Vegetables Without Compromise
Jonathan Wittenbrink, born in Munich in 1991, began his career at Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn before moving through important stages in Vienna. He cooked at KIM kocht and spent eight years at TIAN, rising from commis to sous-chef before leading the kitchen at TIAN Bistro am Spittelberg. A stage at Albert Adrià’s Tickets in Barcelona and a scholarship at MAD Academy in Copenhagen shaped his outlook further. At JOLA, he creates plant-based cuisine that is precise, seasonal and full of flavour, proving that vegetables can carry an entire fine dining menu.
“Good cooking does not need animal products. We want to show how much flavour, depth and joy there is in vegetables, with no feeling of sacrifice.”
Jola
JOLA in Vienna is the Michelin-starred restaurant of Jonathan Wittenbrink and Larissa Andres, named after them both. Since opening in March 2022, it has focused fully on vegetable cuisine, with eight tables, an open kitchen and a relaxed atmosphere at Salzgries. Vegetables are not treated as a side element, but as the starting point for new flavour structures. Roots, leaves, mushrooms, herbs and grains are transformed into precise, surprising dishes. Awarded a Michelin star, a Green Star and three toques, JOLA shows how much range and depth plant-based cooking can have.
