European culinary craft, Japanese influences and three founders whose backgrounds span hospitality and music: SISU is set to open in Berlin-Kreuzberg on 20 October 2026.
A recording studio and a restaurant might seem to have little in common. For Christian Hubert Raab, the two are surprisingly close. The songwriter and music producer knows both worlds: in 2012, he opened Café Bald Neu in Munich, later establishing HAUS2000 in Berlin as a creative space for songwriters and producers. In either setting, timing, balance and the atmosphere in which things come together matter. With SISU, that thinking gains a new address: Köpenicker Straße 174 in Berlin-Kreuzberg.
Together with hospitality professional Daniel Nini and music and media manager Belmin Sehovic, Raab is planning a restaurant that brings together food, music, art and culture. Michael Englhart will lead the kitchen. His approach suits a place with serious culinary ambitions that wants its guests to enjoy an easy evening.
The Work Behind a Clear Flavour
Englhart brings around 13 years of experience in high-end dining and Michelin-starred restaurants. At SISU, he combines European culinary traditions with Japanese influences. Classic stocks, jus and sauces provide the foundation; koji, miso and kombu broaden the range of flavours. Fermentation, acidity and umami are among the tools of a kitchen that makes much of what it serves in-house.
Then there is fire. Fish, meat and vegetables will be cooked on a konro grill or over an open flame. Roasted flavours are intended to deepen the ingredients’ own character while leaving room for each product to express itself. The preparation and precision involved need not take centre stage when the food reaches the table.
“Complexity can lie in the making. On the plate, it shouldn’t feel complicated,” says Englhart, describing his approach.*
It is an appealing way to think about fine dining: the ambition lies in the ingredients and their preparation. At the table, it can become the simple pleasure of eating well.
Hosts with a Feel for People
Hospitality will be led by Daniel Nini, SISU’s managing director, partner and host. Originally from Hamburg, he has worked at the Fischereihafen Restaurant, Grill Royal, Borchardt and Telegraphenamt, most recently as Restaurant Manager at GRACE. What continues to fascinate him about his profession is the energy created when people come together — and the good feeling they take with them when they leave.
For him, a restaurant can be a meeting place, living room, nightclub and salon all at once. That openness informs SISU. Raab contributes his experience in music, coffee and design; Sehovic brings more than ten years in music and media management, alongside connections within the creative and cultural scenes. How food and culture will interact in everyday practice remains to be discovered when the restaurant opens. The founders’ different backgrounds certainly provide the groundwork.
A Finnish Word in Kreuzberg
In Finnish, sisu conveys inner strength, perseverance, courage and determination. For the founders, the name expresses a wish to follow their own path with conviction. In the kitchen, that path travels through Europe and Japan; as a restaurant, SISU aims to be rooted in Berlin, open to the people and ideas that gather around its tables.
Perhaps this is its most appealing connection to the recording studio: a good evening can be carefully prepared. Its own rhythm develops through the people who spend it together.
SISU
Köpenicker Straße 174, Forum building, Berlin-Kreuzberg
Announced opening: 20 October 2026
Opening hours from launch: Tuesday and Wednesday, 6–10pm; Thursday to Saturday, 6pm–midnight
Reservations: www.sisu-restaurant.com
