It is one of the most architecturally spectacular new restaurant buildings in Leipzig and far beyond. The "Niemeyer Sphere", perched atop a corner of the Kirow factory's roof in Leipzig, officially opened its doors in summer 2020. Resembling a snowball, the white sphere looms at a height of 8 metres over the old industrial building. Chef and restaurateur Tibor Herzigkeit runs both the restaurant and the Kirow canteen.

There's a more down to earth culinary style one floor below in the Kirow canteen. The former steam boiler house, now completely redesigned, is open to the public and offers a special ambience, combining industrial charm and modern furnishings. Tibor and his team serve freshly cooked dishes from around the world. "Guests from all walks of life are welcome – workmen, office workers and even artists," says the chef. They all stop by for lunch in the canteen. "They can eat traditional canteen dishes here, like roulades or escalopes. But, we also serve bowls, soul food, comfort food, vegetarian and vegan dishes."

An absolute highlight is a visit to the "Niemeyer Sphere" – a special location for an extraordinary culinary experience in a pleasant atmosphere. Tibor Herzigkeit offers Céu dining (Portuguese: heaven). This stands for light, authentic cuisine consisting mainly of regional ingredients sourced from farmers using sustainable agricultural practices with a focus on flavour. A lift takes you up to the "canteen extension" on the second floor, the same level as the globular venue. The design of the futuristic sphere originates from 2011 by Brazilian star architect Oscar Niemeyer. In the industrial district, Plagwitz, the white concrete half-glazed structure appears to have dropped from the sky. The sphere seats thirty-five guests. An organisational challenge for the kitchen team: "There is not even a fridge in the sphere," says Tibor. Dishes are therefore cooked downstairs in the Kirow canteen and transported by lift up to the restaurant.

"Due to these circumstances, we extremely appreciate the optimum support provided by MKN's professional cooking equipment," explains the chef. "The FlexiChef gives us flexibility. Its speed as well as the shallow frying on zones impressed me in particular." The restaurateur also praises the simple operating system, which means less training for staff. "This helps us deal with the challenge of supplying top quality food with few personnel every day." In keeping with the surroundings and spectacular venue, Tibor offers unparalleled cuisine in the Kirow canteen and "Sphere". "We want our cuisine to provoke, surprise and make guests smile."  All in all, a unique symbiosis of art, cuisine and outstanding industrial architecture.