AWARDS “HISTORIAS CON DELANTAL” THE BRAVE EDITION
Bernd Knöller, the enthusiastic chef
A brave person is also so because of those who surround them. Bernd Knöller hasn't gotten this far alone, but rather surrounded by friends and family, with whom he shares equally enjoyable moments.
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More than three decades of experience make the owner of RiFF one of the most important figures in Valencian gastronomy. After going through countless stages, he deserves recognition from LAS PROVINCIAS for his courage, creativity, and constant capacity for reinvention.
Text from Almudena Ortuño (Las Provincias)
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Wacky. Sensitive. Always hungry, always curious. Enthusiastic. Music lover. He has a podcast, edits books. A friend to his friends. Every year, he celebrates his birthday at the same brewery in Ruzafa. He also enjoys his family and his children. He likes horseback riding and is a lover of natural wines, which make up 90% of his cellar. At times, chaotic, yet simultaneously meticulous. Someone capable of turning a restaurant upside down overnight, but who doesn't overlook technique when in front of the stove. The only chef who regularly visits the fish market auction, and enjoys it. Free, without labels, a star. And as objective facts, of German origin, lanky, and with inexhaustible culinary creativity. At this point in the story, no one doubts who we're talking about. Bernd Knöller's passion is life itself and, of course, jazz.
This chef's name is linked to his restaurant in Valencia. Located on Conde Altea street, RiFF holds the oldest Michelin Star in the city. It began its journey in 1993, under the name El Ángel Azul, inspired by the film by Austrian director Josef von Sternberg. However, behind it was a German, specifically from the Black Forest, red-haired and peculiar. Knöller had traveled through various cities and countries learning about cooking, before working at the remembered Ma Cuina, and then moving on to the Sorrento pizzeria. It was a different era for Valencian gastronomy, and he took a risk with his own business, which in 2001 he converted into RiFF. His personal style, European codes – still unknown in Valencia – and enormous confidence when thinking up dishes would lead him to achieve his first Star in 2009, when hardly anyone had one.
Bernd's cooking has always been brave, unpredictable, and vibrant. Like an explosion. He hasn't hesitated to argue, even with Antonio Vergara himself. The late gastronomic critic recounted how, one day in 1999, he was surprised by a lamb sausage with a pepper and zucchini vinaigrette. "I asked him then what his culinary style was. He answered: 'I do whatever I want.' Such Germanic assertiveness softened me and, since then, we maintained a touching affinity." The director of this newspaper, Jesús Trelis, has also maintained a wonderful relationship with him. "The first time we were together, we walked through the Mercat Central and bought what he later cooked for me. I vividly remember the ricotta with Solaz figs. This says a lot about his relationship with the market, with the city, and with the Mediterranean," he recalls. He describes him as "wise" in many ways, as well as a great discoverer of restaurants around the city.
But what makes Bernd Knöller a brave man, now awarded as such by LAS PROVINCIAS in its "Historias con Delantal" (Stories with an Apron) awards? Many life and business decisions, yes, but also his culinary style. With a Mediterranean imprint, extensive knowledge of the local pantry and fish from the market, he has always denoted European and modern airs. His cooking is technically very precise, but it avoids showiness and honors the product. It could be said that his dishes tell his story, as he still maintains that egg with prawn and butter, typical of his early days. The Black Forest cake is also remembered, although now he finishes the menu with a playful Spaghetti-ei (spaghetti ice cream). He is very good with rice dishes, including the classic "arròs amb fesols i naps" (rice with beans and turnips). After the notorious morel controversy in 2019 – from which he was fully exonerated – he stopped working with mushrooms: luckily, they are making a comeback, along with asparagus, zucchini blossom, and more vegetables.
It's curious how cooking intertwines with life, but let's skip to 2024. Bernd had long been aware that the space required a remodel, and he finally left his post to facilitate it. However, he didn't choose to stand still. The entire team moved to the ground floor of the Hotel Meliá, where RiFF became a pop-up space, something completely innovative for a Michelin-starred restaurant in Valencia. "I learned a lot from the experience, but I wouldn't repeat it, because of the stress it generated for the team to adapt to a kitchen that wasn't ours," he admits. Back in Conde Altea, RiFF's new stage has brought him much more joy and fun. Not only does it break with that old fine dining concept – "it made me feel corseted" – but it also breaks down the barrier between the kitchen and the dining room, with a chef's corner bar, where the service is much more relaxed. Other changes: there's an à la carte menu and a single Excel·lent set menu, as well as grilled dishes and cocktails.
