Antoine BOTTER

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

"I've always loved cooking. As a child, I used to help my parents when they had people over," says Antoine Botter. To make a career out of it, he entered the Illkirch-Graffenstaden hotel school. The young apprentice did his work-study at La Cour d'Alsace, in Obernai. In 2001, with his CAP diploma in his pocket, he took his first steps as a clerk at Cheval Blanc, in Lembach (Bas-Rhin), before venturing to Belgium.

He worked at Brasserie Bijgaarden, in Grand-Bigard, on the outskirts of Brussels, and then at Comme Chez Soi at the Stanhope Hotel and Senzanome, both well-known establishments in the Belgian capital. In 2008, the globetrotter left for Switzerland to whet his appetite at the Lausanne Palace, but Brussels clearly couldn't do without his presence and was making eyes at him. In 2009, he was offered a position as sous-chef at Jaloa. "It was one of my finest culinary years, and yet my last experience in this flat - but welcoming - country."

In 2013, Antoine Botter returned to his Alsatian homeland and took charge of the kitchens at Du Côté de chez Anne, in Strasbourg's Robertsau district. He remained there until the country establishment closed in 2016. "In the end, the timing couldn't have been worse. It was time for me to take the plunge. Sommelier Frédéric Voné, whom I'd met at À la Cour d'Alsace, had the same idea. We teamed up to found L'Osmose, in Obernai, an osmosis between food and wine."

From the very first season, Gault&Millau awarded him 2 "toques" and the Jeune Talent 2019 trophy, notably for his audacity in creating skilful land-sea and sweet-salty blends.

B. G.