When news broke that Tim Raue – Berlin’s culinary enfant-terrible-turned-fine-dining patriarch – was taking over the revolving restaurant atop the city’s iconic Fernsehturm (TV Tower), it sounded like the ultimate redemption arc. The space had been crying out for a rethink. Opened in 1969 as a socialist showpiece, it once dazzled with linen napkins, rotating views and a heady whiff of space-age optimism. But after reunification, the sparkle faded. “Sphere,” as it came to be called, devolved into a turret for tourists and few Berliners bothered to venture up.

Raue promised to restore dignity to the site by reviving local classics such as Königsberger Klopse (meatballs in a cream-and-caper sauce) and solyanka (Russian sour soup), dishes fast disappearing from the city’s culinary vernacular. On paper, the concept had promise. But instead of a cinematic ascent into East German futurism, the updated experience feels more tepid conference luncheon or corporate-retreat buffet. The food, while technically competent (no small feat with just a single service lift to the top), arrives with little joy or theatricality. A starter salad, for instance, appears pale – perhaps stricken with vertigo.

This is somewhat of a cautionary tale. We live in an age of grand revivals, when erstwhile beloved edifices are spruced and spritzed for a promised return to form that harks back to an oft over-imagined heyday. The danger is when it all starts to feel retrospective. Nostalgia, while seductive, is a blunt design tool. Such reboots should feel like a fresh start with careful nods to the past.

For Berlin and a building with such symbolic heft, this revival is a glaring miss for a city that’s crying out for a new, elevated experience. The redesigned interiors claim to strike a careful balance between historical homage – “warm tones, iconic lines, a touch of Pan Am” – and present-day cool: “casual, urban, full of energy.” In practice, the palette has shifted from red to brown – too muted to feel enlivening and too dated to be authentic. The chunky tableware might mimic 1970s charm but its passé finish has a whiff of cafeteria clunk.

Combined with tightly packed tables, the restaurant feels more cluttered than considered. One design element that does truly work is the original chrome table lamps – a minimalist nod to space-age optimism that thankfully survived the overhaul. And credit where it’s due: the architects artfully reduced reflections in the windows (that always tainted the view) by designing anti-glare louvres into the lighting. But not enough has been done to otherwise improve the space.

Urban landmarks across the globe undergo their own cycles of reinvention – think of the rotating restaurant atop Toronto’s CN Tower or Tokyo’s slowly vanishing bubble-era lounges. The challenge remains the same: how can you modernise without erasing identity? Iconic towers have long doubled as showcases of national ambition. An update isn’t just a culinary refresh, it’s a statement about how a city sees itself. Though Berlin has mastered the art of adaptive reuse – turning power stations into nightclubs and breweries into galleries – it’s odd that the Fernsehturm still feels as though it’s a relic waiting for permission to breathe again.

But there is still potential in the bulbous sphere that looms over the capital. Here’s some food for thought on how such revivals should and should not meld past and present.

1. Skip the headline names 

Opt for a lesser-known talent with a sensitivity to context. Perhaps Tobias Beck, who revived Berlin’s legendary Clärchens Ballhaus without losing its soul. The Fernsehturm doesn’t need ego – the tower has enough of that itself. Its restaurant should give it atmosphere.

2. Street art belongs on alley walls, not 200 metres above Alexanderplatz 

A stencilled Fernsehturm? Too obvious and completely out of place. Let’s remember that this isn’t a burger joint in Kreuzberg.

3. Tablecloths 

White linen works wonders. It’s admirable to aim for accessibility and remove entry barriers but stripped-down surfaces shouldn’t feel this bare. As it stands, the tabletops whisper “canteen” more than “cloud-level dining.” A little fabric would go a long way.

4. Sharply dressed staff 

Tailored black attire and some crisp monochrome would elevate the room. The current apron-and-T-shirt look feels more high street than capital landmark.

5. Breathing room 

Give the tables space for privacy and let the view take centre stage.

6. Fix the acoustics 

Introduce discreet sound panels to soften the echo and then lean into a mood that matches the setting. A distinct soundtrack with a hint of East Berlin nostalgia would give the space some sonic character.

7. Bring back the swivel chairs 

If you’re going to eat in a revolving restaurant, why not let the seating spin too? No other restaurant could get away with it but here it’s remarkably on-brand.

Siebeck is Monocle’s Frankfurt correspondent.