A Gault&Millau toque or a Michelin star are among the most prestigious accolades that a restaurant or chef can receive. Three lauréats of the 2026 editions in Luxembourg share the passion that drives them to achieve more.
Familiar to food-lovers around the world, Michelin stars, those iconic, six-petaled, white macarons on a vivid red background, have been awarded to restaurants by the renowned culinary guide for exactly a century. The one-star recognition was first given in 1926, followed by the two-star and three-star recognitions in 1931.
But it’s not the only restaurant guide around: the bright yellow Gault&Millau plaques have also become a symbol of gastronomic excellence. Since 1972, Gault&Millau investigators have evaluated restaurants on a scale of 1 to 20, with establishments that rank particularly well receiving one to five toques. Each year, the guide also announces a list of the best restaurants in a country, including Luxembourg, with categories ranging from “Chef of the year” to “Restaurant de terroir” to “Mediterranean restaurant of the year.”
Passion: a key ingredient
Nostos was the recipient of the latter award in Gault&Millau’s 2026 edition. A Greek restaurant in Bonnevoie, Nostos opened its doors in April 2025 and is known for its wide variety of excellent starters (think spicy whipped cheese with grilled Florina peppers, fried calamari, or saganaki shrimp in tomato sauce), authentic dishes, and daily specials.
“We were surprised,” says chef Dimitris Rama, commenting on the selection. “We know that we’re doing a good job here,” he adds, “but as we’re fairly new, we didn’t expect it.” Rama, together with co-owners Andreas Papa and Spiros Lazaris, has years of experience in the hospitality industry in Greece. He highlights the passion that the three of them have for the job, as well as their commitment to authenticity in the cuisine as elements that make them stand out. The Gault&Millau prize, adds Rama, “helped us a lot,” especially as a new restaurant that was unfamiliar to people at first.
“We have customers that come almost three times a week, and they are surprised every time. They’re never bored,” says Lazaris, as they constantly rotate new dishes onto the menu. The staff has built up a relationship of trust with their guests, who are always open to suggestions and to trying something new.
But it’s not just the food that ensures that clients return, it’s the experience that people have when dining at Nostos. “We love what we do,” says Lazaris, who notes that “the honesty and the experience” that they bring to customers’ tables is crucial. “Hospitality is our forte,” adds Papa. “It’s something that’s inside of us.”
Comforting and inviting atmosphere
A warm and welcoming experience is also at the heart of Le Q dans le Beurre, which was awarded Gault&Millau’s “Restaurant de terroir” prize last year. “The concept was to create a restaurant for friends, with comforting dishes that your grandmother might prepare, dishes that you remember from your childhood,” explains chef and owner Jérémmy Parjouet, who opened his restaurant in May 2025 after having worked at various establishments in Luxembourg, including Les Jardins d’Anaïs and Lion d’Or.
“The concept was to create a restaurant for friends, with comforting dishes that your grandmother might prepare”
On the menu? Dishes like bœuf bourguignon, veal stew, or boudin noir, all of which can be easily shared between friends and family dining together. The atmosphere is equally relaxed, with red-and-white checked napkins on top of wooden tables, accompanied by cheerful conversations and good humour. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list and 11, yes, 11, different types of Chartreuse, a French herbal liqueur.
Like the team at Nostos, Parjouet adds that he was surprised by the Gault&Millau selection, given that the restaurant has only been open for a short period. “I didn’t expect to win an award so soon,” he says. “I hadn’t won anything in 25 years in Luxembourg, so to win something after opening the restaurant seven months ago is very gratifying.”
But does it add any pressure? No, comes the response, not at all. “La pression, on la boit,” he jokes with a laugh. In French, “pression” means pressure, but can also refer to draft beer, and it’s clear from Parjouet’s reply that the label doesn’t bring any extra stress. “Since the beginning, the pressure was on us to satisfy clients,” he says. “There’s no supplementary pressure.”
“No filter, no wall”
Arguably one of the Luxembourg culinary scene’s biggest names is Clovis Degrave, who received his first Michelin star in April 2025 for his restaurant Grünewald Chef’s Table (opened in 2023) and was crowned “Chef of the year” by Gault&Millau in October 2025.
For Degrave, who also operates a hotel and two other restaurants, Hostellerie du Grünewald and Maison B, with his partner Aline Bourscheid, “receiving both awards in the same year came as a surprise!” “It may seem like a lot to receive in a single year,” he adds, “but in reality, it’s the result of many years of work being recognised.”
The Michelin guide describes the chef’s cuisine as modern, with examples of dishes like seared Balfego tuna belly or a ravioli stuffed with egg yolk, coated in a smoky emulsion and served with grated white truffle. “I enjoy combining new techniques with classic recipes,” explains Degrave, who continues: “One aspect I particularly like to work on is creating several sauces for the same dish.” It’s a point that the culinary guide draws attention to as well.
An open kitchen surrounded by a curving green countertop is the centrepiece of Grünewald Chef’s Table, offering people an intimate and interactive experience. With a team of 10 people, the restaurant accepts a maximum of 25 guests. Though this represents a high staff-to-guest ratio, the chef says it’s “necessary” for the experience they aim to offer. It’s the “concept” that sets the restaurant apart, says Degrave, as well as “the closeness to the guests, the story, and the techniques that we can share with them directly. There is no filter, no wall, the guest sees everything that happens and experiences the service live with us.”
Always striving for the best
The “Gault&Millau & Michelin guides are very important for our sector,” notes Degrave, as “their reputation helps guide customers in every city or country. I myself am an unconditional user of these guides!” But for the chef, the labels can bring increased pressure and expectations, “especially two to three weeks before the release of the guides. What suspense! Nights become very difficult,” he says. “We always want to offer the best to our guests, it’s our passion!”
However, like Parjouet at Le Q dans le Beurre, the team at Nostos says the Gault&Millau award hasn’t added any pressure. Instead, “it makes us more passionate, drives us to be better, to improve on the quality,” says chef Rama.
“We are ‘chefs’ twice over, once as cooks and once as entrepreneurs”
This emphasis on passion and striving to offer the best food and dining experience to their guests is a clear thread that links all three lauréats, regardless of whether they perceive the culinary awards as an additional pressure to perform well.
“We cook out of passion, but we also have responsibilities as business leaders,” concludes Degrave. “We are ‘chefs’ twice over, once as cooks and once as entrepreneurs.”
This article was published in the 9th edition of Forbes Luxembourg.
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