Fabrice IDIART
Chef : 4 restaurants In the kitchen of the Moulin d’Alotz (3 toques), an intimate restaurant nestled in the heart of nature in Arcangues, Fabrice Idiart offers plant-based cuisine—but not in a militant way—prepared with passion and a great deal of love.
Presentation
What matters most to Fabrice Idiart is conveying emotion. In fact, if he hadn’t become a chef, he would have been a musician—for the same reasons: creativity and sharing. The chef is generous with his interactions: at Le Moulin d’Alotz (3 toques), he serves 12 to 15 guests per seating. Connecting with customers is essential.
Michel Bras Inspired Him
Fabrice Idiart is an unconventional chef. His love of cooking comes from Michel Bras, even though he has never worked with him. He fell in love with the craft while watching television as a young man: “At a time when cooking wasn’t in vogue, there was a feature on Michel Bras.” ” Fabrice Idiart wanted to pursue a career in this field after earning a high school diploma in industrial design. Those around him doubted that this path was right for him. He hesitated, but seeing this chef—who was unlike any other—reinforced his decision: “He stood out from the cliché people might have of a chef. He had a very plant-based vision, a bold approach… He was close to nature, very human. All of that inspired me! ”
At age 19, he earned a BEP in culinary arts and began his first apprenticeship at Campagne & Gourmandises. In 2003, he spent two years in the kitchens of Miramar (1 toque) in Biarritz, before joining the restaurant Michel Sarran (4 toques) in Toulouse for two years.
A career built on passion
At age 25, he fell in love with the La Réserve hotel in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The ocean, the setting… It was a return to his roots for this lover of the Basque Country. He would remain in the kitchen atIlura (1 toque) for ten years.
Then, in 2018, his first love—a restaurant he’d first set foot in at age 19—went up for sale. During his first visit to the Moulin d’Alotz, he’d jokingly remarked that he’d buy the place one day. His wish has come true. Driven by the desire to create his own cuisine and by his thirst for self-expression, Fabrice Idiart took the reins of the Moulin d’Alotz, a17th-century building converted into a restaurant in the 1960s.
While his professional experience is rooted in southwestern France, the chef’s cuisine draws inspiration from his extensive travels, particularly in Africa and Asia… He loves to elevate vegetables above all else and is committed to providing warm, attentive service—a memorable and well-rounded experience.
His restaurants
