There’s a new chef leading the kitchen at Crackers.
At 25, Berlin-born Anna Israel takes over as Head Chef, becoming the first woman to lead the Crackers kitchen in the restaurant’s history.
And her route to the pass was anything but planned.
After a stint working in hospitality in Portugal, Anna returned to Berlin and trained in marketing communications. But somewhere between a late shift and around 100 kilos of potato salad, she realised she belonged in the kitchen.
She retrained as a chef, worked at Osterberger Berlin and later joined Crackers, where she completed her culinary training before moving up to Junior Sous Chef.
Now, she’s running the kitchen.
FOOD YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO EAT
Anna’s cooking is seasonal, generous and distinctly European.
She loves vegetables; she loves acidity and, in her own words:
“I put lemon on everything.”
Her influence can already be seen across the menu, from tatar of beef fillet with capers, sour cream and sourdough, potato with gochujang, fennel and mustard and pumpkin with white beans, capers and tomato, to Köhler with celeriac, leek and currant and Prignitz corn chicken with radicchio, corn and mojo verde.
The ingredients remain at the heart of everything: free-range meat, wild-caught fish and seasonal produce, including vegetables and herbs grown for Crackers by Farmer Peter in Krielow, Brandenburg, alongside a dedicated vegan menu.
For Anna, it’s not about reinventing Crackers. It’s about pushing things forward naturally: more vegetables, plenty of acidity, great produce and food that feels familiar without being predictable.
BUILT ON TEAMWORK
Anna’s approach to the kitchen is collaborative by nature.
Ideas bounce around, dishes are shaped together and the strongest one makes it onto the plate, no matter who it came from.
“We’re really a team team.”
That energy is something she wants to keep as she steps into her new role.
NEXT UP: CHRISTMAS
Anna’s first festive season in charge starts almost immediately.
From 13 November, selected Christmas dishes will join the regular menu, while a full festive menu will also be available for groups and celebrations.
Expect dishes such as brook trout with cranberry, hazelnut and Jerusalem artichoke, celeriac with truffle, red wine and potato, ox cheek with cauliflower and buckwheat, halibut with leek and cardamom, and confit duck leg with chestnut, radicchio and thyme.
And Christmas is taking over more than the menu. This festive season, Berlin artist Alina Mann will transform Crackers with a special installation created exclusively for the space.
New chef, new dishes, same unmistakable Crackers atmosphere.