Four years after winning his first Chef of the Year title, the Michelin-starred chef of Ristorante Fani in Roeser was honoured again at the Gault&Millau Luxembourg 2023 ceremony.  The second trophy to his name represents a fairly classic choice, after a 2022 edition which had honoured the young guard.

Some winners were expected, others less so!

"For this 20th anniversary edition of Gault&Millau BeLux, the inspectors were keen to crown Roberto Fani for his perseverance, creativity and constancy as well as his evolution. This high distinction awarded for the second time to the same chef remains exceptional", declared the management of the guide. A well-deserved award, given the great form that Chef Fani has in his Roeser kitchen.

As for the other winners of this 2023 vintage, Go Ten won Bar of the Year and Valérian Prade was awarded the Young Chef of the Year at the restaurant. Kay  ended up as Pop of the Year.

The other winners included Kyiv pair Iryna Kulakova and Kateryna Podliesna for Pastry Chef of the Year at Ryôdô; Eric Parachini walked away with the well-deserved title of Host of the Year at Ma Langue Sourit; and Kim Mathekowitsch's restaurant L'Annexe was elected Discovery of the Year thanks to its new direction implemented by new chef Giuseppe Molinaro. 

Divino, part of the Vinissimo chain at the Cloche d'Or won the Mediterranean of the Year thanks to chef Alessandro Vannelli; and De Pefferkär took the Restaurant de Terroir 2023 back to Huncherange.

Finally, the incomparable was crowned Sommelier of the Year. Let's take a moment to honour him as we should, by recalling that a few years ago, during a food-champagne pairing organised at the restaurant Les Roses, Thierry had suggested to the guests to "smell the frightened partridge" which was then brilliantly hidden in a Blanc de Noirs from De Venoge. Epic, legendary.

16 new entries, 4 personalities honoured and a first...

In addition to the 2023 awards, 16 new addresses have entered the pages of the little yellow guide: Fevi Gaudium (Esch-sur-Alzette), Bella Ciao (Luxembourg), Le Bistro du Sommelier (Luxembourg), l'Annexe (Luxembourg), Le Grand Café (Luxembourg), Radici (Luxembourg), La Table de l'Épicerie (Mondercange), Cacio&Pepe (Rombach-Martelange); but also Pop Ups and Bars with Bo-Zai-Fan (Luxembourg), Go Ten (Luxembourg), Kay (Luxembourg), Wine House (Luxembourg), Boos Beach Club (Kopstal), Flûte Alors! (Luxembourg), Glou (Luxembourg) and Wine Not (Merl).

For this 20th Benelux anniversary, the Luxembourg Gault&Millau ceremony also paid warm tribute to four personalities who have contributed significantly to the local gastronomic scene. They included the pioneer Léa Linster, "who opened the door for women to the highest spheres of gastronomy and knew how to pass on her art to her son Louis”. Internationally acclaimed star of vegetable gastronomy René Mathieu was also honoured for being the chef "who prophesied the vegetable, giving taste and example to several generations of cooks”.  Rock'n'roll passionate market gardener Sandrine Pingeon was recognised "for her talent in producing the best vegetables in the country, allowing chefs to offer high quality local produce”. And finally, Ma Langue Sourit’s  Cyril Molard, still the only chef with two stars in the grand duchy, rounds off the quartet for delivering “through his essentialist cuisine, delights that magnify a gastronomy based on the product"...

For the 20th anniversary of Gault&Millau Benelux, Sandrine Pingeon was among four personalities honoured for their exceptional contribution to the Luxembourg gastronomic scene. (Photo: Edouard Olszewski/Archives)

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For the 20th anniversary of Gault&Millau Benelux, René Mathieu was among four personalities honoured for their exceptional contribution to the Luxembourg gastronomic scene. Romain Gamba / Maison Moderne

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For the 20th anniversary of Gault&Millau Benelux, Léa Lister was among four personalities honoured for their exceptional contribution to the Luxembourg gastronomic scene. Ramborn

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For the 20th anniversary of Gault&Millau Benelux, Cyril Molard   was among four personalities honoured for their exceptional contribution to the Luxembourg gastronomic scene.  (Photo: Edouard Olszewski/Archives)

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Indeed, on a a great night for the restaurant in Moutfort, Ma Langue Sourit became the first Luxembourg establishment to achieve a mark of 18.5 out of 20 in the new guide, and is now slowly but surely approaching the iconic 5 toques notice.

The Gault&Millau Luxembourg 2023 guide is available from 25 October for €15.95.

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This article was first written in and has been edited and translated by Delano.