The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg Bids Farewell to Its Three-Star Aqua

The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg marked the end of an era in March 2026 as Aqua, its three-Michelin-starred restaurant, closed after a quarter century under Chef Sven Elverfeld, who had shaped it since it opened in 2000. In its final months, the team served a single curated eight-course menu dedicated to Elverfeld's favorite ingredients, a fitting send-off for one of Germany's most decorated restaurants.

The hotel is not stepping back from fine dining. Luis Hendricks, a Lower Saxony native who became Germany's youngest two-Michelin-starred chef in 2025 and won the Michelin Guide's Young Chef Award that year, is taking over culinary leadership of a new restaurant concept in development. The transition passes the torch from one celebrated chef to another.

Set within the Autostadt, Volkswagen's striking automotive theme park in Wolfsburg, the hotel has long been a surprising culinary destination. Aqua's legacy and Hendricks's arrival keep it at the forefront of German gastronomy.

Staying at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg? Book your stay with me for preferred-partner perks.