Alain ZINSMEISTER

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

"I went into the kitchen out of both passion and obligation," says Alain Zinsmeister, who began his career in the dining room as a waiter and sommelier. A graduate of the Lycée Professionnel in Massy, the young man took his first steps in the restaurant business in 1983, working alongside Gérard Vié at Les Trois Marches in Versailles, before moving abroad to Germany and Switzerland. On his return to France, he met his future wife Anne-Marie at Lapérouse in Paris, before moving on to Le Dodin Bouffant - one of François Mitterrand's favourite restaurants.one of François Mitterrand's favorite restaurants - and then at La Grande Sirène in Versailles, where he helped open the restaurant.

"I'd been a maître d'hôtel and sommelier, but I'd also lent a hand in the kitchen. In 1997, he and his wife founded L'Étape Gourmande in Versailles, where he took over the position of chef. Gault&Millau quickly awarded him 2 toques. After extensive modernization work, he renamed it Zin's in 2007. "Self-taught, Alain Zinsmeister was not trained by the great masters of thought , but rather lets himself be guided by his desires and what he finds at the market. "I have my 18 place settings. I stick to it." Now supported by his son, he offers a "cuisine that looks simple", enhanced by a wine list to which he attaches particular importance. "I buy my own wine from the growers.

B. G.