Post from 2 November 2026
On October 19, the European Community of Alsace in Strasbourg hosted the Gault&Millau Tour Grand Est awards ceremony. Chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, and front-of-house professionals from the region were honored under the patronage of Olivier Nasti. The Gault&Millau d’Or award went to Paul Stradner, chef at Villa René Lalique in Wingen-sur-Moder, which received a score of 17.5/20 and four toques. Alongside him, the list of winners gave pride of place to restaurants with character.
The guide, its awards, and its partners
A gathering of the regions, the Gault&Millau Tour brings together all the key players in regional gastronomy and hospitality: chefs and their teams, producers, and young people in training.
This stop in the Grand Est region also provided an opportunity to showcase the accompanying 2027 guide, which has been available in bookstores since Thursday, October 22.
Founded in 1972, the Gault&Millau Guide rates nearly 2,500 establishments each year and also publishes 11 regional editions. The previous edition of the Grand Est guide listed 388 establishments spread across 128 cities, including restaurants, hotels, artisans, and winemakers.
Amid culinary demonstrations, tastings, and a talk show, Olivier Nasti, the event’s patron, Marc Esquerré, editor-in-chief of the guide; Alexis-Olivier Sbriglio, a food journalist; and Nicolas Stamm-Corby, project manager at the CeA, took the stage to discuss the guide, its awards, and regional cuisine.
This year, the awards list includes 13 distinctions presented by the event’s partners: Techniques of Excellence (Pacojet), Exceptional Terroir (Plantin), Cuisine of the Sea, Lakes, and Rivers (Kaviari), Meadows and Pastures (Interbev), Tradition of Today (Rougié), Pastry Chef (Debic), Sommelier (Cave de Ribeauvillé), Hospitality (Api & You), Young Talent in Service (Jura), Rising Star (Robur), Young Talent (Sysco), Gault&Millau d’Or (Charvet and De Buyer), and the Éloquence Award.
The Winning Chefs
On Monday, October 19, the European Community of Alsace in Strasbourg opened its doors to those who bring the Grand Est region’s gastronomy to life, as part of the Gault&Millau Tour. Under the patronage of Olivier Nasti (La Table d’Olivier Nasti, 19/20, five toques), who also served in this role last year, the morning took on the feel of a grand regional narrative.
In Oberlauterbach, Zacharie Kraemer opened Villa K in his hometown, on the site of his family’s former vegetable garden, and shares the Terroir d’Exception award with Lou Abert, his executive chef: a refined, seasonal cuisine focused on local produce and the garden, with a few Japanese and Scandinavian touches, served at the counter facing the chef (13/20, two toques).
In Steige, Yannick Guth, a native of the Val de Villé, transformed a former farmhouse inn into a restaurant bearing his name in 2015, with his wife, Emmanuelle, managing the dining room. His “Prairies and Pastures” award is reflected in a menu inspired by the mountains, where dishes named after their altitude— from “Altitude 286” to “Altitude 965,” feature dishes such as pink duck with asparagus or Arctic char with carrot-lemon sauce. This award crowns the tenth anniversary of Chez Guth (14/20, two toques).
In Ribeauvillé, Virginie Jacquet, a native of the Ardennes, and Anish Chourey, who was born in Bhopal, India, took over the Relais des Ménétriers in March 2026. The “Cuisine de la Mer, des Lacs et des Rivières” award recognizes their ability to blend culinary technique with Indian spices: a yellowtail carpaccio with beets and lemon balm sorbet, and sea bass with fennel served with Japanese rice pearls prepared like khichdi (13.5/20, two toques).
Also in the spotlight: David Degoursy, a literature graduate, and Jeanne Satori, an environmental engineer, opened de:ja in Strasbourg in 2021 (15.5/20, three toques). The Grand de Demain award honors these two self-taught chefs who create each dish together and champion regional cuisine made with wild ingredients, produce from small-scale farmers, and natural wines.
Trained in Bangkok at the R-Haan restaurant, Khotphan Theerawat—known as “Fem”—was handed the keys to Yim in Altkirch by the Klanklong brothers; his Young Talent award recognizes his Thai cuisine featuring fresh herbs, chili peppers, and spicy sauces, with Tom Yam Kung as his signature dish (13/20, two toques).
In Weyersheim, Joffrey Kientzel and his wife Marine, a pastry chef, purchased the Auberge du Pont de la Zorn in May 2025: by keeping the house-made tartes flambées while adding their own culinary creations, they embody the “Tradition of Today” award (13/20, two toques).
In Verdun, Romane Amadori, a native of Nice with a BTS in culinary arts and a CAP in pastry making, and Béranger Gosset, trained at Ferrandi and under Gérard Mulot, opened Bouche-Bée in 2023 in a former cell phone store before branching out into chocolate making. They received the Pâtissier Award for their original creations and their sophisticated exploration of flavors.
Christophe Raoux, for his part, followed the traditional path, from the Ritz to the Jules Verne, from the Ducasse Group to the Peninsula Paris, before taking over the kitchen at the Royal Champagne (15/20, three toques) in 2024—a hotel that became a luxury palace in 2026. A Meilleur Ouvrier de France since 2015, he received the Techniques d’Excellence award for his technically sophisticated cuisine, which relies on exceptional ingredients.
Finally, Paul Stradner, born in Graz, Austria, spent seven years at the Schwarzwaldstube and as head chef at the Brenners Park-Hotel. He then joined Jean-Georges Klein at the Villa René Lalique in 2017 and succeeded him three years later. The Gault&Millau d’Or award, presented in Wingen-sur-Moder (17.5/20, four toques), honors a cuisine shaped by his origins, superbly illustrated by his Kartoffelnudel: Alsatian snails, horseradish sauce inspired by the Viennese Sacher Torte for Austria, potato ravioli dough for Germany, enhanced with citrus and vinegar.
In the dining room, the art of hospitality
On the other side of the pass, the awards recognized three establishments that prove service is an art form in its own right. Patricia Rothacker, who spent 10 years abroad and then 26 years at Montblanc, manages the dining room at Maison Héritage in Sessenheim (15/20, three toques): the Accueil trophy recognizes the care and elegance with which she welcomes guests.
Céline Nopre, who grew up above her parents’ restaurant in Lorraine, now divides her time between the pastry kitchen and the dining room at Mademoiselle 10 in Strasbourg; as a certified sommelier, she rightfully received the Sommelier Trophy.
Andréa Bazin, winner of the Young Talent in Front-of-House Award, single-handedly managed the dining room and its 26 seats at La Mangeoire in Nonsard-Lamarche (13/20, two toques) until a sommelier joined the team in 2026.
Finally, at the Winstub du Chambard—where the menu features sauerkraut and game hunted by the chef—Alyzée Marchal was awarded the Éloquence Prize, having been discovered through the Vocation Sommelier competition in 2024.
