Périgord chef Cyril Haberland sells his restaurant l'Atelier
A chef in love with his region, he and his partner Anne have decided to sell the restaurant they opened six years ago.
Cyril Haberland's relationship with cooking began long before he opened L'Atelier (2 toques) in Périgueux. He worked for nine years as chef at Château des Reynats in Chancelade, not far from his current home. The chef, who describes himself as "a man of challenges", decided, with his wife, "to open a business in all simplicity". It's a business he's going to run successfully, earning a 14.5/20 rating and the 2019 Naturality Award from the Guide Jaune.
The end of a cycle
After launching this showcase, Cyril Haberland was constantly striving to improve the quality of the services offered in his restaurant. In six years here, it's not complicated; there hasn't been a single day of downtime. Even when the establishment was closed, it was to carry out work and allow the restaurant to move upmarket", confides the chef. So, when we ask the Périgord chef to describe his years at the helm of the establishment, he retorts ironically: "Entrepreneurship is hard! It's really exciting, it's a wonderful experience, but you're on your own and you have to manage absolutely everything."
With six years' experience as an entrepreneur, the head of L'Atelier "thinks he's done the right thing and feels he's come full circle with this challenge", proud of the ground he's covered. "Closing is not an easy thing to do, it's like turning a page in a chapter. We've made history here. These six years have enabled us to make constant progress. We're not stopping because we have to, we're ending this adventure at the top, and that's great," enthuses Cyril Haberland. For the moment, it's time to rest, without thinking about what's next: "I have no idea what I want to do next, and if I start thinking about future projects, it would be like not taking a vacation. I really want to switch off," he explains.
Although he doesn't yet know what his next challenge will be, the chef is certain to change his culinary philosophy. "It's impossible to do the same thing you did ten years ago, or even four years ago. Since Covid, it's become complicated to work in our sector, whether it's related to staffing problems or inflation. Customers have different expectations." Gault&Millau wishes him all the best for the future, and looks forward to seeing him soon on the road to gastronomy.
