Éric GIRARDIN
Chef : 2 restaurants Self-taught, Éric Girardin runs La Maison des Têtes in Colmar, where he offers an instinctive, inspired cuisine that sublimates Alsace's terroir.Born in Colmar, France, Eric Girardin's parents ran a farm inn in the Vosges region of France, so he was quickly made aware of taste, local produce and the rhythm of the seasons. He began his studies as an electromechanic, but branched off into hotel management school, where he trained as a waiter. With his diploma in hand, he started a season in Courchevel in a gourmet restaurant, replacing a colleague in the kitchen at short notice. He never left! He trained as a chef and sommelier and perfected his experience over ten years at the Bateau Ivre in Courchevel. In 2002, he decided to take the plunge and, with his partner, bought La Casserole restaurant in Strasbourg. A great success story for this self-taught chef, who draws inspiration from the great chefs while gradually forging his own signature style .
Locavore cuisine
In 2015, Éric took over La Maison des Têtes in Colmar, one of the town's most emblematic addresses. His cuisine is eco-responsible and locavore, with an emphasis on short supply chains.
His menu changes with the seasons and the produce, giving him great flexibility, while retaining his signature dish, a tartelette with garden herbs. Eric Girgardin offers two tasting menus, one classic, the other 100% plant-based. it' s important to me," he explains, "because it's perfectly possible to do without proteins with real, well-thought-out dishes.
The chef himself takes orders at the table, talks to customers, adapts to their requests and, if necessary, changes the dishes, creating a made-to-measure cuisine.
In addition to his gastronomic restaurant, Eric Girardin has also opened a brasserie, where he serves warm, gourmet Alsatian dishes (sauerkraut, baeckeoffe) and, in February 2025, took over the Winstub Bartholdi, which focuses on the region's terroir. In April, the chef also inaugurated La pâtisserie des têtes (with pastry chef Alexandre Dumel) for all lovers of sweet treats.
" I've built up a great business with 50 people, but I have to remain humble and not forget where I come from," says Eric Girardin modestly, for whom the primary goal is customer satisfaction. "Whether they come to the gourmet restaurant or the brasserie, they must have a good time and leave with the same level of satisfaction.
Its restaurants
