The 10 Best German Chefs | From Tradition to Michelin Stars The pleasant village of Dreis, in southern Rhineland, seems an unlikely place to find culinary greatness. The Waldhotel Sonnora was a quiet hotel run by a husband-and-wife team but when their son Helmut Thieltges took over the kitchens in 1978 he transformed the family business into one of Germany’s best restaurants, gaining Michelin stars and a 1998 Gault Millau ‘Chef of the Year’ award.