Overview
A struggling restaurant owner faces a series of comedic disasters while trying to keep his business afloat.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- chaotic
- warm
- lazy sunday
- casual dinner night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Fatih Akin's funny, touching, locally rooted ensemble comedy for its infectious energy and emotional warmth.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Zinos's restaurant becomes the meeting point for his temperamental chef, parole-bound brother, customers, inspectors, and prospective buyer.
The story is rooted in Hamburg and explicitly frames its comedy through the city's metropolitan, multicultural atmosphere.
Zinos's restaurant community, brother, girlfriend, employees, and acquaintances collectively shape his struggle for stability.
The restaurant's changing menu, chef conflicts, and shared meals drive both business upheaval and interpersonal reconciliation.
Films like Soul Kitchen, and why
The Hundred-Foot Journey
Warm, energetic ensemble comedy centered on a struggling restaurant and communal renewal
Mostly Martha
Quirky workplace comedy blending food, family tension, romance, and buoyant emotional stakes
The Full Monty
Offbeat urban ensemble dramedy with eccentric characters, multicultural texture, and playful chaos
Movie Details
- Director
- Fatih Akin
- Release Date
- 2009-09-09
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (617)
Cast
- Adam Bousdoukos
- Moritz Bleibtreu
- Pheline Roggan
- Anna Bederke
- Birol Ünel
- Dorka Gryllus
- Wotan Wilke Möhring
- Lucas Gregorowicz
- Demir Gökgöl
- Cem Akin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Soul Kitchen about?
- A stressed Hamburg restaurateur juggles a failing business, an unruly brother, romantic distance, and a kitchen revolution in this lively urban dramedy.
- What is Soul Kitchen like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Soul Kitchen as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Soul Kitchen violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Soul Kitchen as mild.
- What did critics think of Soul Kitchen?
- Critics broadly praised Fatih Akin's funny, touching, locally rooted ensemble comedy for its infectious energy and emotional warmth.
- Which films are like Soul Kitchen?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hundred-Foot Journey, Mostly Martha, and The Full Monty.
- How long is Soul Kitchen?
- Soul Kitchen runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Soul Kitchen?
- In United States, Soul Kitchen streams on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel.
