Stefan Hartmann is the head cook at Bacchus, which has long been a destination for those who appreciate timeless hospitality.
There are few dining rooms in Vancouver that feel quite like Bacchus.
Tucked inside the Wedgewood Hotel at 845 Hornby St., the restaurant has long been a destination for those who appreciate timeless hospitality. White tablecloths, polished silver, soft piano music and impeccable service create an atmosphere that feels unmistakably European.
Elegant without pretension, it feels as though it belongs in Paris, Berlin or Vienna every bit as much as Vancouver.
For executive chef Stefan Hartmann, that feeling is more than coincidence.
Long before Michelin stars and international recognition, Hartmann spent his summers in northern Germany alongside his cousin’s husband, a Michelin-starred chef who had returned to operate his family’s modest hotel and intimate 20-seat French restaurant.
“I was very fortunate,” Hartmann recalls. “I spent my summer vacations with him. He would make his own truffles and all these things. I was 10 years old and I thought, ‘This is so cool.'”
Ironically, Hartmann never intended to become a chef. His ambition was hotel management, but in Germany that path traditionally began in the kitchen. His apprenticeship introduced him not only to cooking, but to hunters, butchers and fishermen who shaped his understanding of food from its source.
“A young chef should be fascinated by everything you do,” he says. “Some people were annoyed by getting up at 4:50 am in the morning to go on a fishing boat. I loved it.”
Hartmann’s success came at a cost
That curiosity carried Hartmann through Michelin-starred kitchens in Hamburg before taking him to Los Angeles, France and Berlin. He eventually opened Hartmann, earning a Michelin star within four years and national recognition, including Newcomer of the Year and Chef of the Year.
Success, however, came at a cost. A second restaurant brought financial pressure, the loss of his mother changed his outlook, and the relentless demands of ownership slowly overshadowed the joy that had first drawn him into the profession.
“I was a cook,” he says. “I never learned to be a manager.”
After closing Hartmann in 2014, he began consulting on a hotel project in Berlin. Around that time, a German film director living in Vancouver learned his restaurant had closed and invited him to Canada to open what would become Bauhaus. At the time, Bauhaus quickly established itself among Vancouver’s most-respected dining destinations.
A later chapter as a private chef aboard a yacht rekindled the simple pleasure of cooking before eventually leading him back to a professional kitchen: Bacchus.
Rather than reinvent one of Vancouver’s landmark dining rooms, Hartmann has chosen to honour what has made it special for four decades. His cooking is rooted in classical European technique while embracing exceptional B.C. ingredients.
“Innovation doesn’t always make things better,” he says. “Traditional handcraft elevated with thoughtful ideas. That’s what we do.”
That philosophy is evident throughout the menu. His beef tartare balances richness with brightness through black truffle, pickled quail egg and torched pearl onions, elevating a familiar classic with restraint rather than excess.
Cooking at Bacchus celebrates craftsmanship over complexity
The lamb saddle is perhaps the clearest expression of Hartmann’s classical, refined approach to cooking. Carefully opened, layered with spinach, shallots and garlic, then rolled and finished with a fragrant rosemary jus, it is served alongside artichokes and an elegant miniature lasagna.
It’s a dish that celebrates craftsmanship over complexity, allowing exceptional ingredients and meticulous technique to speak for themselves.
Just before the lamb course arrives, our server approaches the table.
“Chef Stefan is curious,” he says. “What wine are you drinking?”
A small pour passes through the kitchen pass. Hartmann smiles, deglazes the lamb with the same wine, then looks toward our table with a quick wink.
Over the course of our conversation, one thing becomes clear. After more than three decades in professional kitchens, Hartmann still speaks about food with the excitement of a young cook discovering the craft for the first time. Whether reminiscing about his apprenticeship in Germany or describing the smallest detail of a dish, his enthusiasm never faded.
These days, Hartmann finds equal satisfaction mentoring young cooks. His kitchen has become increasingly collaborative, with his sous chefs helping shape new dishes and menus. Watching others develop has become one of the most rewarding parts of this stage of his career.
After three decades in kitchens across Germany, France and North America, Hartmann has finally arrived somewhere that feels remarkably familiar.
Not because Bacchus reminds him of where he’s been. In many ways, it reminds him of where he started.
Christian Alvarez is the founder of Vancouver Chefs and the ICON Dinner Series, platforms that bring together celebrated chefs for immersive, culture driven dining experiences. A graduate of the Northwest Culinary Academy in Vancouver, he blends culinary training with a passion for storytelling, photography and community building. Through curated collaborations, he explores the intersection of food, film, music and art, creating intimate events that celebrate both craft and creativity. When he is not curating dinners, he runs the Vancouver seawall, spends long hours on the road as an avid cyclist, and explores the world through its food and culture.