La distillerie: the world's best vegetarian restaurant!
I’m very attached to this restaurant because it was the first one where I was able to discover plant-based cuisine and enjoy a real gourmet meal. I discovered this restaurant for the first time in 2014. I think I’ll always remember my first meal at La Distillerie: I was immediately charmed by chef René Mathieu ‘s approach and his cuisine – at last, a real gourmet plant-based meal. Until then, I didn’t think it could exist. In 2014, chef René Mathieu had already decided to assert himself in terms of his choices, explaining “with us, meat is a garnish“.
Over the years, I’ve seen this restaurant evolve, and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to talk to the great chef René Mathieu on several occasions. He offers a naturalist cuisine that respects the seasons and products, and favors short supply chains. These are important values to me. In fact, since 2020, the menu at La Distillerie has been entirely plant-based. It’s still rare today to see a gourmet restaurant take the decision to offer only plant-based dishes.
Behind chef René Mathieu‘s cooking, there’s also a strong message that what we need can be found in nature. The whole meal is punctuated by the chef’s explanations of the use of particular plants and their health benefits.
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Since 2020, the menu at La Distillerie has been entirely plant-based!
Going to La Distillerie means taking your time, appreciating and savoring all 8 dishes that make up an entirely plant-based menu (not counting the first courses and the little mignardises at the end of the meal). A menu at La Distillerie is a menu that evolves according to the seasons, the produce and the chef’s pickings, because yes, the chef does “shop” in the surrounding countryside. Quite simply, it’s a return to our roots, an interlude in a world that’s always moving faster and faster. There’s poetry in the dishes, thanks to the interplay of colors and textures, and the use of flowers and wild plants.
Sample menu (which I was lucky enough to taste this summer)
NUANCES DE MAUVE :
Beet – Mallow – Plum – Sushi spirit – Fermented milk – Solarized oil – Hogweed root
Fermented milk – Solarized oil – Hogweed root
SANDRINE’S TOMATO :
Begonia – Condiment – Herbs – Flavours
Unsuspected
WILD PICKED :
Depending on harvest and weather – Fermented walnut cream
SUMMER GARDEN :
Wood-grilled zucchini – Peppery flower – Vine peach –
Lemon and basil fermented juice
VEGETAL SIGNATURE :
Mushrooms cooked in a crust – Pear – Hazelnut –
Perfumed juice with heather flowers
GOURMANDISE :
A chocolate – A fruit – A flower – The infusion of a plant
DETENTE PERFUME “EAU DE CAMPAGNE” BY SISLEY :
The scent of a fragrance in flavors
DOUCEUR :
Flowers – Fruits – Herbs – Vegetables
To take things a step further, the Chef offers 2-hour wild-gathering workshops to showcase seasonal wild plants and their various uses.
Best Veggie Tables' opinion
To sum up: La Distillerie is still my favourite restaurant.
Areas for improvement: I’ve been going to this restaurant for over 10 years now, and I’ve seen a real evolution. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing more to improve: the chef has succeeded in ironing out the little flaws over the years and getting closer to perfection. And, despite everything, he still manages to surprise me every time I visit.
Last visit: February 4, 2023 (counting down)
Where to find this exceptional table
La Distillerie
Gastronomic restaurant – 1 Michelin star and 1 green star
8 Rue du Château, 6162 Bourglinster Junglinster, Luxembourg
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 12:00 to 13:15 and 19:00 to 20:15
Closed Monday and Tuesday