A unique signature
Poet of plants, free and dedicated artist
“Madness is sometimes a wise muse. It was madness that made me choose Riquewihr over 40 years ago. I fell in love with a town with three Michelin stars in the Green Guide, where Culture and raw Nature collide harmoniously. Allowing myself to be invaded by this primitive energy was probably my first folly. I was 20 years old and I was searching my destiny.
I have always felt that my path was mapped out. If I had was not taught the culture of haute cuisine, I was taught the true taste and humility of simplicity. A lifelong lesson. Very early on I imprinted in my childhood memory the original tastes of Alsace. In my grandmother's garden, I pecked at Nature with greed. This baptism of flavours will guide me forever.
I understood then that shared pleasure is my ultimate goal. In Riquewihr, I put the essence of my world on my plates. The garden becomes my everything, it inspires me and upsets me to the point of revolutionising my conception of cooking. In its alleys, I plant my creative madness, mysterious seeds and unknown essences in a characteristic way. Thanks to the garden, I now cook with the energy of the earth, my life, my everything.
If the good and the goodness guide me, beauty also burns in my heart like a red-hot poker. If I hadn't been a chef, I would have been an architect or a designer, because aesthetics are so much part of me. I give it a voice by designing all my worlds myself, from the initial sketch to the final decoration. Behind my pop glasses, I am an aesthete full of wonder and mischief, fed by a flame that never wavers. My world is a fantasy rooted in the land of Alsace, and Riquewihr my ultimate stage for free expression. Sweet madness."
Family sensibility
Jean-Luc Brendel, his sister Fabienne - Director of the Michelin-starred Restaurant - and his wife Anne - Manager of the accommodation and the Winstub, are a family of enthusiasts who receive guests with the kindness of their Alsace hearts. Kindness, thoughtfulness, putting the guest at the centre of attention and sharing their convictions: the core values of a deeply human world where you feel good.