A young team, a rejuvenated clientele too. Much more light and dynamism in the service. More original dishes; others are classics, but with a playful twist. Everything is good. "When have I ever stopped changing?" he asks, while attending to us from behind the bar. "And what's left for you to do?" I return the question. "I always wanted to do what I do, cook by the Mediterranean," he replies without hesitation.
A young team, a rejuvenated clientele too. Much more light and dynamism in the service. More original dishes; others are classics, but with a playful twist. Everything is good. "When have I ever stopped changing?" he asks, while attending to us from behind the bar. "And what's left for you to do?" I return the question. "I always wanted to do what I do, cook by the Mediterranean," he replies without hesitation.
Buddies in this adventure
A brave person is also so because of those who surround them. Bernd Knöller hasn't gotten this far alone, but rather surrounded by friends and family, with whom he shares equally enjoyable moments. His youngest daughter, Nora, used to film him cooking during the pandemic and shared the content on TikTok. His eldest son, Bastian, is a visual artist and exhibits some of his works at RiFF. "Spending time with my father is a blessing. He is a generous and relaxed person, a very good friend to his friends. His thoughts are constantly related to cooking and wine, because he's a geek about his craft and, above all, a romantic. He loves life's little details. Good-natured and quite shy, although it might not seem so," is how Bastian describes him, adding a significant closing remark: "He's often like a big kid, very naive and playful. He's a star, a madman, a good father."
Continuing with family, we come to the one you choose. Bernd has taken various trips with Steve Anderson, chef of Ma Khin, who is one of his best friends. After traveling to destinations like Thailand, England, or Germany, the Brit (and Burmese) knows Knöller well. "I would classify him as a person who takes a lot of risks. He gets inspired by something and spontaneously goes for it. As a cook, he is constantly evolving; I consider him a genius. And well, he's also someone very absent-minded," he jokes. He recalls the time he forgot his best friend's name, or when he gifted another friend a book that he himself had been given. He also maintains good relationships with Laura and Txisku from Forastera; Martina Requena from Retrogusto; Pep Ferrer from Ca Pepico; and with Ricard Camarena.
What do those who work alongside Bernd say about him? Let's start with a name that was bound to come up: Paquita Pozo. In 2024, the emblematic sommelier of RiFF – awarded last year by this very newspaper – announced her retirement. Much has been said about her peculiar relationship with the German, alongside whom she has spent half her life. "The first day we met, we argued. Because when he arrived, he brought very new ideas. He always wanted to make changes, and very quickly too. He would tell me this and that, and I would tell him it couldn't be done," she recalled for LAS PROVINCIAS. That dual way of being, the cat-and-dog fight, actually orchestrated the balance between the kitchen and the dining room at RIFF during the 26 years they remained together. "Bernd is not easy, but I do consider him an excellent person who has supported me when I've needed it," Paquita emphasized.
"Bernd is brave. I admire the love he breathes for cooking, that he has risked everything for change after so many years."
Now he surrounds himself with a younger team, where the figure of Miguelín, the head chef, is essential. Curiously, all the RIFF workers, very different from each other, agree on something: "Bernd is brave. I admire the love he breathes for cooking, that he has risked everything for change after so many years," evokes Marcos Rossi, a cook. "He was brave to dive headfirst into something new. Many times you don't need a script, just to dare," opines Simone, from the dining room: "I wouldn't rule out that tomorrow he might want to set up a restaurant in a bubble under the sea, and we'd go there with him." They praise that energy, that he goes to the market daily, that he wants to be present for every service. Even the newcomers, Luis and Amalia, perceive the enthusiasm with which he works: "He's like a little kid. Every day is a challenge and a learning experience. And he's not afraid to make his own way."
Natural, sensitive, energetic. Also meticulous, careful, technical. He takes care to wrap the asparagus before storing it. He appreciates every ingredient, loves his craft. Noble, hyperactive, enthusiastic. These are some of the adjectives used to describe the chef by those who participate in this text. No one doubts that, if he set his mind to it, Knöller could reinvent himself tomorrow. In various interviews, he has stated that, regardless of his age, he has no intention of retiring. To what end? Bernd finds a zest for life in every service, and in every song.