(February 2, 2025) Chef Dennis Koll has spent years mastering the art of fine dining. From the high-pressure kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe to leading top restaurants in Dubai, he has built a career around precision, flavour, and creativity. He’s worked at the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Überfahrt in Germany, the Ritz-Carlton DIFC, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, and the Emirates Towers Hotel, shaping some of the world’s finest dining experiences. Now, he’s bringing that expertise to India. As Global Culinary Director of Mercii, a restaurant by Arpita Khan Sharma, Koll is exploring Indian cuisine with a fresh perspective. “It was curiosity, the project seemed ambitious in a growing market,” he tells Global Indian.
Chef Dennis Koll
With Mercii, Koll isn’t looking to reinvent Indian food. Instead, he wants to highlight its richness, layering his expertise in European fine dining with the warmth of Indian flavours. The result? A dining experience that’s refined yet inviting, global yet deeply rooted in tradition.
From Germany to Dubai: A Chef’s Evolution
Growing up in Germany, Dennis often found himself outdoors either riding a mountain bike or playing football. “I get bored very easily and need the continuous action and adrenaline to feel satisfied, therefore extreme sports was always and is till today my go to and comfort zone,” he recollects.
Interestingly, he started his career quite early since his mother is a chef and the best place to talk to her and find her was in the kitchen. “I had clarity quite early that I may have a little advantage taking the culinary journey and my career path,” says Dennis, who enrolled in cooking classes at school. “I took it with a good sense of humour since what was taught to us versus what I’d see on a day-to-day basis from my mother were two different galaxies. Hence, I decided to make this my profession and learn as much as possible and make something great out of it.”
Excited to chart the path, he shared the news with his parents only to be met with scepticism. “They warned me to not make the same mistake as they did many years ago. Since becoming a chef involves a lot of sacrifices.” But being the ‘rebellious teenager’, he went ahead. After 17 years, he admits he is still having the same fun as on day one.
Michelin Musings: Lessons from the World’s Finest Kitchens
Koll started his career in a small family led hotel with a well-reputed restaurant which was associated with the culinary university as well, and this was the perfect place to do both – his studies and graduation. “After my graduation, I just had one thing in mind. Hunting Michelin stars, working in one, two and three star restaurants, dining in them and creating a network. Most importantly, it was understanding what people with crazy dishes have in mind and how I can be a part of it,” he says.
With this mission, he joined a small Michelin-starred restaurant which was led by its owner-chef. The food was pure French cuisine, flawlessly executed, no false doors or short cuts, just perfection on the plate. “Later, I was fortunate enough to join a two Michelin-starred restaurant that was in the works of getting a third one. I wanted to be a part of this. Working countless hours every day till your feet are sore is just a small contribution towards that achievement. In 2013, we got our third Michelin star where I played a huge contribution to the restaurant,” he says. At the time, only 99 restaurants in the world held that distinction, and this was one of them.
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Career Cues: Milestones That Shaped the Chef
This led to an exciting phase in his career where he received offers from all over the world and ultimately decided to head to Dubai for the very first time as a Head chef of a kitchen, a French fine dining restaurant. “It had a good base but had lost its shine. This motivated me to be the catalyst to change and bring the glory back. And we did it. With an outstanding team and a vision that nothing is impossible, we cleared one award after another,” he says.
Speaking about his experience of working with Michelin star chefs and how this helped him evolve in the culinary world, he admits that in this tier of restaurants there is no room for error. “Only the best products come close to being good enough for what we want to achieve, you learn to have a lot of respect for your produce. Half the ingredients you use are pretty much your monthly wage, so you are dealing with a lot of ingredients which are rare to get and you don’t want to mess it up. It’s like professional sports — you put in time, energy, and sacrifice, but in the end, you join a rare group that few can handle or be part of.”
His signature dish – White Asparagus Carpaccio
Changing Foodscape
The restaurant scene across the world has evolved with attention on chefs and guests who are more interested in the origins of their food. “People now savour their food rather than just eat to fill their stomach. The media has played a big role in creating such awareness on the emotion and work behind every dish on the table that looks and tastes great,” he adds.
Continuing this ethos, he found his way to India and joined hands with Arpita Khan Sharma and the Richboyz to bring his rich culinary expertise to India with Mercii. “I loved the energy from the owners and those are the most important factors for me. Every shareholder in the project shows their passion and involvement which is a fantastic base to grow on,” he says.
India Calling
For him, Indian cuisine is quite diverse, with what feels like fifty or more cuisines within one. What he loves most is not just the variety but the way people dine. “I come from a culture where everyone has one plate for themselves – it’s very old school. Meanwhile, the Indians loves to share, it’s in their DNA. They lay out a huge spread which they share with their family and friends over a meal. I’d strongly like to encourage this on our menu at Mercii where you order a few dishes and share them which leads to trying more flavours,” he says.
Butter Garlic Prawns at Mercii
Indian Cuisine Goes Global
In recent years, Indian food has been gaining global recognition, with more chefs around the world taking an interest in its bold flavours and rich traditions. Once limited to family-run eateries, Indian cuisine is now making its way into fine-dining spaces, earning Michelin stars and global acclaim. At the same time, India itself has become a growing market for high-end dining, with diners looking for unique and elevated food experiences. This shift has attracted international chefs like Dennis Koll, who see an opportunity to blend global techniques with India’s diverse culinary heritage, creating something both refined and deeply rooted in tradition.
Chef Speak: Dennis Koll on Food, Flavour, and Inspiration
He draws motivation and inspiration from various sources – nature, good friends, and company. “It’s crucial to surround yourself with positive and energetic individuals since it’s highly contagious in a good way. Creativity has no limits or borders and I function the best around bright and energetic people,” he says. His life mantra is simple. “If it’s tough go for it! If it would be easy, anyone would do it and you struggle to stand out amongst the many.” Looking ahead he plans to make the brand Mercii successful and grow with it while opening many more restaurant across the country and abroad to make the food accessible for anyone who desires to have a great meal.
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