Hôtel La Courtille de Solutré

Where are you from ? My ancestors come from the south of France, from the Basque Country. I'm Parisian, I was born in 93. Why this job? What is your background ? I have always been a restaurateur, already in Paris. I worked as party leader at Fauchon, at the Prince de Galles and at the Maison de l'Amérique Latine. I also worked for 4 years in Montmartre. And my last Parisian experience was at Grande Ourse where I ended up as chef. Just before arriving in Solutré. In the end, I have been doing this job for over 17 years. Why here? My wife, Juliette, is originally from Saint-Amour. This is what led us to return to the area in 2008. Visiting several places, it was the location of La Courtille that appealed to us. It was a small hotel-restaurant, a small inn serving traditional cuisine (andouillette, shallot flank steak, etc.). There was everything to do there, it was very old-fashioned, with 100% carpeted rooms, in the style of the 70s! But it allowed us to create our own place, in our image. My wife had the vision and convinced me. What I liked right away was the work space in the kitchen, the terrace, and above all the fact of being in the heart of the village. I had just arrived from Paris and I was not prepared to find myself completely isolated, each thing in its time! In addition, I am keen to maintain life and connections in the village. I organize the Jazz-Gypsy meal in the summer, I invite the locals every year for the galette des rois. On these days, the idea is not to make a profit, but truly to bring people together. I like both being alone, but also sometimes feeling very surrounded. My hope is that people leave happy and want to come back. For that, I try to integrate my touch into all my dishes. Courtille's touch is tangy chutneys (mango, pineapple, passion fruit), a spicy side. A well-controlled sweet-salty-sour taste. Your favorite place on the Grand Site? On the Grand Site, we have many winegrowers, and I love going to discover the new vintage every year. For me it's a bit like Christmas! I go to several winegrowers to taste and appreciate the new products. It's always a good time. And when I discover a vintage that I like, I make sure to offer it à la carte, to share it with my customers, and that allows me to change it regularly. I also like to climb to the top of Solutré. I don't go there every week, but when I do I always seem to discover new things. Your best memory on the Grand Site? The birth of my daughter in 2010, a year after opening. This is the best thing that happened to me here.