongside some of the most memorable dishes I’ve tried, not just for their uniqueness, but because they both look and taste so good.

Leading the kitchen at Ibasho is head chef Alex Craciun – one of Europe’s most exciting culinary talents. An award-winning chef, he has refined his skills in Japan’s renowned three-Michelin-starred restaurants Kikunoi and Ryugin. Craciun’s philosophy driving the menu at Ibasho is that ‘food is the new fashion’. The way he sees it, food follows trends as much as fashion does. “Some things come, some things go, but a classic always stays a classic[…] A Chanel jacket is going to stay a Chanel jacket.” The same goes for food’s classic dishes: “We don’t need to touch them. We don’t need to change them.”

Instead, Craciun is striving to create your new favourite restaurant. “You come in, you have a good time, you have good service, you have some really interesting dishes, you just enjoy the flavours, you enjoy the vibe,” he invites. “You can go there by yourself, have one or two dishes, have a glass of wine and that’s your lunch done,” he explains. “It’s not something pretentious where you need to come in and get dressed up. It’s very accessible and the food is very similar – very easy to understand, but a bit quirky, a bit different, a bit interesting.”

In his cooking, Craciun takes inspiration from Japanese techniques and ingredients to create a menu of classics, done exceptionally well. Rather than trying to replicate a traditional kaiseki menu play by play, he fuses his knowledge of Japanese cuisine with Mediterranean flavours and local, fresh ingredients to create meals that are as interesting as they are delicious. “If you want an amazing steak you can have a steak. If you want amazing sushi, you can have sushi,” Craciun says about the menu. “We use a lot of European ingredients, but at the same time we use techniques and flavours you find in Japan.”

But making exceptional food begins with sourcing exceptional ingredients, and sourcing underpins every decision on the menu at Ibasho. Selecting ingredients based on their quality alone, this includes Balfegó bluefin tuna, traceable to a single fishery in the Mediterranean, and Japanese A5 wagyu. The quality sings through the signature dishes: Crispy Sushi Temako with Balfegó tuna, wasabi and avocado mayonnaise; Sea Bream Sashimi with a fish and chips garnish; Beef Tataki with truffle onion ponzu; and Tamarind Glazed Roasted Bone Marrow with miso onions.

The interiors of Ibasho, situated on the ground floor of the Dean Hotel, were designed by acclaimed interior designer, Tatjana von Stein. The restaurant’s design layers 1980s style over Bavaria’s Art Nouveau heritage (Jugendstil), seen in curved lines, tactile warmth and crafted detailing. These elements are paired with the hedonistic creative energy of the 1980s, referenced in glossy surfaces, lacquered finishes and subtly theatrical lighting. The balance between these references gives Ibasho a timelessness.

On the subject of trends, when I ask what he predicts for the next dining trend cycle, Craciun says: “Casual dining is the new fine dining[…] Not being in a stuffy restaurant with white tablecloths.” He envisions that diners are after family-run businesses of 20-30 people. “You need to be really stupid not to listen to your diners,” he tells me when I ask if he creates food with the aim of it being shared on social media. “You try to make them happy, and obviously if 10 people don’t like one thing, that means the thing is wrong. It doesn’t matter what you believe as a chef.”

Trends will keep cycling through Munich’s dining scene, the way they do through every fashion season, but Ibasho isn’t chasing them. Some things come, some things go but a classic always stays a classic. And on this evidence, Ibasho is already one.